Specialist Biomedical Scientist

Viapath; London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in London is seeking a Specialist Biomedical Scientist to join their Blood Sciences department. Candidates must be HCPC registered, possess strong Morphology skills, and have experience in automated blood sciences laboratories. The role involves interpreting lab results, ensuring compliance with standards, and supporting patient care. A competitive salary and benefits package are offered for this demanding position.

Benefits

Generous annual leave entitlement

Contributory pension scheme

Opportunities for training and development

Qualifications

• HCPC registered with the IBMS Specialist Portfolio in Haematology and Coagulation.
• Experience in busy automated blood sciences laboratories.
• Significant demonstrable broad-based discipline specific practical experience.

Responsibilities

• Perform and interpret routine investigations to support patient care.
• Advise service users on sample preservation and transportation.
• Ensure compliance with UKAS and policies, participate in audits.

Skills

Strong Morphology skills

Digital Morphology experience

Good communication skills in English

IT competency

Quality Management System knowledge

Education

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science

Registered with HCPC

Membership of Institute of Biomedical Sciences

MSc or equivalent

Tools

Laboratory Information Systems

Office 365 suite

Job description

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This is an exciting new opportunity to join our Blood Sciences department in Synnovis. We are looking for an enthusiastic, highly motivated and proactive individual to join our department as an HCPC registered Specialist Biomedical Scientist, with experience in working in busy automated blood sciences laboratories.

The Synnovis Hub Blood Sciences department is one of the largest consolidated Blood Sciences Laboratories in a new purpose-built Hub laboratory based at Blackfriars in London.

The department is an innovative and progressive department that delivers analytical services to prominent London teaching hospitals, Kings College Hospitals and Guy’s and St Thomas Trusts as well as supporting Princess Royal in Orpington and the specialist Cardiovascular and Transplant trusts sites at Royal Brompton and Harefield.

Synnovis Hub Blood Sciences laboratories routinely performs testing of outpatients from the 6 trusts sites as well as over 190 primary care GPs within Southeast London region. It offers repertoire of routine tests in both Haematology and Coagulation. Including Digital Morphology for reporting routine blood film morphology.

Synnovis is committed to training and development through the organisation's Scientific Learning and Development fund, allowing permanent members of staff the opportunity to apply for funding for a variety of qualifications and CPD activities.

Main duties of the job

This is a fantastic opportunity to join Synnovis as a Specialist Biomedical Scientist within the 24/7 Blood Sciences service. Based at the Blackfriars Hub, you’ll work across General Haematology, Coagulation, and Morphology, supporting efficient patient care and resource management. You must be HCPC registered with the IBMS Specialist Portfolio in Haematology and Coagulation or equivalent experience, with strong Morphology skills and ideally experience in Digital Morphology.

The lab is fully automated with advanced systems including Sysmex XN-9100, CN6000, SP50, and Scopio Labs, integrated with Epic Beaker LIMS. You’ll perform and interpret routine investigations, maintain HCPC standards, process specimens, and support MLAs and APs. The role also involves ensuring compliance with UKAS and Synnovis policies, participating in audits and incident reporting, and using systems like Q-Pulse and LIMS to maintain high-quality data.

Working for our organisation

Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland and the NHS, including Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Together, they deliver and transform pathology services across Southeast London.

The partnership serves approximately 1.7 million residents of Southeast London, as well as many thousands of patients from outside the region who access local healthcare services. It provides diagnostics, testing, and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP practices, and other healthcare providers.

Our organisation brings together the very best in clinical, scientific and operational expertise, and displays in action the core values at the heart of our brand: science for life, collaboration for the benefit of everyone, and innovation and quality.

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

As a Specialist Biomedical Scientist, the post holder will have a direct and meaningful impact through a range of key responsibilities, including:

Duties and Responsibilities

Technical

• To safely handle, use and dispose of blood or other body fluids or hazardous chemicals.
• To plan and organise their work within the demands of the team.
• Advise service users on sample preservation and transportation to laboratory
• To undertake preventative maintenance on laboratory instruments and equipment prior to them being used for patient investigations.
• To prepare store and use reagents required for laboratory investigations
• To perform manual, semi-automated and fully automated laboratory investigations.
• To measure and monitor the accuracy and imprecision of laboratory investigations using appropriate quality control procedures.
• To undertake technical validation of the results from laboratory investigations to ensure accuracy and precision as specified by laboratory protocols and quality procedures.
• Participate in internal and external quality assurance programmes
• To undertake preliminary fault finding and corrective action when the quality control procedures indicate loss of performance.
• To report to the section supervisor any instance or event which may cause a service delivery failure.
• To file samples following appropriate protocols and keep records as required
• Dispose of excess and tested samples according to departmental protocols

Scientific

• To undertake method and laboratory instrument evaluation as directed by the section supervisor.
• To participate in audits as directed by the quality lead.
• To participate in research and development as directed by the Operations Manager.
• To keep up to date with current scientific and technical developments, including through participation in scientific meetings if appropriate.
• Maintain HCPC registration and undertake Continual Professional Development

Clinical

• To interpret first line laboratory results and take appropriate actions in line with laboratory policies and procedures. e.g. authorisation of results, ordering relevant follow-up laboratory procedures, adding technical and approved pre-defined clinically relevant comments, referring results for clinical interpretation or opinion, informing the requestor of clinically significant result.
• Provide approved departmental information and advice to other healthcare professionals, patients and the public, and to refer on to appropriate specialist’s requests for information out with their area of responsibility.
• To participate in clinical audits.

Laboratory Informatics

• To comply with local and national policies for the safe, secure and confidential processing, and storage of patient and other laboratory information.
• To use the Laboratory Information System according to the authorised protocols.
• To maintain the integrity and accuracy of laboratory databases.

Administrative

• To ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely to ensure compliance with good work practices required for ISO 15189.
• Supervise work file management to ensure all results are reported with agreed turnaround time
• To ensure that all results are reported within the agreed turnaround time, and to take appropriate action, for example communicating appropriately with colleagues and managers.
• To support and participate in staff training and development.
• Handle telephone enquiries from service users and where required communicate test results as per departmental protocol
• To participate with supervision of the work and performance monitoring of Medical Laboratory Assistants, trainees and students in the procedures for which the post holder is responsible.
• To use departmental resources efficiently and advice the Section Supervisor when stocks of reagents and consumables are approaching minimum stock levels.
• To participate in the review of policies and procedures, COSHH and workplace risk assessments.

For further details please see the attached JD.

Person specification

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science or equivalent first degree, accredited by the IBMS.
• Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.
• Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.
• Membership of Institute of Biomedical Sciences
• MSc or equivalent, or in progress
• Willing to work towards higher levels of education

Experience

• Significant demonstrable broad-based discipline specific practical experience.
• Analysing, interpreting and technical validation of routine, complex and specialist results.
• Using Laboratory Information Systems.
• Development of special interest and expertise in one or more areas of the laboratory, for example Quality, Health & Safety, Training or IT.
• Working independently within laboratory clinics, ensuring precise testing and the accurate interpretation of results.
• Experience in Digital Morphology.
• Experience with audit.

Skills & Knowledge

• Competent in the interpretation and technical validation of results.
• Competent in the investigation of abnormal and critical results.
• Good verbal and written communication skills in English.
• IT competency and problem solving (including use of Office 365 suite; Outlook, Sharepoint etc).
• Well-developed interpersonal skills and ability to prioritise and manage own work.
• Good understanding of Quality Management System.
• Awareness of Health & Safety legislation and procedures.
• Demonstrates a high degree of skill and knowledge where interpretation of results can be highly subjective.
• Ability to troubleshoot problems arising on analytical platforms, manual assays and semiautomated procedures: and know when escalate.
• Competent at communicating verbally and in writing with colleagues and clinical staff.
• Ability to effectively manage your own time, able to prioritise work for self and others and able to plan activities within area of work.
• Demonstrable knowledge and application of quality systems, with reference to ISO/UKAS.
• Experience in assay validation and verification processes.
• Experience in incidence reporting and investigations.
• Leadership qualities with experience of coaching, coordinating and supervising a team.

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

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.