Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication

• To provide and receive highly complex information to inform work colleagues or external contacts, e.g. other departments, or visitors to the department. This may include providing advice, instruction and explanation of results.
• To participate in departmental meetings and contribute to effective communication within and outside the department.
• To communicate any difficulties, problems, accidents or incidents affecting the delivery of the service or the department to a senior biomedical scientist/line manager promptly.
• To communicate on all health and safety issues with senior staff and/or the department’s Health and Safety Coordinator.
• To promptly report any incident which involves injury, or potential injury to hospital staff, or which could adversely affect patient welfare in any way to the line manager or the department’s Health and Safety Co-ordinator.
• To ensure that all contact with patients, staff from other hospital departments and visitors to the Department is courteous, helpful and professional.

Patient / Customer Care (both direct and indirect)

Scientific Duties and Responsibilities

• To handle safely, use and dispose of clinical specimens (principally blood but on occasions other types of specimen) and hazardous chemicals.
• To become proficient in all technical and scientific procedures within haematology and blood transfusion and to provide a comprehensive and appropriate laboratory service to patients and staff.
• To organise and prioritise the workload, taking into account changing circumstances, and under the direction of a senior biomedical scientist.
• To understand and follow the laboratory standard operational and health and safety policies and procedures and ensure that safe working practices are maintained according to such policies and procedures.
• To carry out work in accordance with ISO standards 15189 and in compliance with the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations (2005).
• To adapt to new methodology or working practices when required, due to changing circumstances.
• To operate, maintain and calibrate complex analytical equipment in accordance with departmental and manufacturer’s policies and procedures and to become competent in troubleshooting such equipment.
• To resolve problems arising from routine work activities and refer unresolved problems to the relevant senior biomedical scientist.
• To perform internal quality control and external quality assessment procedures and to report problems to the relevant senior biomedical scientist.
• To assist in maintaining quality assurance records and other documentation relating to the department’s activities.
• To participate in departmental audit.
• To comment and provide advice on COSHH and other risk assessments.
• To assist and participate in research projects, as required.
• To participate in the department’s out of hours service. This will involve working patterns and responsibilities which differ significantly from those undertaken during the routine working day.