Healthcare Science Assistant

Job overview

A vacancy has arisen for a Healthcare Science Assistants in Blood Sciences Specimen Reception at Royal Lancaster Infirmary, Lancashire and South Cumbria Pathology Service.

You will be joining a busy team providing an essential Blood Sciences service for patients in the North Lancashire and South Cumbria area.

The vacancy is Thursday 13:00 - 21:00 and Friday 13:00 - 21:00

Main duties of the job

Work as part of a team supporting and supervised by a Health and Care Professions Council registered Biomedical Scientists. Booking and preparing patient samples and requests for analysis.

• 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, HSA'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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Sample Preparation

• Receive and sort pathology samples.
• Distribute samples to departments.
• Label samples and prepare them for analysis.
• Record and inform service users and senior staff of requests received that do not comply with the Specimen Acceptance Criteria

Data Handling

• Enter data onto the laboratory computer system.

Housekeeping and Maintenance Tasks

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

Communication

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

Training and Development

• Training is provided.
• Be trained to have a working knowledge of all health and safety procedures
• 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
• Develop own skills and knowledge.
• Attend mandatory training as directed.
• Assist in the training of new staff when required.

Organisational Responsibilities

• General clerical and administrative duties including scanning request forms, photocopying, filing and shredding confidential waste.

Professional Responsibilities

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