Job Description
This is an exciting opportunity for a Newly Qualified Biomedical Scientist or Trainee BMS, wishing to specialise in cellular pathology, to join us in the department of Neuropathology. You’ll be working with a small supportive team in good facilities at the West Wing on the John Radcliffe Hospital site. We are adjacent to the relevant clinical services and provide an excellent setting for sharing facilities, expertise and knowledge with University of Oxford scientists/students working in university embedded space.
While cellular pathology experience is useful, full training in the specialised work of the department will be given. In addition to providing training for neuropathology surgical and post mortem service provision we aim to provide training and experience in immunocytochemistry and muscle histochemistry. The skill set gained will be very transferrable and the work interesting and varied.
You should be enthusiastic and motivated with the ability to work well as part of a team, as well as independently. We are looking for a trainee with an interest/background in molecular techniques/digital pathology to help develop the service to meet the changing role of Pathology in medical diagnostics.
Please note, the department is currently seeking IBMS training status reapproval.
Hospital accommodation may be available if required.
- • Undertakes scientific duties to facilitate the smooth running of the routine surgical and post mortem services.
- Prepares samples using a range of specialised laboratory procedures, by either manual or automated techniques, to produce results of a quality consistent with excellent patient care. Undertakes these duties in all areas of the Department under the supervision of qualified staff.
- Ensures efficient use and maintenance of resources, is aware of stock levels and rotation, storage conditions, batch numbers and expiry dates, thus ensuring the viability of the reagents and/or products used.
- Exercises a degree of autonomy but refers to qualified staff and works in co-operation with other staff members to ensure that the workload is processed in a timely and efficient manner, assessing samples for urgency and ensuring samples meet acceptance criteria for testing and dealing with any non-compliance in accordance with departmental protocols.
- Works to gain competence in departmental policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), ensuring that personal performance complies with ISO 15189:2012 and other professional standards.
- Carries out troubleshooting and preventative maintenance on complex and expensive automated systems. Ensures appropriate records are kept and liaises with senior staff and service engineers where appropriate.
- Matches samples with request forms and inputs patient and test information into the laboratory computer system, requiring complete accuracy.
The Neuropathology Department provides a neuropathology and ocular pathology service to aid diagnosis and or management of patients through appropriate analytical assessment. The service is offered to the clinicians of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, to regional and supra-regional hospitals and supports a service to HM Coroners in Oxford and the region.
In addition we provide a full interpretative and consultative national and international referral service. We are involved in the education and training of laboratory, clinical and other appropriate staff in all matters pertinent to neuropathology.
We support and promote a blend of diagnostic and research activity and collaborate with staff, post-doctoral scientists and students of the University of Oxford especially NDCN and with the Oxford Brain Bank.
Qualifications
- BSc honours in Biomedical Sciences or equivalent
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
- Registration with Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- Experience in biomedical sciences or cellular pathology.
- Competences and knowledge of techniques used within a clinical laboratory environment
- Knowledge of anatomy and physiology, chemistry and cellular pathology
- Knowledge of Health and Safety within a clinical laboratory environment
- Knowledge of Confidentiality and the Data Protection Act
- Performing technical procedures relevant to this grade and discipline.
- Up to date scientific and professional knowledge.
- High degree of understanding of quality control.
- Previous experience in NHS Diagnostic laboratory
- Knowledge of UKAS & ISO
- Competence in current cellular pathology techniques and their clinical applicatio
- Operating & maintaining technical equipment.
- Good interpersonal, communication and presentation skills. Communicates effectively with colleagues, service users, suppliers and colleagues
- Good keyboard skills and good working knowledge of common software programs, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.
- Well organised and precise
- Able to oversee the use of routine and specialist laboratory equipment.Good working relationships with service users