Medical Laboratory Assistant

The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust; Wakefield; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in Wakefield seeks a motivated individual for a full-time role in the Blood Sciences Specimen Reception department. The position involves receiving and processing patient samples, requiring strong communication skills and computer literacy. The ideal candidate should have a good secondary education and previous experience in a public-facing role. This position supports a diverse and inclusive work environment, providing benefits like the NHS pension plan and generous holiday allowances.

Benefits

NHS pension plan

Generous holiday allowance

Employee health and wellbeing services

Onsite nurseries

Childcare vouchers

Qualifications

• Experience in a public/service environment valued.
• Ability to work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Receive pathology specimens courteously.
• Sort patient samples and distribute to departments.
• Identify samples for urgent analysis.
• Ensure correct labelling of samples.
• Input patient data into laboratory system.
• Liaise with laboratory and hospital staff.

Skills

Strong verbal and written communication skills

Good manual dexterity

Ability to follow instructions

Computer literacy

Education

Evidence of good secondary education

Tools

Laboratory information system

Job description

The Blood Sciences Specimen Reception department at The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust is seeking a motivated and practical individual to join our team.This is a permanent position working primarily at Pinderfields Hospital, in the blood sciences laboratory. The vacancy is a full time (37.5 hours per week).

The department operates 24 hours a day 7 days a week and the successful candidate will be required to work a variety of shifts including day, late, overnight, weekend and bank holiday shifts.The blood sciences laboratory process patient samples from the emergency department, hospital wards and outpatient departments at Pinderfields Hospital plus patient samples from GP surgeries in the surrounding area. Specimen Reception is where the patient samples enter the laboratory. They are then prioritised and processed before analysis by the departments of Biochemistry, Blood Transfusion and Haematology.

The role requires the use of several IT systems alongside the use of a GLP pre-analytical track system. Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential, and a level of computer literacy will be useful, as a large proportion of the duty will include inputting patient information onto the Laboratory computer system. An ability to follow instructions, work under pressure and demonstrate good manual dexterity will be an advantage.

Main duties of the job

• Receive pathology specimens from hospital staff and patients in a courteous and helpful manner.
• To sort patient samples and distribute to relevant departments.
• Identify samples requiring urgent analysis.
• To ensure samples and the appropriate request forms are correctly labelled and that the correct container has been used.
• To label request forms and specimens with laboratory numbers as required.
• Use of laboratory information system to input patient data and order analytical tests.
• To successfully undertake the necessary training to fulfil the requirements of the required competency documents.
• Liaise with other laboratory and hospital staff to pass on information and solve problems that have arisen.
• To follow departmental standard operating procedures.

About us

We are an acute trust caring for over one million people in Wakefield and Kirklees. Our 10,000 staff members work in patients homes, the community, and our three hospitals in Pontefract, Dewsbury, and Pinderfields (Wakefield).Committed to continuous improvement, we prioritise our people and values so we can deliver excellent patient experience. Our team is friendly, passionate and always seeking better ways to work through research and innovation.We support work-life balance and foster a diverse, inclusive environment where everyone belongs. Our staff networks offer safe spaces for honest conversations and to share ideas, thoughts and concerns so we can increase awareness and appreciation of equality, diversity, and inclusion.As a member of the team, you will have access to the NHS pension plan, a generous holiday allowance, employee health and wellbeing services and extensive benefits and support. These include onsite nurseries, childcare vouchers,home electronics schemes, working carers support, carer-friendly policies, and more.If you value caring, high standards, improvement, and respect, join the MY team to make a difference every day.

Job responsibilities

Key requirements

Evidence of good secondary education

Previous experience of working with the public/service environment

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for further details.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Please click apply now to view the full person specification (there is no obligation to submit an application)

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.