Senior Biomedical Scientist in Haematology (Qualified) in Ashford

Main area Healthcare Science Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent: substantive Hours

• Full time
• Flexible working

37.5 hours per week (Post holder will be required to participate in 24-7, 365 working including nights, weekends and bank holidays.) Job ref 344-3754DCB

Employer East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site William Harvey Hospital Town Ashford Salary £49,387 - £56,515 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 30/09/2026 23:59

Senior Biomedical Scientist in Haematology (Qualified)

Band 7

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated, focused and enthusiastic BMS to join our Haematology and Blood Transfusion laboratory at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford. This role is the Senior Biomedical Scientist in Haematology (Band 7), full-time, permanent and substantive. You will be part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary blood science team that provides a 24/7 specialist and acute services to the patients of East Kent.

Applicants should have proven leadership skills, significant Haematology and Coagulation knowledge and experience, and have a good track record of managing staff and laboratory resources. You must be able to demonstrate morphology competence, achievement of targets, implementing service developments and service transformation initiatives, a high attention to detail and excellent communication skills. The suitable candidate must be HCPC registered and hold an IBMS Specialist Portfolio in Haematology (see JD for options and more details).

We are UKAS ISO 15189: 2022 accredited as are all Pathology disciplines within the organisation. Our services offer a range of diagnostic tests and the department has a strong training ethos linked to career development and progression.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will have a designated base at the William Harvey Hospital, Ashford but should the needs of the service dictate as an employee of EKHUFT you could be asked to work at an alternative site.

The primary role will be the day to day management of the Haematology laboratory whilst reporting to the Chief BMS. Ability to train in all aspects of Haematology is essential, including coagulation and blood film morphology.

After a period of training and competency assessment the successful candidate will be expected to participate in our multi-disciplinary (blood transfusion and haematology) continuous processing pattern (CPP), 24-7 365, including nights, weekends and bank holidays. This system is fully WTD compliant. Though not essential, previous experience in Blood Transfusion would be an advantage.

Working for our organisation

We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference'. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.

We offer a full package of benefits:

• car lease scheme
• on-site childcare
• generous annual leave in line with NHS terms and conditions
• high street and public transport discounts
• a 24/7 staff support service

Kent and Medway Pathology Network (KMPN) is a formal partnership of seven laboratories across three pathology services in four acute Trusts. Our 1000 colleagues provide services across the health and care sector to a population of nearly 2 million.

KMPN are at an exciting point of our network development with a recommendation to form a joint venture across the four Trusts leading transformation. Our projects including single IT solutions, procurement and digital projects, to ensure our services are able to meet growing demand for our service users, patients and communities.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

KMPN: You will have a fantastic opportunity to grow your career in KMPN. We are developing a network academy, a platform for all network education and training from apprenticeships to advanced clinical and scientific qualifications with a single faculty making best use of our talented educators and trainers. You will not be expected to work at sites outside of EKHUFT. However, there will be opportunities for collaborative working within the network.

Person specification

Qualifications and training

• HCPC Registration.
• Either an M level (Level 7) qualification in a relevant subject, which could be a Master of Science degree (MSc) or IBMS Higher Specialist Diploma or IBMS Fellowship examination or 120 credits in a postgraduate qualification(s) in relevant professional subjects. Or via (Experiential route) Clear relevant and demonstrable experience of operating at Band 7 level and being able to showcase expected knowledge of a band 7 section lead along with the ability to demonstrate leadership skills. This must include a completed Specialist Portfolio in Haematology & Blood Transfusion.
• Either a BBTS examination or MSc individual modules in Haematology or Blood Transfusion.
• IBMS Certificates in Expert Practice in: Quality Management, Training, Leadership & Management.

Clinical skills and experience

• Extensive post-qualification experience in a UKAS ISO 15189 accredited Haematology / Blood Transfusion laboratory.
• Experience working at band 7 level including managing staff, leading a team and delivery of targets.
• Evidence of contributing to the development of blood transfusion or Haematology and of recent personal development.
• Highly developed technical, analytical and interpretational skills with evidence of experience in blood film morphology and ability to provide relevant morphology training.
• Evidence of deputising for section leads.
• Evidence of delivering teaching and training to multidisciplinary staff and students including competency signoff.
• Evidence of participation in different EQA schemes including haematology, morphology and coagulation. Ability to investigate and action poor returns.
• Evidence of participation in UKAS assessments and ensuring standards are upheld at all times.
• Evidence of taking technical charge and responsibility of a section including staff and resources.
• Evidence of ensuring work is completed to a high standard and actioning underperformance
• Evidence of delivery of different aspect of quality including audits, CAPA, Datix and quality improvements.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of advances in Haematology and Blood Transfusion

Personal/professional attributes

• Effective communication skills with other health care professionals.
• Well-developed analytical skills.
• Ability to organise own time effectively and work to schedules and deadlines.
• Be self-motivated and work hard towards objectives.
• Ability to work as part of a team and develop effective relationships.
• Demonstrate a positive attitude and evidence of actively improving staff morale.

Other requirements

• To be aware of and demonstrate the Trust’s Vision, Mission, Values and behaviours.

There are lots of great opportunities at East Kent Hospitals, where staff are caring and put patients first, innovation flourishes and you can develop your career. We're on an exciting journey of transformation. With a local Medical School at the centre of our community, a focus on research, clinical leadership and making our trust a rewarding and friendly place to work, there's never been a better time to join us. To find out more about east Kent visit our website . The Trust fully supports the SAS Doctors Charter and is committed to their development through its CPD Framework.

We have a relocation policy for eligible candidates, parking available at Trust sites but we encourage other options, like car sharing or public transport.

The Trust is committed to supporting flexible working to fulfil our pledge as part of The Trust’s People Strategy to help staff to achieve a healthy work/life balance. Please speak with your Recruiting Manager for further information on how this can be managed alongside department expectations and requirements.

The ability to converse easily and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for all customer facing roles.

Most positions require a Disclosure and Barring check and will be exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Posts working regularly or unsupervised with children or vulnerable adults require an enhanced check.

Applicants for eligible roles requiring Skilled Worker sponsorship must meet UK Visas and Immigration eligibility criteria.

We operate a no-smoking policy on all our sites and grounds.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.