Biomedical Scientist | Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The Microbiology Department is based at the John Radcliffe Hospital and provides services to the Oxford University Hospitals NHSFT, primary care, South 4 Pathology Partnership, other NHS providers, private care, UKHSA and research trials. The laboratory holds UKAS accreditation and is accredited with the IBMS for pre and post HCPC registration training. The department undertakes bacteriology, mycology, parasitology, serology, and molecular microbiology; as well as high‑throughput SARS‑CoV‑2 testing. The successful candidate will be expected to rotate between all sections of work in the department. The laboratory is a 24/7 service and successful applicants will participate in working day, evenings, night, weekend & bank holiday sessions. The post is full time, average working hours over the shift pattern 37.5 hours.

The department is well equipped including BD BACTEC FX, BD MGIT, BD MAX, BD COR, BD Kiestra, BD Phoenix, BD Autopreps, Bruker MALDI‑TOF, SediMAX, Abbott Architect i2000SR, DiaSorin Liaison XL, Abbott Alinity m, ELITe InGenius, ELITe BeGenius, BioFire TORCH, Cepheid GeneXpert, KingFisher and QuantStudio 5.

Role Overview
Post holder will act as a HCPC registered Biomedical Scientist in all sections of microbiology (bacteriology, mycology, parasitology, serology, and molecular microbiology). The role involves manual and automated processes, interpretation, and report generation to aid clinicians in patient care pathways. The applicant should demonstrate a high standard of quality and maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of current working practices within diagnostic microbiology.

Key Responsibilities

• Scientific and Clinical Responsibilities
  Analyse potentially infectious samples using a range of highly specialised laboratory procedures, by either manual or automated techniques, to produce results of a quality consistent with excellent patient care. Undertake duties in all areas of the department. Ensure efficient use and maintenance of resources, be aware of stock levels and rotation, storage conditions, batch numbers and expiry dates, thus ensuring the viability of reagents and/or blood products used. Exercise own initiative and work in co‑operation with other staff members to ensure that the workload is processed in a timely and efficient manner. Be fully conversant with departmental policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), within area of competence, ensuring that personal performance complies with ISO 15189‑2022 and other professional standards. Carry out troubleshooting and preventative maintenance on highly complex automated systems. Keep appropriate records and liaise with senior staff and service engineers where appropriate. Match samples with request forms and input patient and test information into the laboratory computer system, requiring complete accuracy.
• Analytical and Interpretative Responsibilities
  Exercise individual skills through the observation and interpretation of clinical material or data, which may include therapeutic drug monitoring.
• Role Responsibilities
  Practice in accordance with the professional, ethical and legal codes of the Health Professions Council and the Trust’s protocols and guidelines. Be accountable for own practice and maintenance of Registration status. Develop own skills, taking responsibility for Continuing Professional Development and performance. Comply with the requirements of internal and external/national quality assurance schemes along with internal requirements for audits and competence assessment to meet national quality standards. Demonstrate proficiency in the assessment, planning and prioritisation of tasks. Communicate effectively with other staff groups, both internal and external; include healthcare professionals, patients and their representatives, external agencies, commercial suppliers, service engineers and visitors to the laboratory. Provide and receive complex scientific and clinical information to and from colleagues and service users. Be aware of barriers to understanding and present information accordingly. Provide and receive sensitive information to and from patients and their representatives where empathic and reassurance skills are required. May include notification of adverse events. Display and maintain an appropriate level of IT skills.
• Teaching, Training and Research Responsibilities
  Participate in the supervision and training of Trainee BMSs, support staff and clinical staff where required. Be proactive in creating a training ethos for all staff. Be proactive in gaining knowledge and understanding in line with departmental in‑house training manuals or other qualifications.
• Supervisory Responsibilities
  Once competence and training have been provided, take on a supervisory role with responsibility for new staff, visitors, work experience students and clinical colleagues. Act as a mentor/buddy to less experienced staff of all grades. Use own initiative to prioritise urgent work to ensure efficient running of service.
• Other Responsibilities
  Demonstrate excellent personal communication and team working skills. Comply with the requirement to practice within data protection and confidentiality guidelines. Work towards gaining competence and ability to work individually and unsupervised to a level required for lone working as required for ‘shift’ working and / or on call. Work to ensure that performance targets and sample turnaround times are met by continually assessing quality and priority of work. Have awareness of the requirements of Clinical Governance, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) and local Health and Safety Policies, reporting problems, errors or breaches via the appropriate mechanisms. Work to ensure compliance with ISO 15189:2022. Attend departmental and Trust‑wide staff meetings as appropriate. Attend regular appraisal, maintain competence levels within the Department and assist in own personal and professional development. Maintain good work relations with all members of staff and promote effective team working. Treat everyone associated with the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with courtesy and respect. Demonstrate and promote the OUH NHSFT core values and behaviours.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Be aware of the inherent risks of the work and take appropriate precautions at all times, reporting to the Head Biomedical Scientist or Safety Officer any potential hazards. Abide by current policies and procedures defined by the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and/or the Pathology Risk Management Team and comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act. Maintain quality assurance and compliance with the departmental Quality Manual and ISO 15189. Any matters of a confidential nature, including information relating to the diagnosis and treatment of patients, individual staff records must, under no circumstances, be divulged to any unauthorised person or persons. Demonstrate and promote the OUH NHSFT core values and behaviours.

Qualifications
Applicants must be HCPC registered and hold the IBMS Certificate of Competence. Ideally with experience of working post‑HCPC registration in an NHS microbiology laboratory. Successful candidates must be conscientious, enthusiastic, and able to work well as a team, as well as individually. Must be able to demonstrate competence and work as an autonomous practitioner to participation in all shift patterns required for the service delivery.

Working Hours & Shift Patterns
Full‑time post, average working hours 37.5 hours per week. Participate in working day, evenings, night, weekend and bank holiday sessions. Shift pattern is flexible and may be adjusted according to individual contract.

Location
The John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Trust Overview
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals – the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.

Application Closing
This advert closes on Thursday 27 Nov 2025.