Healthcare Science Assistant

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals; Lancaster; Presencial; GBP 9000 - 13 000; Tempo parcial

Resumo da oferta

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals is recruiting a Healthcare Science Assistant to join Blood Sciences Specimen Reception at Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Lancaster. The role is part-time (15 hours/week: Thu 13:00-21:00 and Fri 13:00-21:00) in a busy pathology service supporting wards, GP surgeries and emergency departments.

You will work under Biomedical Scientists, perform sample preparation, data entry and essential housekeeping, with on-the-job training and a 24/7 laboratory service ethos.

Qualificações

• Experience working in a laboratory environment and handling specimens.
• Understanding of data entry and record keeping in a laboratory information system.
• Knowledge of health & safety requirements in a hospital laboratory.

Responsabilidades

• Prepare and label patient samples for analysis.
• Assist in sample reception and workflow, meeting turnaround targets.
• Maintain cleanliness and stock of consumables in the lab.
• Communicate with ward staff and colleagues while maintaining confidentiality.
• Attend mandatory training and participate in personal development planning.

Conhecimentos

Laboratory skills

Teamwork

Basic IT skills

Health & safety awareness

Confidentiality

Pathology laboratory experience

Formação académica

3 GCSEs including English

A Levels or equivalent

NVQ 2 in Clinical Laboratory Support

Descrição da oferta de emprego

For roles in our corporate services departments including – Digital Services (I.T), Recruitment, Employment Services, Temporary Staffing, Rostering, Procurement and Finance, these departments are now part of OneLSC and can be found on the ELHT website: https://elht.nhs.uk/working-us/our-vacancies

Main area Pathology Grade Band 2 Contract Permanent Hours 15 hours per week (Part time - 15 hours per week, Thursday 13:00 - 21:00 and Friday 13:00 - 21:00) Job ref 438-PB4712

Site Royal Lancaster Infirmary Town Lancaster Salary £25,272 Per Annum, Pro Rata Salary period Yearly Closing 23/10/2026 23:59

Job overview

A vacancy has arisen for a Healthcare Science Assistants in Blood Sciences Specimen Reception at Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Lancashire and South Cumbria Pathology Service.

You will be joining a busy team providing an essential Blood Sciences service for patients in the North Lancashire and South Cumbria area.

The vacancy is Thursday 13:00 - 21:00 and Friday 13:00 - 21:00

Main duties of the job

Work as part of a team supporting and supervised by a Health and Care Professions Council registered Biomedical Scientists. Booking and preparing patient samples and requests for analysis.

The workflow is unpredictable such that there are significant peaks and troughs throughout the day in the number of samples arriving for processing.

This requires a high level of tolerance to repetitive work. The need to maintain high levels of accuracy and attention to detail throughout prolonged periods of concentration are required.

In sample processing, HSA's must work to deadlines to assist in achieving defined analysis turnaround times to provide an effective clinical service to wards departments and GP surgeries and a fast response service to the emergency departments.

Working for our organisation

We have a friendly, professional and patient care driven team in Specimen Reception. Your role will be to work alongside other HSA's in a fast paced environment. You will receive on the job training. The laboratory service at Royal Lancaster Infirmary is delivered 24/7.

We operate from three main hospitals - Furness General Hospital (FGH) in Barrow, the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI), and Westmorland General Hospital (WGH) in Kendal, as well as a number of community health care premises including Millom Hospital and GP Practice, Queen Victoria Hospital in Morecambe, and Ulverston Community Health Centre.

FGH and the RLI have a range of General Hospital services, with full Emergency Departments, Critical/Coronary Care units and various Consultant-led services.

WGH provides a range of General Hospital services, together with an Urgent Treatment Centre, that can help with a range of non- life threatening conditions such as broken bones and minor illnesses.

All three main hospitals provide a range of planned care including outpatients, diagnostics, therapies, day case and inpatient surgery. In addition, a range of local outreach services and diagnostics are provided from community facilities across Morecambe Bay.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Sample Preparation

1. Receive and sort pathology samples.

2. Distribute samples to departments.

3. Label samples and prepare them for analysis.

4. Record and inform service users and senior staff of requests received that do not comply with the Specimen Acceptance Criteria

1. Enter data onto the laboratory computer system.

Housekeeping and Maintenance Tasks

1. Dispose of clinical and non-clinical waste in accordance with Trust and departmental policies

2. Clean and decontaminate working areas and equipment in accordance with laboratory protocols and record such actions.

3. Maintain adequate stocks of consumables and ensure any stock is stored in a timely manner.

Communication

1. Communicate with a limited range of Trust staff in person, eg passing of information to colleagues within Pathology

2. Be expected to communicate in a pleasant and caring manner at all times whilst maintaining confidentiality.

3. Attend department meetings as required, to ensure an awareness of developments within the work area.

4. Maintain an effective communication network; verbal, written and electronic, keeping registered practitioners informed.

5. Assist in maintaining, recording and storing information, including patient records, in line with Trust policy.

Training and Development

1. Training is provided.

2. Be trained to have a working knowledge of all health and safety procedures

3. Participate in the appraisal process and, as part of the appraisal, in discussion with the line manager, develop an annual Personal Development Plan to identify training and development needs in line with personal and organisational objectives

4. Develop own skills and knowledge.

5. Attend mandatory training as directed.

6. Assist in the training of new staff when required.

Organisational Responsibilities

1. General clerical and administrative duties including scanning request forms, photocopying, filing and shredding confidential waste.

Professional Responsibilities

1. Maintain confidentiality at all times, ensuring information is only divulged to authorised sources and by appropriate means.

2. Exercise independent judgement and initiative by taking appropriate action to resolve any problems when they arise.

3. Ensure compliance with policies, procedures and clinical guidelines for self and others.

Person specification

Experience

• Laboratory Skills

Qualifications

• 3 GCSE's or equivalent including English
• A' levels or equivalent
• NVQ 2 in Clinical Laboratory Support

Skills, ability and knowledge

• Experience of working with others
• Basic IT skills
• General appreciation of the importance of Health & Safety issues
• Understands the need for confidentiality
• Previous Pathology Laboratory Experience

We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership, neurodiversity or veteran status are encouraged to apply for this post. Our Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders is available Here

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information. AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Supporting Information

The supporting information section is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person. Our recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. They will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.

Consider structuring your supporting information section with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.

Working Smarter pledge

We are reminded everyday of how important life is, so as part of our Working Smarter pledge we offer a variety of flexible working options and wellbeing support to enable our people to find and maintain the right work-life balance.

Secondments

If you are applying for a secondment role please ensure you have agreement from your current line manager prior to attending an interview. Also please ensure you have read the LTHTR Secondment Policy. A copy of this can be found on the intranet or by contacting [e-mail]

Please note a young person must be in part-time education or training until they’re 18. therefore if you are under 18 we are unable to employ you on a full time basis, unless it is in an apprenticeship role.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

If the role you’ve applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this on your behalf and the cost will be recovered from your salary, either as a one-off payment, or over 3 months. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £26.40 Standard DBS check £26.40 and Enhanced DBS check £54.40. You should be aware that if you are successful in obtaining a position that requires a DBS check but later withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check. DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here .

In line with guidance from United Kingdom Health Security Agency, all staff and volunteers are required to comply with Trust Infection Prevention and Control processes in relation to safe working. This includes mask wearing and adherence to social distancing at all Trust sites.

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