Consultant Healthcare Scientist – Cytopathology

Job summary

Liverpool Clinical Laboratories wish to appoint a substantive full time Consultant Clinical Scientist in Cytopathology Reporting (Non-Gynaecology).

The cytopathology service is the largest in the region providing specialist services to the University Hospitals of Liverpool Group. This includes patient facing H&N rapid diagnosis clinics, several adequacy clinics across HPB and thyroid, and the service is currently working on a Lung ROSE clinic proposal across multiple sites. The team supports multiple Specialist MDTs, second opinion and referral cases and research and clinical trials.

The service receives 5,000 cases per year across the full breadth of non-gynaecology cytopathology.

This post should be attractive to Consultant Clinical Scientists with demonstrable experience in non-gynaecological cytopathology. Candidates close to completing their IBMS Advanced Specialist Diploma qualification will be considered, and Annex 21 terms and conditions may be applied to the contract of employment.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be part of the Cytopathology clinical team and take the lead role in the development of the clinical service together with the Clinical Director, Directorate Manager and Cytopathology clinical and management team.

The main responsibilities for the post holder are:

1. Independent interpretation and reporting of macroscopic and microscopic cytopathology specimens (benign and malignant)
2. Providing independent expert opinion to clinical colleagues at multidisciplinary team meetings.
3. Coordinating and overseeing clinical cytopathology service development.
4. Monitoring the quality and effectiveness of the services provided by LCL Cytopathology.
5. Participate in the relevant clinical governance meetings, representing the cytopathology service as required.
6. Training of junior medical and scientific staff.

About us

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients.

UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.

For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.

Aintree University Hospital is the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside and hosts a number of regional services including an award-winning stroke facility. Broadgreen Hospital is home to elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation. Liverpool Women's Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK's largest single site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.

Date posted: 22 April 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 8c

Salary: £74,290 to £85,601 a year per annum

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 287-LCL-26-25

Job description Job responsibilities

The Consultant Healthcare Scientist works autonomously at the same level as a medically qualified Consultant Cytopathologist, independently reporting as a mono specialist, consistent with the competency defined by the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath). The post holder will work as part of the Cellular Pathology clinical team (medical staff and Healthcare Scientists) to provide a comprehensive and cost effective specialist Cellular Pathology service to all service users.

The post holder must hold and maintain professional registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Biomedical Scientist or Clinical Scientist and must hold an IBMS Advanced Specialist Diploma in Cytopathology Reporting and Diplomateship of the Royal College of Pathologists.

The post holder will exercise autonomy and judgement within professional and managerial boundaries and will be required to verify and validate the scientific and clinical interpretation of results and appropriate subsequent patient investigations.

Person Specification

Qualifications Essential

• IBMS Advanced Specialist Diploma in Cytopathology Reporting (equivalent to FRCPath)
• Completion of Stage D training certificate from The Royal College of Pathologists (equivalent to FRCPath)
• Diplomateship of the Royal College of Pathologists
• IBMS Diploma of Expert Practice Cytopathology Reporting
• HCPC registration as a Biomedical Scientist or Clinical Scientist
• MSc (or equivalent) in relevant specialty
• Fellowship of the Institute of Biomedical Science

Desirable

• Post-graduate management qualification or equivalent experience

Experience Essential

• Minimum 48 months cytopathology reporting experience including cancer specimens working as the equivalent of a mono specialist Consultant Cytopathologist
• Evidence of participation in relevant Consultant Cytopathology EQA demonstrating equivalent level of expert practice
• Competency assessments for RCPath cytopathology reporting for a broad spectrum of specimen types
• Evidence of training Biomedical Scientists and junior medical staff
• Experience of leadership and management within a Pathology setting

Knowledge Essential

• Evidence of comprehensive CPD portfolio in relevant specialty
• Up to date knowledge of Royal College of Pathologists guidelines for specimen preparation
• Up to date knowledge of Evidence based national and international patient care pathways within relevant specialty
• Understanding of Health & Safety requirements in laboratory
• Understanding of up to date UKAS/ISO15189 standards for medical laboratory accreditation

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement.

Employer details

Employer name: Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Liverpool Clinical Laboratories, Liverpool, L7 8YE

Employer's website: https://www.liverpoolft.nhs.uk/