Healthcare Sciences Support Worker - Sample reception

Lancashire Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Blackburn (OK); On-site; USD 28,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a dedicated Specimen Reception professional to support the Blood Sciences Department across Blackburn and Burnley sites. You will handle specimen reception duties, ensure accurate sample labeling, and prepare samples for analysis, contributing to timely clinical services.

Role involves 24-hour shift arrangements including days, weekends, nights, lates and Bank Holidays.

Responsibilities

• Check documentation and assess suitability of samples.
• Provide the first point of contact for Blood Sciences Department for other Trust staff.
• Prepare samples for analysis and distribute to department sections, including numbering samples and forms, centrifugal processing of samples.
• Assessment of centrifuged samples for suitability for analysis.
• Prioritisation of samples for analysis.
• Accurate input of patient details into the Laboratory Information System.
• Preparation of urgent samples for analysis with demographic input into the system.
• Responding to service and patient result enquiries in person and by telephone.
• Retrieval of authorised results and offering basic technical advice to other Trust staff.
• Replenishment of stocks of consumables and reagents within Blood Sciences.
• Preparation of basic reagents as defined in SOPs.
• Preparation of specimen containers for distribution.
• Loading of samples onto automated equipment and some manual preparations requiring higher skills.

Job description

Company:

Company: Lancashire Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

A Vacancy at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Are you driven, passionate individual looking to join an innovative an fast paced team in Pathology? This this could be the role for you!

Working as part of a great team supporting Health and Care Professions Council Registered Biomedical Scientists. You will be working in specimen reception processing samples received from the Hospitals and General Practitioners, preparing patient samples and requests for analysis, and carrying out basic laboratory duties. 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.

Specimen reception is an area which can be very busy and requires precise working, under time pressures. 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. This role requires working at Blackburn and Burnley Hospital sites.

Post holder requires to participate in various shifts arranged over 24 hours including core days, weekends, nights, lates and Bank Holidays.

• Check documentation and assess suitability of samples.
• To provide the first point of contact for Blood Sciences Department for other Trust 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.
• Assessment of centrifuged samples for suitability for analysis.
• Prioritisation of samples for analysis.
• Accurate input of patient details into the Laboratory Information System. Resolving issues of incorrect patient details by contact with medical staff on wards, clinics, and accessing external databases of patient information.
• 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 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
• Preparation of specimen containers for distribution
• When required, loading of samples onto automated complex analytical equipment, and some manual preparations requiring a higher level of manual skills.

We have 10,000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever your role, you help look after 370,000 people in our local area & give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire & Cumbria.

Working with us gives you the knowledge and sense of pride that every activity you do genuinely does make a difference to support our patients & staff, ensuring we keep thriving & delivering outstanding healthcare right across our local towns.

You’ll have access to varied development opportunities, learn new skills, meet fab people & do things you’d never have done. You’ll learn about working in a hospital, interacting with people from all different roles to build skills & enhance your career path.

You’ll make an impact, be challenged to think differently, be bold & help innovate to keep improving things. Everything we do centres around patient care which means your role is pivotal and something really to be proud of.

Sample Preparation

• 1. Receive and sort pathology samples.
• 2. Distribute samples to departments.
• 3. Label samples and prepare them for analysis.
• 4. Record and inform service users and senior staff of requests received that do not comply with the Specimen Acceptance Criteria
• 1. Enter data onto the laboratory computer system.

Housekeeping and Maintenance Tasks

• 1. Dispose of clinical and non-clinical waste in accordance with Trust and departmental policies
• 2. Clean and decontaminate working areas and equipment in accordance with laboratory protocols and record such actions.
• 3. Assist with the use and maintenance of some laboratory equipment.
• 4. Maintain adequate stocks of consumables and ensure any stock is stored in a timely manner.

Communication

• 1. Communicate with a limited range of staff
• 2. Be expected to communicate in a pleasant and caring manner at all times whilst maintaining confidentiality.
• 3. Attend department meetings as required, to ensure an awareness of developments within the work area.
• 4. Maintain an effective communication network; verbal, written and electronic,
• 5. Assist in maintaining, recording and storing information, including patient records, in line with Trust policy.

Training and Development

• 1. Training is provided and assessed in the department as defined in the Training Manual for Specimen Reception
• 2. Be trained to have a working knowledge of all health and safety procedures
• 3. Participate in the appraisal process and, as part of the appraisal, in discussion with the line manager, develop an annual Personal Development Plan to identify training and development needs in line with personal and organisational objectives
• 4. Develop own skills and knowledge.
• 5. Attend mandatory training as directed.
• 6. Assist in the training of new staff when required.

Organisational Responsibilities

• 1. General clerical and administrative duties including scanning request forms, photocopying, filing and shredding confidential waste.
• 2. Completing records in Specimen Reception, for example fridge temperatures in compliance with laboratory protocols

Professional Responsibilities

• 1. Maintain confidentiality at all times, ensuring information is only divulged to authorised sources and by appropriate means.
• 2. Exercise independent judgement and initiative by taking appropriate action to resolve any problems when they arise.
• 3. Ensure compliance with policies, procedures and clinical guidelines for self and others.

This advert closes on Thursday 19 Nov 2026