Biomedical Scientist in Kingston upon Thames

We are seeking an experienced and enthusiastic band 6 Biomedical Scientist to join our team within this busy laboratory. Applicants must be HCPC registered and have completed the IBMS Specialist Portfolio or have equivalent experience. The successful candidate will require significant experience in histopathology, including immunohistochemistry. The successful candidate will also be a forward-thinking, practically minded biomedical scientist, responsible for participating in all aspects of the service including companion diagnostics PDL1 testing for the Trust and supporting the OSNA intra-operative service. Experience with digital pathology would be an advantage.

The department is based on the Sutton site within the Centre for Molecular Pathology building, which is a world-class facility.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will be responsible for carrying out scientific analytical work on clinical samples within the Histopathology Department at Centre for Molecular Pathology (CMP) Sutton, providing a diagnostic service both for the Trust’s clinicians and also for those in the national and international community seeking second opinion.
• The post holder will rotate through all sections of the Department performing core and advanced procedures as required.
• The post holder may, when required, deputise for a Section Manager in their absence.
• Duties will include, amongst others, specimen processing and preparation, data entry of requests, equipment maintenance and liaison with other hospital staff.

Working for our organisation

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world-leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services. We have two hospitals – one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey – as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital.

At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That’s why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do.

At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees' work-life balance. We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our ongoing achievements.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To ensure the timely and efficient provision of core and technologically complex analytical/diagnostic services.
• To ensure knowledge of all instrumentation and equipment is up to date and that the post holder is capable of operating such equipment e.g. Ventana automated immunostainers, cryostats, routine stainers, tissue processors.
• To ensure that quality control tests are conducted and meet required analytical standards.
• Where appropriate assist senior staff in implementation of remedial plans, in line with SOPs.
• Assisting Pathologists in the diagnostic sampling of fresh and formalin fixed tissue.
• Perform IHC on tissue sections to identify microscopically antigenic binding sites in human tissue (such as PDL1), to enable tumour diagnosis and classification.
• To perform IHC by both manual and automated methods.
• To abide by the Pathology Code of Conduct.

Person specification

• Skills & Abilities

• Ability to perform complex scientific calculations and data analysis.
• Ability to write clearly and concisely.
• Awareness of organisational and logistical issues.

• Ambitious, evidence of personal development.
• Able to work unsupervised.
• Commitment to team working.
• Enthusiasm for role, job and profession.
• Self-confident, contributes to laboratory meetings.
• Flexible approach to work.

• HCPC registration.
• Degree in biomedical science.
• Experience of working in all areas of relevant routine laboratory.
• Full understanding of EQA & IQA and their implications.
• Evidence of post-graduate study.

• Understanding of relationship between laboratory investigations and clinical practice.
• Ability to extrapolate from basic information to consider additional investigations to perform.
• Ability to review anomalous/unexpected findings and take further appropriate action.
• Awareness of clinical significance of laboratory finding and implications for patients.

The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.

Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications. We advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment. Please ensure your information is accurate to avoid errors with processing your application.

All applicants will be contacted by email to the address supplied on your application. Applicants are advised to check their email accounts regularly and to ensure that email filters are set to allow our emails.

Flu Vaccination – What We Expect of our Staff

At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect as much as we can against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. Occurring mainly in winter, it is an infectious respiratory disease capable of producing symptoms ranging from those similar to a common cold, through to very severe or even fatal disease.

The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the utmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.