Pathology Quality Clerk

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust; North East; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player in healthcare is seeking a motivated individual to join their Pathology team. This role involves supporting the Quality Manager in maintaining high standards of quality management across various disciplines. You will engage with a diverse team, assisting with essential administrative tasks, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and contributing to the overall efficiency of the department. If you are passionate about quality improvement and have a knack for organization, this position offers a fantastic opportunity to develop your career in a supportive environment.

Qualifications

• Strong clerical skills and experience in a reception environment.
• Understanding of quality management systems and regulatory standards.

Responsibilities

• Support the Quality Manager with administration and maintain quality standards.
• Assist with record keeping, data collection, and meeting documentation.

Skills

Effective Communication

Computer Literacy (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)

Workload Prioritization

Teamwork

Understanding of Data Protection and Confidentiality

Education

Minimum of 3 GCSEs or equivalent at Grade C or above

NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration

Tools

Qpulse System

Microsoft Office Applications

Job description

Job summary

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest integrated care providers in England, serving around 600,000 people. We are a high-performing organization with a successful track record.

Our Pathology service covers various disciplines, providing 12 million test results annually in blood sciences (haematology, transfusion, biochemistry, immunology) and cellular sciences (microbiology, cellular pathology, mortuary & bereavement services). We promote career development pathways at all levels. An exciting opportunity has arisen for a new post within our pathology team. We seek a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual to support the Quality team by preparing data and minutes for internal meetings, planning management meetings, and performing other administrative duties as directed. The successful candidate will assist the Quality Manager and Pathology departments in maintaining the Quality Management System, ensuring standards such as UKAS are met.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will support the Quality Manager and departments with administration and maintenance of the Quality Management System, helping to meet standards such as UKAS, HTA, MHRA, and ISO 15189. They will assist staff across all grades with administration related to accreditation, quality assessments, record keeping, data collection/input, meeting support, and documentation within the Qpulse system. Training in laboratory information systems will be provided, and an understanding of their integration into Trust IT systems is desirable. The role requires independent travel across Durham and Darlington sites.

About us

Applicants must accept an interview slot via the system, even if arranged directly with the manager. All essential certificates listed in the person specification must be produced for pre-employment checks. We provide hospital services from Darlington Memorial Hospital, University Hospital of North Durham, and other community settings. We encourage applications from disabled and BAME candidates to address under-representation. Full job descriptions are available in supporting documents. Note that reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged. For visa information, please check online. From April 9th, 2025, healthcare assistants require at least two years of NHS experience for sponsorship consideration, with a current visa expiring within three months.

Job description

Job responsibilities

As part of the Pathology department’s Quality team, you will support all disciplines in maintaining regulatory standards. This involves record keeping, data collection/input, meeting minutes, and activities related to the Qpulse system. You will support meeting chairs, ensure follow-up on actions, and communicate with medical staff, managers, laboratory staff, and other contacts. Under the guidance of the Quality Manager, you will assist departments, adhere to SOPs and policies, and train staff at various levels. The role requires autonomous working with supervision from the Quality Manager.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Essential: Minimum of 3 GCSEs or equivalent at Grade C or above, including English.
• Essential: NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration or working towards it, or equivalent knowledge/experience.
• Desirable: NVQ 2 CLS or equivalent, Science/maths GCSE Grade C or above, IBMS Certificate of Achievement Part 1.

Experience

• Essential: Clerical and reception work.
• Desirable: NHS laboratory experience, laboratory experience, public interaction experience.

Special Requirements

• Essential: Ability to travel independently across sites, clerical/reception work experience.

Skills and Knowledge

• Essential: Ability to work with minimal supervision, committed to quality customer care, effective communication, computer literacy (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), flexibility, teamwork, understanding of Data Protection and confidentiality, workload prioritization.
• Desirable: Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This role requires a DBS check due to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975.

Employer details

Employer name: County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust, Hollyhurst Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL3 6HX

Employer's website: [Link not provided in original]