Medical Laboratory Assistant

Viapath; City Of London; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading laboratory services provider is seeking a Medical Laboratory Assistant to join their Blood Sciences Department in City Of London. The role involves managing laboratory samples, performing quality control, and ensuring compliance with health and safety guidelines. Candidates should possess a strong educational background and experience working in a team. The position offers a development program to enhance career growth within a high-reputation environment focused on diagnostic services.

Benefits

Contributory pension scheme

Generous annual leave entitlement

Groundbreaking development opportunities

Qualifications

• Must have a good all-round education including GCSEs in English and Maths.
• Ability to work accurately with attention to detail.
• Experience of working as part of a team in a busy environment.

Responsibilities

• Handle and manage laboratory samples following SOPs.
• Perform cleaning activities and prepare laboratory equipment.
• Use Laboratory Information Management Systems to record patient information.
• Perform daily checks in the laboratory and complete required paperwork.

Skills

Good written and verbal communication skills

Organised and methodical

Attention to detail

Ability to work to deadlines

Education

Good education to GCSE standard including English and Maths

A Level / BTEC in Science

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job overview

Synnovis is a scientific organisation with a clinical purpose and is part of SYNLAB Group, Europe’s leading provider of laboratory diagnostic services. Royal Brompton Hospital Blood sciences laboratory is part of Synnovis Analytics. Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospital Clinical Group is part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust is the largest heart and lung centre in the UK and among the largest in Europe.

We are seeking a Medical Laboratory Assistant to join Blood Sciences Department, with a focus initially on Specimen Reception.

EPIC Beaker is our main laboratory IT system, but in Blood Transfusion we have Clinisys Winpath Enterprise laboratory information system, and Haemonetics blood tracking systems are in use. The laboratory is equipped with ACL TOP 550 coagulometers, Beckman Coulter DxH blood cell counters and transitioning to Sysmex XN and CN analyers, Blood Transfusion uses Bio-Rad IH-500 analysers, and Biochemistry uses the Abbot Allinity platform.

Main duties of the job

You will hold a variety of accountabilities in the laboratory environment. These may include, but are not limited to :

• Handle and manage samples, in line with standard operating procedures (SOPs) and assessed competencies.
• Perform tasks and operate laboratory equipment within all safety standards and according to local SOPs relevant to your area.
• Prepare solutions, reagents etc, utilising a variety of laboratory equipment to carry out investigations.
• Ensure all laboratory consumables and equipment are maintained in line with SOPs and health and safety guidelines.
• Complete data entry that is accurate, reliable, delivered on time and in accordance with Information Governance (IG) procedures.
• Provide administrative support to all areas of the laboratory, as appropriate and dependent on experience and training.

Key Relationships

The Medical Laboratory Assistant [MLA] will liaise closely with the Blood Sciences laboratory team, including MLAs, Biomedical Scientists (BMS), Blood Science Operations Manager.

Working for our organisation

Our hospitals, stretching from southeast and central London to outer northwest London, have been responsible for some of the most significant medical breakthroughs ever made in our specialist fields. The hospital is one of the most advanced centres for heart and lung care anywhere in the world today. It has jointly pioneered work in the development of ‘artificial hearts’ (also known as left ventricular assist devices or LVADs).

We carry out over 40% of all cardiac surgery in London, and nationally a third of all tests for inherited lung conditions and a quarter of all tests for inherited heart conditions.

At our dedicated heart attack centre, we deal with heart attack emergencies from outer north-west London, providing primary angioplasty in our specialist catheter laboratories. We believe our arrival‑to‑treatment time of 27 minutes is one of the fastest in Europe. Speed of treatment has been shown to be crucial to survival in these cases.

Your development and learning

You will have a suite of learning opportunities available through The Synnovis Way Development programme, the Scientific Learning and Development Fund and the Synnovis Academy through which you can receive funding / support for advanced qualifications.

Through our Innovation Accelerator Fund, you can apply for finance to get that new innovative scientific project off the ground, and participate with the wider scientific community through symposiums, conferences and other peer group meetings.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Perform cleaning activities in the laboratory and prepare laboratory equipment for use.
• Perform daily checks on laboratory areas as directed and complete all required paperwork.
• Perform environmental monitoring and waste management activities in a safe way, as required.
• Support and train colleagues in your area as required.
• Perform specimen reception and referrals processing duties.
• Use departmental resources efficiently and apply good stock management of reagents, consumables and stationery. Receipt and unpack new deliveries and advise / order when approaching minimum stock levels.
• Report and record all incidents and adverse events under the direction of the senior members of staff.
• Participate in quality management activities including inspections and audits, as required.
• Use Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) to accurately record sensitive patient information, requiring frequent, long periods of concentration, whilst maintaining patient confidentiality and following IG guidelines.
• Organise day‑to‑day tasks, identifying and prioritising urgent work to ensure that deadlines are met, and that work is delivered to the highest standards possible. Escalate to senior member of staff, as necessary.
• Safely handle, use and dispose of biological specimens including infectious material or hazardous chemicals according to laboratory and health and safety protocols.
• Understand hazards and risks of working in a laboratory and use adequate precautions and personal protective equipment at all times.
• Answer the telephone, deal with calls politely and professionally, escalating requests when necessary to appropriate senior staff or other departments.
• Adhere to the laboratory SOPs and work with the team to review working practice to maintain a high quality and safe service.
• Perform specimen reception duties including checking details, receiving and logging patient requests on to the LIMS.
• Process referral specimens, receive samples dispatched from other laboratories and prepare samples for despatch to other laboratories or hospitals.
• Prepare specimens and perform manual, semi‑automated and fully‑automated laboratory investigations within training parameters and where appropriate under supervision.
• Undertake preventative maintenance and basic troubleshooting on laboratory instruments and equipment prior to them being used for patient investigations.
• Process samples under supervision for clinical trials and research and development projects as and when required.
• File samples following appropriate protocols and keep records as required.
• Prepare, store and use reagents required for laboratory investigations.
• Maintain knowledge and skills as identified by line manager. Undertake periodic laboratory training and competence assessment.

Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS, including sites, Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver and transform pathology services across South East London.

The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in South East London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services.

The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.

The Royal Brompton Hospital

Royal Brompton Hospital has a formidable international reputation for its treatment of lung and heart disease, built over more than 175 years.

It has ranked in the top ten 'World's Best Specialized Hospitals' ever since Newsweek created the list in 2021. It is home to Europe's largest centre for the treatment and management of cystic fibrosis, and also sees patients suffering from asthma and chronic lung conditions.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Good all round education to GCSE standard including English and Maths at grade 4 / C or equivalent or L2 Healthcare Science apprenticeship

Desirable criteria

• A Level / BTEC in Science (or equivalent or higher)

Experience

Essential criteria

• Working as part of a team
• Working in a busy environment
• Experience of working with computer applications such as Microsoft Office / Google docs, data entry
• Experience of working accurately with an attention to detail

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in a pathology laboratory environment
• Handling of biological specimens
• Customer service

Skills & Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Good written and verbal communication skills
• Numerate and literate
• Organised and methodical
• Ability to work to deadlines
• Ability to accurately follow written procedures
• Competent at problem solving and prioritising
• Able to maintain focus and concentration for extended periods of time
• Ability to operate the use of precision instrument and equipment
• Ability to lift, move and manipulate stock specimens etc
• Willingness and ability to learn complex operating procedures and follow guidelines

Desirable criteria

• Awareness of the role of medical laboratories
• Awareness of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)

Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. All applicants are welcome to apply regardless of age, disability, gender, marital status, race, nationality or ethnic origin, religion, or sexual orientation. Equality of opportunity is our policy.

Our Bank workers enjoy competitive market rates and flexible contract assignments across all of our sites, dependent on your availability and location.

For our Permanent workforce we offer a competitive benefits package.

All employees are entitled to :

• Contributory pension scheme
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Ground breaking development

opportunities

Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults . All employees have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.