Medical Laboratory Assistant - Specimen reception

Lancashire Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Blackburn; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancashire Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust seeks an MLA-style role in Blood Sciences, based in specimen reception. You will participate in a 24-hour shift rota, including long nights, weekends and bank holidays, handling samples from hospital and GP sources with careful attention to detail.

You will input patient data into the Laboratory Information System, prepare specimens for analysis, and support the team under the supervision of a Biomedical Scientist.

Qualifications

• Precision-focused role requiring accurate and timely processing of samples.
• Experience with data input and sample handling in a pathology/laboratory setting is advantageous.
• Ability to work as part of a team under supervision of a Biomedical Scientist.
• Willingness to work a 24-hour shift rota including nights, weekends and bank holidays.

Responsibilities

• Collect patient samples and forms from delivery points and wards.
• Check documentation and assess suitability of samples.
• Provide first point of contact for Blood Sciences staff.
• Prepare samples for analysis and distribute to sections; label, centrifuge as needed.
• Input accurate patient details into the Laboratory Information System.
• Prioritise samples for analysis and manage urgent requests.
• Assist with reception duties and respond to enquiries in person or by phone.
• Replenish stocks of consumables and reagents in Blood Sciences.
• Prepare basic reagents under supervision of Biomedical Scientist.
• Prepare specimen containers for distribution; perform basic housekeeping and decontamination.
• Load samples onto automated equipment after training; perform higher-level manual prep if required.

Skills

Data entry

Keyboard skills

Teamwork

Attention to detail

Adaptability

Pathology lab experience

Lab sample handling

Tools

Laboratory Information System

Job description

Please note this role requires participation on a 24 hour shift rota covering nights, late shifts and weekend and Bank Holidays Based within Blood Sciences, you will be working mainly in specimen reception processing samples received from the Hospitals and General Practitioners. This is an area which can be very busy and requires precise working, under time pressures. Keyboard skills and experience of data input would be a particular advantage, as would previous working in a Pathology lab. Work as part of a team supporting and supervised by an Health and Care Professions Council registered Biomedical Scientist. Preparing patient samples and requests for analysis, and carrying out basic laboratory duties.

• The Blood Sciences Department is a demand led service, processing over 4000 patient samples every weekday.
• 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, MLA'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.

We have a tight knit team in Specimen Reception. Your role will include participation of the 24 hour shift rota, and include long nights, long weekend days and Bank Holidays.

• Collection of patients' samples and forms from Pathology delivery point and from wards and departments.
• Check documentation and assess suitability of samples.
• To provide the first point of contact for Blood Sciences Department for other Trust and PCT staff.
• Using agreed procedures as defined in Standard Operating Procedures, to prepare samples, for analysis and distribution to sections of the department. Including numbering samples and forms, centrifugation of samples. All samples are potentially infectious and proportions are unpleasant in nature. Universal precautions are required to prevent cross infection from all samples.
• Assessment of centrifuged samples for suitability for analysis.
• Prioritisation of samples for analysis.
• Accurate input of patient details into the Laboratory Information System for each specimen received. Resolving issues of incorrect patient details by contact with medical staff on wards, clinics, and accessing external databases of patient information.
• Reception and preparation of urgent samples for analysis, including demographic input into Laboratory Information system.
• Responding to general service and patient result enquiries in person and by telephone.
• Retrieval of authorised results and offering basic technical advice to other Trust and PCT staff.
• Replenishment of stocks of consumables and reagents within Blood Sciences from Laboratory stores areas.
• Preparation of basic reagents as defined in Standard Operating Procedures under supervision of a Biomedical Scientist. This can involve hazardous chemicals.
• Preparation of specimen containers for distribution to wards and departments.
• General housekeeping duties as defined in Standard Operating Procedures including disinfection and decontamination of surfaces and equipment such as centrifuges, water baths, blood fridges and specimen freezers.
• When required loading of samples onto automated complex analytical equipment, and after training, some manual preparations requiring a higher level of manual skills.