Job summary
- Main area
- Pathology
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 216-PL-DB7837342
- Employer
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Derriford Hospital
- Town
- PLYMOUTH
- Salary
- £55,690 - £62,682 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 18/03/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Blood Sciences Operational Lead – Haematology & Transfusion Services
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced senior Biomedical Scientist to lead Haematology, Coagulation and Transfusion Services within our Major Trauma and tertiary referral centre.
This is a senior operational and professional leadership role within Blood Sciences, accountable for the safe, effective and compliant delivery of a high-risk, 24/7 regulated service. The postholder will act as the Trust’s Nominated Responsible Person (RP) under the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations (BSQR), ensuring full regulatory compliance and inspection readiness.
This role offers the opportunity to combine operational leadership, statutory accountability, clinical partnership and workforce development within a high-performing, forward-looking pathology service.
Main duties of the job
The postholder will:
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Provide senior operational leadership across Haematology, Coagulation and Transfusion Services.
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Act as the Trust’s Nominated Responsible Person under BSQR, ensuring compliance with MHRA requirements.
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Lead the Quality Management System (QMS) across the portfolio, ensuring ISO15189 and regulatory compliance.
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Provide assurance to the Blood Sciences Laboratory Manager regarding service performance, regulatory compliance and patient safety.
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Lead and develop a team of Band 7 Section Leads and associated staff.
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Work in close partnership with Consultant Haematologists and clinical teams to ensure services are clinically aligned and responsive.
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Ensure major haemorrhage protocol governance and emergency transfusion resilience.
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Lead investigation and learning from transfusion incidents and haemovigilance reporting.
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Manage delegated budgets and support service development and transformation initiatives.
Working for our organisation
We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Blood Sciences Operational Lead – Haematology & Transfusion Services is accountable for the safe, effective and financially sustainable delivery of services within their portfolio.
Key responsibilities include:
Operational & Clinical Leadership
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Lead the day-to-day delivery of Haematology, Coagulation and Transfusion Services supporting emergency, trauma, elective and specialist pathways.
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Maintain service resilience across 24/7 operations.
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Ensure clinically responsive diagnostic support and contribute to MDT discussions where appropriate.
Regulatory Compliance & Responsible Person Duties
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Act as Nominated Responsible Person under BSQR.
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Ensure full compliance with MHRA regulatory requirements and maintain inspection readiness.
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Oversee haemovigilance systems including SHOT and SABRE reporting.
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Ensure corrective and preventative actions are implemented following audits and inspections.
Workforce Leadership & Development
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Line manage Band 7 Section Leads and associated workforce.
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Lead workforce planning, competency assurance and succession planning.
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Support development of advanced and specialist practitioner roles.
Quality Management & Governance
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Lead the portfolio-level Quality Management System.
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Chair performance and assurance meetings.
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Analyse complex data to identify trends, risks and improvement opportunities.
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Ensure actions from incidents, audits and reviews are clearly documented and delivered.
Financial & Service Management
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Manage delegated budgets and monitor expenditure.
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Deliver agreed efficiency improvements while maintaining patient safety.
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Contribute to business cases and service redesign initiatives.
Person specification
Knowledge and Experiance
Essential criteria
- • Significant demonstrable post-registration experience in Haematology and Blood Transfusion within an acute NHS setting.
- • Demonstrable experience operating at senior Section Lead level or equivalent within a regulated laboratory service.
- • Proven knowledge and experience of working within BSQR, MHRA and ISO15189 regulatory frameworks.
- • Demonstrable experience leading teams within a 24/7 clinical service environment.
- • Demonstrable experience contributing to inspection preparation, incident investigation and implementation of corrective actions.
- • Demonstrable experience managing resources and contributing to financial and service performance management.
- • Proven evidence of leading or delivering service improvement within a high-risk clinical environment.
Desirable criteria
- • Demonstrable experience working within a Major Trauma Centre or tertiary referral environment.
- • Demonstrable experience acting as Responsible Person or Deputy Responsible Person under BSQR.
- • Demonstrable experience contributing to or leading a Hospital Transfusion Committee or equivalent governance forum
- • Demonstrable experience leading significant service redesign, transformation or business case development.
- • Demonstrable experience working across organisational or regional networks.
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- • BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences or equivalent relevant qualification acceptable for HCPC registration.
- • HCPC registration as a Biomedical Scientist.
- • Masters level qualification (MSc) in a relevant discipline or equivalent demonstrable Masters-level professional experience.
- • Proven evidence of senior leadership or management development.
- • Eligibility to act as Nominated Responsible Person under the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations (BSQR).
Desirable criteria
- • Formal leadership or management qualification.
- • IBMS Higher Specialist Portfolio, FIBMS or equivalent advanced professional recognition.
- • Recognised Responsible Person training or equivalent regulatory training.
Aptitude and Abilities
Essential criteria
- • Strong operational leadership capability within high-risk, regulated clinical services.
- • Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex clinical, regulatory and performance data.
- • Ability to make autonomous decisions within defined regulatory frameworks.
- • Ability to influence senior clinicians and multidisciplinary teams.
- • Financial awareness and resource management capability.
- • Ability to manage competing priorities within a 24/7 emergency service environment.
- • Clear and confident communication of complex regulatory and patient safety matters.
Desirable criteria
- • Ability to lead across organisational boundaries and regional networks.
- • Demonstrable experience presenting complex information to senior governance forums.
Disposition, Attitude and Motivation
Essential criteria
- • Demonstrates visible, credible and accountable leadership.
- • Strong patient safety and governance mindset.
- • High level of professional integrity and ethical practice.
- • Calm, decisive and resilient under sustained operational deadlines.
- • Willing to challenge poor practice constructively in the interests of safety.
- • Takes ownership of regulatory compliance and clinical risk.
- • Committed to developing staff competence and professional standards.
- • Able to balance operational urgency with long-term quality improvement.
Desirable criteria
- • Demonstrates strategic awareness beyond immediate portfolio responsibilities.
- • Motivated to contribute to wider Blood Sciences transformation and regional collaboration.
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dan Stevens
- Job title
- Deputy Divisional Director of Operations
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01752 433226
- Additional information
Dan Stevens, telephone 01752 433226, email [email protected]
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