Associate Practitioner in England

Exciting Opportunity: Associate Practitioner – Point of Care Testing. Are you someone who enjoys working with people and thrives in a role that offers variety and impact? Join our Point of Care Testing (POCT) Team as an Associate Practitioner, supporting both hospital-based and community healthcare settings. In this role, you'll play a key part in delivering high-quality diagnostic services.

You will work with the POCT Team to assist with governance of the Trust point of care service at RBHH. This will involve writing documents such as SOPs and user guides as well as performing audits of equipment and service users. You will work within the POCT team to deliver training to Trust staff on the correct use of POCT instruments and interfaces. You'll also carry out a range of protocol-driven tasks—some of which may be specialist or complex procedures. You will be familiar with interpretation of internal quality control (IQC) and external quality (EQA) assurance data and will assist service users in troubleshooting to improve performance. You'll work largely independently, collaborating with other healthcare professionals to support routine Secondary Care procedures in both Primary and Secondary Care environments. Your primary base will be Royal Brompton Hospital, with time occasionally spent at Harefield Hospital.

Main duties of the job:

• The Associate Practitioner will work within the Point of Care Testing (POCT) Team in both the hospital setting and out in the Community.
• The post holder will assist the POCT Manager in auditing both POCT equipment and users of the service.
• They will have responsibility for training Trust staff in the correct use of POCT instruments and the use of interfaces.
• In addition, they may perform a range of protocol driven tasks, some of which may be specialist or complex procedures.
• These tasks would historically have been performed by regulated practitioners but can be performed by an unregistered associate under the supervision of a registered professional.
• The post holder will mainly be working with other healthcare professionals in order to support routine Secondary Care procedures in a Primary or Secondary Care setting.
• As an Associate Practitioner in Point of Care, you will be expected to work primarily at Royal Brompton Hospital with some time spent at the Harefield Hospital site.

Key Relationships:

• Other healthcare professionals and point of care testing staff.
• Appropriate Line Managers and Clinical Scientists within Blood Sciences Department.

Working for our organisation:

Synnovis is a scientific organisation with a clinical purpose and is part of SYNLAB Group, Europe's leading provider of laboratory diagnostic services. Working in partnership with Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospitals, King's College Hospital, Princess Royal University Hospital and local CCG networks, we aim to set the standard for the future of pathology.

This role is based in Synnovis Analytics which is responsible for the provision of Pathology testing services to Synnovis' patients and customers.

Your development and learning: You will have a suite of learning opportunities available through The ACCE competencies programme, the Scientific Learning and Development Fund and the Synnovis Academy through which you can receive funding/support for advanced qualifications.

Through our Innovation Accelerator Fund, you can apply for finance to get that new innovative scientific project off the ground, and participate with the wider scientific community through symposiums, conferences and other peer group meetings.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

• Technical: To undertake routine operative and preventative maintenance on point of care testing instruments, undertake first line calibration of analysers in POCT, undertake basic troubleshooting of expensive analytical instruments and automated analysers in POCT, ensure quality control measures are carried out to monitor analytical performance, take corrective action where applicable and report any failures to a senior member of staff in POCT, set up equipment for safe use by others, perform automated, semi-automated and manual processing of EQA specimens on a variety of analysers and/or POCT equipment, analyse and make judgments on straightforward scientific/technical issues, file samples following appropriate protocols and keep records as required, attend and support clinics and satellite laboratories to support installation of equipment and instruct users in its correct use, as and when required in POCT.
• Administrative: To follow the standard operating procedures and to participate in their regular review and update, assist in ensuring point of care testing record keeping is accurate and in compliance with good working practices as required for UKAS Accreditation, to answer telephone and other enquiries from health professionals and to act as the first line point of contact for problem related analysis in POCT, ensure adequate stock management of reagents, consumables and stationery, liaise with GP surgeries, hospital clinics and other departments as appropriate, assist in buying process by logging, copying and filing delivery documents, to undertake work file management to ensure that all results are reported within the agreed turnaround time, assist in Operational Performance Management Systems (OPMS) by ensuring data is collected and entered into appropriate data systems as required, assist in EQA schemes by distributing samples and collecting data, collate and distribute results.
• Communication: Communicate effectively with staff, recognising their needs for alternative methods of communication and specific clinical situations, communicate effectively with other team members, acting as first reference point for dealing with complaints and queries, communicating with Trust staff to ensure all training and POCT equipment enquiries are dealt with efficiently.
• Supervisory: Implement new policies within the scope of Synnovis, Trust and community-based areas and propose changes to such policies as necessary, be responsible for POCT training to GSTT staff within the hospital and community setting, including undertaking workplace assessments, provide training of POCT procedures to other healthcare professionals as directed by the Band 7 POCT Supervisor, participate in audits of GSTT hospital and community based process and procedures in POCT, build and maintain working relations with all members of staff, and promote effective teamwork.
• Generic: Compliance with local and national policies for the safe secure and confidential processing, and storage of patient and other laboratory information within the compliance of SOPs and the Synnovis quality management system, post holder to be able to organise own day to day duties with ability to identify/prioritise urgent tasks, be proactive in escalating any possible issues that may impact on service delivery to senior colleagues back within Synnovis and RBHH, work with community healthcare providers to give a high quality of care, to adhere to equality and fairness in working relations, provide practical training in procedures within own area for new staff, to maintain and promote the professional image of Synnovis Pathology, undertake a period of training and assessment of competence, maintain knowledge and skills as identified by the appraisal cycle, to participate in an annual appraisal cycle, observe and adhere to local and national health and safety policies, undertake required statutory and mandatory training as directed by line manager.

Person specification:

• Qualifications: Essential criteria: Good all-round education to GCSE standard including English and Maths at grade 4/C or equivalent or L2 Healthcare Science apprenticeship. Desirable criteria: A Level / BTEC in Science or L3 Laboratory Technician Apprenticeship or L4 Healthcare Science Apprenticeship or equivalence experience.
• Experience: Essential criteria: Experience of working in a customer service based environment, experience of technical trouble-shooting procedures, experience of training and assessing staff. Desirable criteria: Experience of working in a diagnostic speciality, experience of supervising staff.
• Skills: Essential criteria: Numerate and able to undertake scientific calculations, knowledge of Health and Safety policies for hospital/health environments, intermediate use of Microsoft Word and Excel, able to use own initiative and work independently, understanding of the stock control and procurement processes. Desirable criteria: Experience or interest in IT systems.