Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Management Duties

1.    Deputise for the Laboratory Manager in his/her absence.

2.    Supervise and allocate staff and workloads in order to ensure the continuing provision of the service.

3.    Ensure lower grades of scientific and scientific support staff comply with Health and Safety protocols as set out in relevant documentation. 

4.    Write, review and implement all Standard Operating Procedures for laboratory analyses, use of equipment, care of the working environment etc.

5.    Make provision, in the absence of the Laboratory Manager, for the regional Haemophilia out of hours service

6.    Evaluate new equipment and make recommendations with regard to procurement

7.    Participate in weekly Haemostasis meetings (haemostasis & thrombosis MDT meetings)

8.    Review and implement Departmental procedures.

9.    Ensure internal and external quality control procedures are met and appropriate action taken in the event of a QC failure.

10.  Provide adequate stocks and consumables and materials, amending orders accordingly.

11.  Communicate to the Laboratory Manager such information as is required to maintain the continuing provision of the services.

12.  Communicate to and assist the Laboratory Manager with personnel or personnel related problems. 

Knowledge and Personal Development

1.    Build upon the post holders acquired technical and analytical knowledge achieved through specialist training and experience.

2.    Maintain specialist technical and analytical knowledge

3.    Maintain Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council by complying with Standards of Proficiency and Conduct.

4.    Ensure compliance with all local and national and international standards of work practise e.g. ISO standards.

5.    Maintain the knowledge and expertise necessary to perform specialised procedures.

6.    Maintain the necessary specialist knowledge and skills sufficient to work independently.

Communication and Relationships 

1.    Report and explain results to clinicians and other service users.

2.    Provide specialist advice to clinicians and other service users regarding specimen types,

3.    investigations required, appropriateness of test, timing of collection of specimens and turnaround times.

4.    Ensure appropriate action is taken in the event of a conflict of priorities relating to concurrent demands placed upon the service.

5.    Deal sympathetically during liaison with colleagues, other healthcare professionals and staff from external organisations.

6.     Use empathy and understanding to ensure that technical, clinical and linguistic barriers to understanding are overcome.

7.    Assess suitability and appropriateness of samples received, liaising with medical staff as necessary.

8.    Negotiate with service users resolving contentious issues that conflict with laboratory service targets.

9.    Provide advice and guidance to students, trainees and newly qualified Biomedical Scientists.

10.  Liaise with and authorise the attendance of company engineers to maintain the continuous operation of essential equipment.

11.  Liaise with IT support in resolving any computer system difficulties.

Scientific, Technical and Interpretive Responsibilities

1.    To assess the suitability and appropriateness of samples received and to advise medical and nursing staff accordingly.

2.    To analyse blood and other body fluids using automated and semi-automated techniques.

3.    To manually manipulate blood samples and equipment when there is no suitable automated procedure.

4.    To ensure data integrity when entering patient demographics and analytical results into the laboratory information system (LIS)

5.    To troubleshoot, repair and maintain analysers and equipment to their optimum condition and to adjust or fine-tune as necessary. Also, to liaise with company engineers to ensure continuous operation of essential instruments.

6.    To facilitate the timely, accurate and precise processing and reporting of haemostasis quality control materials for external, national and internal quality control procedures.

7.    Use specialist knowledge across a range of procedures, authorising test results, integrating and initiating further tests as appropriate.

8.    Assume responsibility for finishing, checking, validating and authorising colleagues work as necessary.

9.    To facilitate the satisfactory completion and validation of all analyses in such time as will benefit the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

10.  To ensure that medical staff are informed of any untoward or unexpected results, which could result in harm to the patient.

11.  To ensure that test results are accurate, precise and consistent using internal and external quality assurance and to refer any problems associated with the failure of these controls to the Laboratory Manager.

Service Development

1.    To evaluate new equipment.

2.    To assist in the introduction of new techniques to the laboratory.

3.    To evaluate new reagents to ensure the most accurate and meaningful results are obtained for diagnosis of haemostatic defects.

4.    Participate in the Directorate (Laboratory) audit program and act upon results.

5.    To monitor new reagents with the object of saving costs by replacing those currently used

Education and training development

1.    To assist in the training of scientific and support staff with regard to haemostasis techniques including tutorials.

2.    To participate in the induction and training of new medical, clinical and technical staff with regard to the use of the laboratory services.

3.    Project supervisor for pre and post professional qualifications.