Associate Practitioner: Sponsorship Available

The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust

Job Summary

An opportunity has arisen for a suitably qualified or trainee candidate to join the Cellular Pathology Team as a band 4 Healthcare Science Associate Practitioner.

For trainee role you are required to undertake and complete the IBMS certificate of achievement parts 1 and 2 within 12 months. The trainee role will be salaried at AXU 75% of Band 4 until qualified.

Experience of working in a hospital laboratory is essential. Previous experience of working in a Cellular Pathology laboratory, undertaking basic microtomy, embedding and non gynae preparation and working in front of house mortuary is desirable but not essential.

Applicants for this position must be enthusiastic, self-motivated, highly reliable, and trustworthy and be able to work to tight deadlines under pressure. You must be a team worker as well as able to work on your own.

Good verbal and written communication skills are essential along with fast, accurate keyboard skills. An ability to follow instructions and demonstrate good manual dexterity will be an advantage.

Hours of Work: 37.5 Monday to Friday between 08:00 and17:00 hrs.

NOTE: These positions are support roles and as such, there will be no opportunity to undertake the IBMS certificate of competence or achieve HCPC registration.

Interviews will be in person and not available remotely.

Main duties of the job

The right candidate will have an interest in biological sciences and in working within a large team of healthcare scientists.

The associate practitioners work alongside the MLAs and assist biomedical scientists, expert Practitioners, Mortuary Staff and consultant Pathologists with their work.

Associate Practitioners perform a range of technical and clerical duties, including:

  • To support qualified staff in the processing of samples.
  • To carry out preliminary inspection and preparation of samples.
  • To follow at all times the instructions set out in Standard Operating Procedures
  • To undertake routine laboratory cleaning duties as required.
  • To support laboratory staff in a range of analytical and post analytical processes within and outside the laboratory
  • Comply with good work practices in accordance with the standards of Clinical Pathology Accreditation.
  • Participate in the maintenance of the quality system by participating in internal QC and EQA schemes.
  • Undertake audits in keeping with the requirements for pathology accreditation.
  • Maintain a flexible approach to the post in order to manage changes in workload, patterns and requirements.
  • Undertake Microtomy and embedding of tissue Blocks.
  • Undertake Front of house Body store duties
  • To deal with foetus specimens (NVFs) and maintain NVF database

About us

We provide care and support to over a million people in Wakefield and Kirklees in their homes, community settings and across our three hospital sites at Pontefract, Dewsbury and Pinderfields (Wakefield).

Always striving for excellence, we are at the forefront of innovation and research, and we invest in teaching and the development of our workforce.

We live by our values of caring, improving, being respectful and maintaining high standards. We listen and learn because we aim to make Mid Yorkshire the best place to work and receive care.

We value diversity and welcome talent and enthusiasm irrespective of age, disability, neurodivergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances including providing unpaid carers support to someone with a health and care need. As ethnic minority groups, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people with a disability/neurodivergence are currently under-represented across the organisation, we encourage applications from members of these groups. We have policies and procedures to ensure all applicants are treated fairly and consistently.

We are proud of our staff networks – who offer valuable guidance and feedback from those with lived experience.

We have a clear vision and you could be part of this! If you share our values and you want to make a difference to the lives of our patients and their families and carers, we would love to hear from you.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder is expected to assist in the duties of the Pathology Support workers where needed.

Perform manual, semi-automated and fully automated laboratory investigations, including Microtomy and embeddin

Following training, become competent in providing approved departmental information and advice to other healthcare professionals, patients and the public.

Refer on requests for information outside their area of responsibility to appropriate specialists. Seeks advice as required.

Participates in clinical audits as directed.

Perform work strictly according to current Standard Operating Procedures and protocols in order to facilitate the provision of accurate and timely reports.

Perform analytical investigationson a variety of biological materials including blood, urine, faeces, and other body tissues and fluids.

Ensure that reagents are prepared, stored and used according to manufacturer guidelines and laboratory procedures.

Ensure that appropriate preventative maintenance has been carried out, and recorded, on laboratory instruments and equipment prior to being used for patient investigations.

Measure and monitors the quality of laboratory investigations using appropriate internal and external quality procedures.

Take corrective action when quality control or assurance procedures indicate loss of performance of the laboratory instruments or methods.

Ensure that resources are used efficiently and effectively.

Person Specification

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • Able to communicate clearly and precisely both verbally and in writing with patients and all levels of staff inside and outside Pathology.
  • Precise and accurate working
  • Good attention to detail
  • Able to read and follow methodologies or protocols

Desirable

  • Able to demonstrate good laboratory practice in their work

knowledge and Awareness

Essential

  • A reasonable knowledge of health and safety principles applicable in working within a laboratory environment.
  • Must understand the nature of patient confidentiality
  • Awareness of own limitations

Desirable

  • Knowledge of Health and Safety law and its application.
  • Experience of working in Pathology.
  • Knowledge of Cellular Pathology processes

Personal Attributes and other factors

Essential

  • Able to work well within a small team.
  • Able to work under pressure
  • Enthusiasm for work.
  • Enthusiasm to undertake appropriate training as required to facilitate service developments
  • Willingness to work flexibly.
  • Friendly and approachable.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Level 4 Science qualification (Pass Degree BSc, HNC/HND or foundation degree in a science area) or other equivalent qualification/certificate of competency.

Desirable

  • Suitable Qualifications in Information Technology (e.g. CLAIT/ECDL)
  • Suitable Qualifications in Health and Safety

Experience

Essential

  • Previous Hospital laboratory experience.

Desirable

  • Experience of working in a hospital cellular pathology Department inc
  • Embedding
  • Microtomy
  • Non gynae preparation
  • Mortuary/body store

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Closing Date: 30 September 2024

To apply for this job please visit www.jobs.nhs.uk.