Medical Laboratory Assistant - Clinical Biochemistry

Buy A Boat Now; Torquay; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

An NHS Trust in Torquay seeks a Biomedical Laboratory Assistant to provide technical support to Biomedical Scientists, assisting with specimen preparation and analysis. Candidates should possess a good general education and ideally a degree in Biomedical or Biological sciences. This role involves handling biological samples and adhering to health and safety protocols. A commitment to teamwork and communication is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience with electronic order communications is desirable.
• Competency with laboratory automation is preferred.
• Knowledge of health and safety regulations is required.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical and clerical assistance to Biomedical Scientists.
• Prepare blood and other samples for analysis.
• Assist with training and monitoring of junior staff.

Skills

Good communication skills

Manual dexterity

Teamwork

Ability to work under pressure

Education

Good general education, A-levels or NVQ level

Biomedical or Biological science degree

Job description

Job Summary

Core hours: Monday to Friday 12:00 – 17:30; evenings 12:00 – 20:00 and some weekends as required.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust provides healthcare services to a population of approximately 300,000. The Clinical Biochemistry Department supports over 4 million tests each year, 60 % of which originate from GPs. The lab is fully equipped with Roche Cobas pre‑analytical and analytical equipment, Sebia capillary electrophoresis, Sebia Tera 3S and Point‑of‑Care systems (Nova, Werfen). The Laboratory Information System is Epic Beaker.

Main duties

• Provide technical and clerical assistance to Biomedical Scientists, enabling accurate diagnosis and treatment.
• Prepare blood, urine, faeces and other fluid samples for analysis.
• Handle routine telephone enquiries from GPs, medical, nursing and other healthcare staff.
• Support other Medical Laboratory Assistants (MLAs) from different departments.
• Assist with evening and weekend bank‑holiday rotas.
• Carry out pre‑analytical procedures, centrifuge samples, aliquot, package samples for dispatch to reference laboratories, and operate Cobas 8100 pre‑analytical equipment.
• Maintain temperature logs for refrigerators and freezers (UKAS compliance).
• Perform clinical biochemistry tests (e.g. Blood Gases) under supervision.
• Support data entry, specimen bar‑coding and management of outstanding work lists.
• Contribute to stock control, consumables preparation and routine equipment maintenance.
• Assist in training and monitoring of junior staff and trainee Biomedical Scientists.
• Update and suggest improvements to SOPs and lab practices.

Person Specification

• Essential qualifications: Good general education, A‑levels or NVQ level. Ability to work as part of a team or independently.
• Desirable qualifications: Biomedical or Biological science degree, competency with laboratory automation, knowledge of Epic Beaker, IHCS or ICE, experience with electronic order communications.
• Experience of computers/IT, knowledge of health and safety, good communication and telephone skills, ability to work under pressure.
• Manual dexterity and good hand‑eye coordination for pipetting and delicate equipment handling.
• Daily handling of biological samples with appropriate PPE; exposure to urine, faeces, CSF and hazardous chemicals.

Requirements due to work conditions

• Daily handling of biological samples requiring use of PPE.
• Exposure to unpleasant fluids, faeces, urine and CSF.
• Handling of hazardous chemicals and reagents.

Employer Details

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Clinical Biochemistry, Level 3 Torbay Hospital, Torquay, TQ27AA
Website: https://www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk

Legal and Sponsorship Information

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) will be required. Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship will be considered. Further information can be found on the UK Visas and Immigration website.