Specialist Biomedical Scientist Histopathology

Job overview

A vacancy has arisen within the Histopathology laboratory at LCL. The post holder must hold HCPC registration and hold an IBMS specialist diploma in Cellular Pathology. Candidates without the IBMS specialist diploma but with 2 years’ demonstrable equivalent experience in histology will also be considered.

The successful candidate will undertake all the routine tasks within a histology department such as embedding, microtomy, special stains and quality control and will also be expected to undertake tasks within the more specialised areas and techniques such as cut-up, frozen section and assist in renal interventional clinics. The successful candidate will be expected to deputise for the team leaders and be involved in areas such as recruitment, training, health and safety, validation and verification, audit and other aspects of quality management. The department is also working to increase the role of Biomedical Scientists within specimen dissection.

Main duties of the job

To participate in the activities of the department. Primarily providing the technical support of the diagnostic service to the Trust and other users, in accordance with departmental protocols.

The department strives to continually improve and has a number of on-going projects as part of routine service development of which the Biomedical Scientist staff group participate in.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To participate in the routine work of the main histology laboratory in accordance with departmental protocols:

• Receive specimens into the department ensuring correct patient identification and accessioning.
• Assist the pathologist during cut up
• To undertake biopsy cut-up with responsibility for sample preparation
• Store specimens safely and appropriately prior to and after processing.
• To embed processed surgical and post mortem material ensuring correct orientation.
• Microtomy - simple sectioning of large blocks, sectioning levels from biopsy material, serial sectioning of material and macroscopic quality control of sections produced
• Haematoxylin & Eosin (H&E) staining - manual and automated methodologies

To participate in the specialised areas of the department when required:

• Special staining techniques including primary quality control of stains
• Freezing of material for frozen sections, lipids and enzyme histochemistry.
• Cryotomy
• Muscle histochemistry and enzyme histochemistry
• Immunofluorescent techniques
• Immunocytochemistry
• Collection of renal biopsies assessing adequacy of the specimen at the bedside

To participate in the non-gynae service

To participate in the on-call service

Undertake tasks required for CPA accreditation e.g. reviewing SOPs

For a full list of duties, please refer to the attached job description