Medical Laboratory Assistant

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for a full-time Medical Laboratory Assistant to join the Blood Transfusion laboratories at Guy's and St Thomas'. Working within a specialist transfusion service, you will play an important role in supporting the safe and timely provision of blood components to patients across a major teaching hospital, including emergency, surgical, haematology, oncology, transplant, maternity and paediatric services.

Working alongside Biomedical Scientists, Associate Practitioners and other MLAs, you will undertake a range of pre-analytical, blood component stock management, traceability, equipment monitoring and laboratory support activities.

You will receive structured training and competency assessment in the use of WinPath Enterprise, BloodTrack, Bio-Rad analysers and specialist transfusion processes.

Following successful completion of training and competency assessment, you will participate in the MLA rota. This currently includes shifts between 08:00 and 20:00. The service may move to a full 24/7 rota in the future, including night shifts.

Main duties of the job

• Receive, register and undertake pre-analytical processing of patient samples in accordance with transfusion procedures.
• Support the safe receipt, storage, movement and traceability of blood components and products.
• Undertake blood component returns and cold-chain checks in accordance with departmental procedures and the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations.
• Monitor component stock levels, assist with stock rotation and help reduce avoidable wastage.
• Undertake defined checks, maintenance and cleaning of laboratory equipment, blood-storage devices and satellite refrigerators after training.
• Use WinPath Enterprise, BloodTrack and other laboratory IT systems accurately, maintaining complete records.
• Complete defined quality-control and equipment checks within competency, escalating abnormalities or failures promptly to appropriately qualified staff.
• Work closely with Biomedical Scientists, Associate Practitioners, MLAs and clinical teams to support a safe and responsive transfusion service.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Safely handle and dispose of blood, other body fluids and hazardous chemicals in accordance with departmental procedures and following appropriate training.
• Receive, sort, label, register, centrifuge, prepare and store samples in accordance with departmental procedures.
• Following competency assessment, operate defined automated equipment and processes, including loading Bio-Rad analysers, under Biomedical Scientist oversight and without independent authorisation of results.
• Store, prepare and use reagents required for defined laboratory processes.
• Undertake defined analyser and equipment checks, maintenance, cleaning and basic troubleshooting, and report faults or failures promptly.
• Complete defined quality-control and equipment checks within competency, accurately record results and escalate failures to appropriately qualified staff.
• Support internal and external quality assurance activities within the limits of training and competency.
• Report any event or concern that could affect service delivery, patient safety or quality.
• Undertake blood component returns and audit each unit before return to stock in accordance with departmental procedures, cold-chain requirements and the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations.
• Monitor satellite blood-storage refrigerators, including alarm tests, temperature checks and scheduled cleaning.
• Monitor blood component stock, support stock rotation and help minimise avoidable wastage.
• Process samples for clinical trials and research or development work under appropriate supervision when required.
• Provide approved procedural information to service users about sample preservation and transport, escalating queries outside the role's scope.
• Comply with local and national requirements for the safe, secure and confidential processing and storage of patient and laboratory information.
• Use WinPath Enterprise, BloodTrack and other authorised laboratory systems in accordance with departmental procedures.
• Maintain the integrity and accuracy of laboratory databases and electronic records.
• Record the fate of blood components from returned transfusion traceability tags and follow procedures for unresolved traceability.
• Maintain accurate, complete and appropriately stored records in accordance with the laboratory Quality Management System, ISO 15189 requirements, UKAS accreditation requirements and the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations.
• Undertake work-file management to support reporting within agreed turnaround times.
• Use departmental resources efficiently and alert senior staff when reagent or consumable stocks approach minimum levels.
• Participate in data collection for the operational performance management system as required.
• Assist with investigations into missing traceability evidence for blood components and products.
• Comply with the policies and procedures of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and Synnovis Pathology.
• Treat colleagues, service users and patients with courtesy and respect, and contribute to effective teamwork.
• Maintain the professional image of Blood Sciences, Synnovis Pathology and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.
• Maintain confidentiality and report any health and safety or quality-system deficiency to the line manager or departmental lead.
• Keep appropriate records of communications and follow all relevant standard operating procedures and policies.
• Suggest improvements to standard operating procedures through senior staff and assist with approved changes when required.
• Maintain clean and tidy work areas, including benches, refrigerators, freezers and storage areas.
• Comply with training and competency requirements and participate in the Performance Planning and Review process.
• Technical
• IT
• Administrative
• General Duties

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, delivering and transforming pathology services across South East London.

The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in South East London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services.

The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust is a major emergency and specialist teaching trust with a varied and career-defining case load, including Women's Services, Fetal Medicine, Haematology, Oncology and Transplantation. It is also home to Evelina London Children's Hospital and the Cancer Centre at Guy's.

You will be close to Borough Market and the South Bank, with convenient access to some of London's best-known cultural and leisure destinations.