Healthcare Science Associate in Newcastle upon Tyne

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS hospital trusts in the country. We have around 16,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.7 billion. With a strong history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation regionally, nationally and internationally, we’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country.

As well as providing a wide range of hospital and community services, we support people with a range of rare health conditions. Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030 for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic individual to work within our Blood Sciences Department as a Healthcare Science Associate Practitioner in the Survey Team. There will likely be scope to work across other sections within the department. You should be highly motivated with good interpersonal and organisational skills.

Main duties of the job:

• Healthcare Science Associate Practitioners use practical skills to carry out tasks associated with the pre-analytical preparation of specimens, analysis of a limited range of tests and post analytical duties.
• Manage the day-to-day departmental Quality Assurance by distributing, monitoring and resulting tests on all schemes.
• Perform audits to ensure the Department is compliant with regulatory standards and guidelines.
• Specimen reception: To deal with the reception, sorting and labelling of patient specimens, identifying inadequate and mislabelled specimens and ensuring urgent samples are prioritised.
• Data entry, preparing specimens for analysis, including booking in-patient and specimen details, storing, retrieving and disposing of specimens.
• To analyse a limited range of tests, e.g. Urine Pregnancy Tests, Blood Gas Analysis, Ionised Calcium in line with departmental SOPs.
• Operate, maintain and basic troubleshoot departmental analysers, in line with departmental SOPs.
• To undertake simple analytical procedures under guidance and maintain and operate laboratory equipment in accordance with departmental SOPs.
• To manually transcribe and record laboratory data, input to and manipulation of the laboratory computer system and derivation of worksheets for qualified staff.
• To receive requests for information by telephone and respond appropriately.
• To prepare and reconstitute reagents and control materials and other processes as required, recording stock levels, maintenance of instruments and equipment, and keeping appropriate records both manually and electronically.
• To manage the day-to-day departmental Quality Assurance by distributing, monitoring and resulting tests on all schemes.
• To co-ordinate distribution of Quality Assurance reports and assist Team Leaders in review.
• To manage Point of Care Testing (POCT) devices across the Trust, including training, audit and quality control.
• To work in compliance with local health and safety rules to ensure a safe working environment for yourself, colleagues and visitors.
• To adhere to department and Trust Health and Safety policies (including COSHH, Risk assessments and Standard Operating Procedures) and to report any non-compliances to a senior member of staff.
• Oversee Healthcare Science Assistants (HSAs) working in the section.
• Train new members of HSA staff.