An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated HCPC registered Clinical Scientist to join the Biochemistry team at Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Services on a 6-month fixed-term contract. BSPS is a large pathology network of NHS laboratories delivering high-quality diagnostic services across six hospital sites: Ashford & St Peter’s, Frimley Park, Royal Berkshire, Royal Surrey, Heatherwood and Wexham Park and East Surrey Hospitals.

This role offers a fantastic opportunity to develop your clinical, scientific and quality management experience within a progressive team, working alongside highly experienced colleagues across a broad range of routine and specialist services.

The BSPS biochemistry department is strong both clinically and analytically with a supportive team of chemical pathologists, clinical scientists and biomedical scientists providing a broad range of services including specialist analytical (LC-MSMS, ICP-MS, immunoassay, POCT), interpretive and EQA services.

The post holder will be based at Wexham Park Hospital, hosted by Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust. There will be a need to participate in cross-site working, including participation in the duty biochemist rota at the other BSPS sites. There will also be opportunities to lead on defined local-scale QI projects; clinical review of EQA; to support the maintenance of UKAS accreditation and to participate in CPD activities.

Full training will be provided in all aspects of the role

Provide a scientific and clinical service
You will be expected to work as a qualified Clinical Biochemistry practitioner and provide laboratory support to doctors and other healthcare professionals across the BSPS network.

This could include:
Performing and reviewing biochemical investigations.
Ensuring results are accurate, timely and clinically appropriate.
Responding to clinical enquiries and providing scientific advice.
Following laboratory SOPs, quality procedures and patient-safety requirements.
Working effectively within a multidisciplinary team.

Help develop and verify new assays this is an important technical responsibility.

You could be involved in introducing a new laboratory test or analyser method.

This may involve:
Reviewing the scientific evidence for the assay.

Testing its analytical performance.

Assessing precision, accuracy, sensitivity and other performance characteristics.

Comparing a new method with an existing method.
Documenting the verification/validation work.

For full details of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Why Join Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust?

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is committed to being an inclusive and disability confident employer and has been awarded the Gold for the Armed Forces Employment Recognition Scheme.

We provide first class development opportunities for all staff and have a wide range of professional, management and leadership, and clinical skills training available.

Here at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, we know how important it is to have a healthy work life balance; this benefits not only individuals but the patients we care for too.

We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service and its users.

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Managerial Responsibilities:
To have knowledge of managerial processes within BSPS to have good awareness of Trust Policies and how they relate to staff and service of the department.

To use that knowledge for the benefit of the clinical and scientific service.

To investigate, with more senior staff and management, where current processes and/or policies act against the delivery of an efficient service or counter to the interest of patients.

To propose and develop solutions, changes to policy and service practice improvements to resolve those issues.

To attend and actively contribute to departmental meetings related to management, service development, clinical policy development and quality management.

To contribute to the development and implement policies and procedures in line with guidelines from the profession, Department of Health, NICE, and UKAS ISO 15189 standards as delegated by the Head of Department. To contribute to the interpretation of those guidelines and development of associated local policies.

To contribute to the evaluation of analytical equipment, systems of work and new methodologies.

To use the laboratory database and associated software to locate appropriate patient and laboratory data, provide interpretation, resolve and correct erroneous information.

To undertake quality audit and contribute to the development of the department’s quality management system.

Supervise and train, as necessary, less experienced staff.

For full details of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification.