Associate Practitioner Blood Sciences

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust; Woodside; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider is seeking an Associate Practitioner to join their Blood Sciences team. This role encompasses maintaining automated analysers, performing tests, and booking patient samples. The ideal candidate has experience in an NHS pathology lab and excellent communication skills, with a requirement for participation in a 24/7 shift rota. Applications from diverse candidates are encouraged.

Qualifications

• Experience working in an NHS pathology laboratory or similar.
• Participation in the 24/7 shift rota required.
• Ability to produce all essential certificates.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and run automated analysers as per protocols.
• Perform manual tests and record results.
• Book patient samples onto the Laboratory Computer System.

Skills

Good keyboard skills

Computer literate

Communication skills

Team player

Attention to detail

Job description

Overview

We are seeking an Associate Practitioner to work in our Department of Blood Sciences. The AP role involves working alongside the Biomedical Scientists and closely with colleagues in Pathology Reception as part of the Blood Sciences team. Blood Sciences is a busy department receiving a large number of samples from AE, acute hospital wards, community hospitals and outpatient clinics and GP surgeries. Many tests are performed in the laboratory at UHND or DMH, and some tests are referred to other testing centres elsewhere in the region and the country.

Responsibilities

• Maintaining and running automated analysers in accordance with laboratory protocols, loading QC material as required.
• Performing some manual tests and recording the results.
• Booking patient samples onto the Laboratory Computer System and ensuring the correct test requests are inputted. There are thousands of different test codes and you must have excellent attention to detail to select the correct codes.
• Centrifuging samples and loading the samples onto the relevant laboratory analysers.
• Assisting the BMS staff by managing pending test lists.
• Organising referral, packaging and sending of samples to other Trust sites and to other Trusts nationwide.
• Answering reception and telephone queries and liaising with other Trust staff and the general public.
• Stock control including ordering, receiving and receipting deliveries, documenting and organising batches of reagents and performing verification tasks.
• Deputising for the Pathology Reception Team Leader.

Requirements / Qualifications

• You should be able to demonstrate good keyboard skills and be computer literate and have experience of working in an NHS pathology laboratory. Experience in a different laboratory environment will be considered alongside experience and skills.
• If you are a good communicator, team player, are conscientious and flexible this job may suit you.
• Participation in the 24/7 shift rota will be required as part of this role.
• From 9 April 2025 – Healthcare assistants: you must have a minimum of two years of experience working within the NHS as a HCA for the Trust to consider sponsorship (we will only consider sponsorship if you meet this criteria and have a current visa expiring within 3 months).
• You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated as essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks.
• We provide hospital services from two acute sites – Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We also operate a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale, as well as over 80 other community-based settings and care in patients’ homes.
• We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates, as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented.
• For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.

We provide hospital services from two acute sites and support a wide range of community services. Full Job Descriptions can be found in the advert supporting documents.

Notes

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