Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical or technical
1.    Promote the safe and effective choice and administration of blood components, reducing or eliminating misuse and wastage.
2.    Maintain the minimum blood transfusion dataset, ensuring proper monitoring & traceability of blood, in line with the MHRA UK Statutory Instrument 2005/50 (The Blood Safety & Quality Regulations 2005) and “Better Blood Transfusion”
3.    Working through the Patient Blood Management Team and Committees, review, agree and implement revised Maximum Blood Ordering Schedules (MBOS) and indications for use of all other blood products.
4.    Develop and implement standards and protocols with medical, nursing and other involved staff groups for the indications for the transfusion of all blood components
5.    Support the Consultant Haematologists, the Transfusion Committees, and Transfusion Team to improve the implementation of the policies, guidelines and protocols for the management of patients having blood transfusion
6.    Facilitate the liaison between ward staff and the blood transfusion laboratory so that problems and adverse reactions are reported and dealt with.
7.    Investigate suspected transfusion reactions, adverse events and near misses on behalf of the Hospital Transfusion Committees, take action as necessary, and liaise with the National Blood Service and Serious Hazards of Transfusion / Serious Adverse Blood Reactions and Events Scheme where appropriate.
8.    Actively promote a culture of patient safety, reporting incidents and near misses so practice can be reviewed and improved as necessary. Help to promote an environment where constructive feedback within the team is the norm and lessons are shared.
9.    Provide advice and support to medical and nursing staff in relation to blood transfusion across the Trust.
10.    Liaise with teams/individuals where blood transfusion practice does not meet the required standards, to assist in review of practice, updating of knowledge and skills and improvement in the quality of patient care.
11.    The post holder is expected to be able to utilise high levels of interpretation and judgement skills when involved in complicated situations and where a range of options, made up of several components, and the implications of these has to be considered e.g. emergency clinical situations (transfusion reactions, etc); intervening in sub-standard clinical practice; parents refusing to consent for a child to receive a transfusion; policy writing.
12.    The post holder is expected to act as the patient’s advocate in referrals made re the Refusal of Blood, ensuring that the guideline is adhered to and that the patient understands the consequences that may ensue in the event of a life-threatening situation. The post-holder will need to demonstrate exceptional communication skills and knowledge in such circumstances, as they would be communicating highly sensitive, contentious and complicated information e.g. legal, ethical and clinical. 
13.    Develop effective relationships with external groups such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses Hospital Liaison Committee in order to ensure knowledge regarding special risk groups is well developed and maintained.
14.    Responsible for implementing cost improvement programmes within scope of practice.

Leadership or Managerial    
1.    Be a pro-active member of the Hospital Transfusion Committee along with the lead consultant Haematologist, the Blood bank manager and the Chair of the Hospital Transfusion Committee. Proactively communicating transfusion related issues or concerns with the chair of the Hospital Transfusion Committee.
2.    Lead or aid the investigations of complaints and incidents relevant to blood transfusion.
3.    Work with other staff to develop co-ordinated and comprehensive links throughout the Trust(s) and across all disciplines to ensure patients receive the care they need at the time they need it.
4.    Communicate and share examples of good practice throughout the Trust(s) and encourage dissemination of these practices.
5.    Represent the Patient Blood Management Team and Committees in specialist capacity on key influencing committees and forums e.g. Clinical Governance Committees
6.    The post holder is expected, and has the freedom, to take actions based on own interpretation of broad clinical/professional/administrative policies and guidance, whilst providing advice to the organisation on how these should be interpreted as appropriate. The post holder will have the freedom to initiate actions within broad policies seeking advice as necessary.
7.    The post holder is a core member of the Emergency blood management team and with the team to formulate the long term strategic planning which involves the uncertainty of a sustained supply of blood products.
8.    The post holder is required to interpret overall health service policy; strategy and law in relation to transfusion practice e.g. Health Service Circulars, Better Blood Transfusion, relevant EU Directives, and in conjunction with the Blood Transfusion Committee advise the Trust(s) on its implications and changes to practice.
9.    Attend Local, Regional and National meetings and committees relevant to the BT service and duties of the post holder.

Service Delivery
1.    To work with the Hospital Transfusion Committee, Consultant Specialty Lead and other senior staff to establish a practical and financially feasible strategy for the implementation and maintenance of an integrated delivery of the department’s services in accordance with the Trust current and future service configuration.
2.    Provide discipline specific expertise to support the department’s public relations (PR) initiatives and Trust policies and procedures.

Education & Training
1.    In conjunction with Practice Development staff, Clinical Practice Educators and Medical Directors of Education, organise and/or facilitate the development, implementation and maintenance of all health professionals and staff in relation to blood transfusion training, competencies and practice. 
2.    Personally develop, deliver or arrange delivery of the training programmes necessary to meet the requirements of guidelines existing at that time to all grades of staff in the Transfusion chain (including doctors, nurses, community staff, staff of private hospitals, porters, drivers, etc).
3.    Source the appropriate patient information to enable patients to make an informed choice of care and treatment relating to blood transfusions / products. Promote with staff the need to ensure informed consent for procedures / treatments and that information given and that decisions / consent are recorded.
4.    Disseminate work through publications, conferences and local/Network CPD presentations or other educational materials
5.    Be involved in establishing, maintaining and delivery of the Trust(s)’ Induction and other training programmes
6.    Apply methods which will ensure that all staff in the Transfusion chain (including senior medical/consultant staff) meet the competencies laid out in the National Blood Transfusion Committee Recommendations for Training and Assessment in Blood Transfusion, based on the NPSA notice. 
7.    The post-holder is expected to develop and maintain thorough, in depth and up to date knowledge and is required to attend study days and courses to enhance and develop the skills and knowledge required to provide the expert service.
8.    Ensure personal and professional development are maintained, and clinical skills are continually renewed and updated in order to provide high quality clinical care and support to patients, nurses, biomedical scientists and doctors in accordance with NMC (nurses) and IBMS (biomedical scientists) guidelines. 
9.    To be involved in teaching/training and developing pre-registration nursing students and trainee biomedical scientists.
10.    Using the high level of experience and skills of the post-holder they will be expected to provide a formal, confidential support and learning process to individuals (or groups) in order to enable other practitioners to develop competence, assume responsibility for their own practice and enhance consumer protection and safety of care in highly complex situations. 
11.    Develop competency assessment tools for each specialist group involved in the transfusion process and implement, audit and further develop the tools used. The post holder is also expected to undertake/initiate/recommend staff development strategies in order to be able to move staff to a position of competence.
12.    Following assessment of the situation the post holder is expected to deliver bespoke remedial training to practitioners from all clinical fields that have been involved in a clinical incident or near miss in relation to transfusion practice. This intervention needs to be handled effectively, efficiently and sensitively in order to achieve the optimum outcome. Skills in root cause analysis need to be developed for use in such circumstances.

**Applicants are required to thoroughly read the job description to ensure a comprehensive understanding of all duties and expectations related to this position**