Specialist Biomedical Scientist - Microbiology (Band 5/6)

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS; Blackburn; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization is seeking a qualified Specialist Band 6 BMS to join their microbiology laboratory in Blackburn. The successful candidate will perform scientific investigations, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services. Ideally, you must be registered with the HCPC and have recent experience in a medical microbiology lab. The role includes a full-time schedule, covering evenings and weekends.

Qualifications

• Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.
• Clear communication skills.
• Experience within a medical microbiology laboratory.

Responsibilities

• Perform scientific investigations for diagnosing microbial diseases.
• Follow quality standards and health regulations.
• Collaborate with clinicians and nursing staff.

Skills

Clear and accurate written and verbal communication skills

Effective listening skills

Ability to adapt to changing needs of the service

Comprehensive knowledge of microbiological techniques

Proven ability to work well in a team

Education

Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (H.C.P.C)

Job description

At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.

Job overview

The successful candidate will be required to work in partnership with the Biomedical Scientist team to delivery a quality service within a robust Microbiology laboratory service to ELHT.

Main duties of the job

• To perform of a wide range of scientific and technical investigations for the diagnosis of microbial disease in a variety of clinical patient samples.
• To follow national, local and departmental regulations, quality standards, standard operating procedures and Health and Safety guidance to ensure a consistent, high quality and safely delivered service at all times.
• To deliver that high quality, efficient and professional service by employing a wide range of scientific and technical procedures, through the interpretation of data, the reporting of results, and by liaison with service users (clinicians, nursing and related staff both hospital and community based).

Working for our organisation

The post is for a qualified Specialist Band 6 BMS to work full time hours on a roster pattern which includes evenings, weekends and Bank holidays.

The successful candidates will be required to work as part of the BMS team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

More detail about the role can be found in the attached job description which contains the main duties and responsibilities that the successful candidate will be expected to carry out.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (H.C.P.C)

Desirable criteria

• Membership of the Institute of Biomedical Science
• Completed specialist portfolio

Skills

Essential criteria

• Clear and accurate written and verbal communication skills
• Effective listening skills
• Willing to adapt to the changing needs of the service
• Able to work in a busy environment
• Comprehensive knowledge of, and skills in the application of, microbiological techniques and procedures
• Proven ability to work well in a team and to be supportive of team members.

Desirable criteria

• Good attention to detail
• Experience of audit and/or CA/PA completion

Experience

Essential criteria

• Recent experience of working within a medical microbiology laboratory
• Experience of 'lone working' in an out of hours service

Desirable criteria

• Participation in a UKAS inspection

Dear Potential Applicant,

It is important you are made aware of the following as regards your application to East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

• Please note that the salary advertised is for full time hours. If this post is less than 37.5 hours per week, the salary will be pro-rata. For posts on Agenda for Change pay-scales, new entrants to the NHS will normally commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.
• This vacancy may close before the closing date if the recruiting manager deems sufficient applications have been received. Therefore it is advised to complete your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
• Please ensure you check the email account from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.
• Please note that shortlisting is completed anonymously with candidates being assessed against the essential criteria for the post. Therefore only applicants, who can clearly demonstrate how they meet our person specification criteria in their application, will be short-listed.

Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS)

If the role you are applying for is identified as either controlled or regulated activity as defined in in the Safeguarding vulnerable Groups Act (2006) any offer of employment is provisional upon a satisfactory DBS check being obtained.

The healthcare sector is exempted from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

In line with other NHS organisations in the North West Region, the Trust is now passing the charge for undertaking a DBS check on to candidates in the event they are successfully appointed into the post for which they have applied. Candidates can choose whether to pay this over 1-3 months as a deduction from the monthly salary. However, if you are applying for a post as a BANK worker, the payment must be made in full at the time of employment checks. By applying for this vacancy you are agreeing to this undertaking in the event you are successfully appointed.

The cost of an Enhanced Disclosure will be £55.38 and for a Standard Disclosure will be £27.38.

This cost is not applicable for a Volunteer post

The Trust is an equal opportunities employer, committed to improving the working lives of our staff and operates a 'Zero Tolerance' policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment. In addition, our aim is to help protect children and vulnerable adults by providing a first-class service to the recruitment of people into positions of trust.

We aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability or social background.

We especially welcome applications from members of our black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, as we have identified that ELHT has an under-representation of BAME employees. Appointments will be made on merit.

Applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the job will be interviewed if you indicate you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme.

If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process please make the recruitment services team aware as soon as possible. By telephone [phone] or email [e-mail] or write to Employment Services, Parkview Offices, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HH

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

• Job description and Person Specification (PDF, 504.3KB)
• Privacy Notice (PDF, 305.1KB)
• Benefits of working at ELHT (PDF, 1.2MB)
• Additional Candidate information 2024 (PDF, 408.6KB)