Medical Laboratory Assistant

Job overview

The Blood Sciences Specimen Reception department at The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust is seeking a motivated and practical individual to join our team.

This is a permanent position working primarily at Pinderfields Hospital, in the blood sciences laboratory. The vacancy is a full time (37.5 hours per week). The department operates 24 hours a day and the successful candidate will be required to work a variety of shifts including day, late, overnight, weekend and bank holiday shifts.

The blood sciences laboratory process patient samples from the emergency department, hospital wards and outpatient departments at Pinderfields Hospital plus patient samples from GP surgeries in the surrounding area. Specimen Reception is where the patient samples enter the laboratory. They are then prioritised and processed before analysis by the departments of Biochemistry, Blood Transfusion and Haematology.

The role requires the use of several IT systems alongside the use of a GLP pre-analytical track system. Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential, and a level of computer literacy will be useful, as a large proportion of the duty will include inputting patient information onto the Laboratory computer system. An ability to follow instructions, work under pressure and demonstrate good manual dexterity will be an advantage.

Main duties of the job

The duties of this role include:

Receive pathology specimens from hospital staff and patients in a courteous and helpful manner. To sort patient samples and distribute to relevant departments. Identify samples requiring urgent analysis. To ensure samples and the appropriate request forms are correctly labelled and that the correct container has been used. To label request forms and specimens with laboratory numbers as required. Use of laboratory information system to input patient data and order analytical tests. To successfully undertake the necessary training to fulfil the requirements of the required competency documents. Liaise with other laboratory and hospital staff to pass on information and solve problems that have arisen. To follow departmental standard operating procedures.

Job responsibilities

To provide a high quality and timely service.

To follow departmental procedures and health and safety rules at all times.

To avoid waste and work in a cost-effective way at all times.

To identify problems within the areas that they are working and report them to their manager.

To maintain clear and concise communication with users of the service at all times.

To take part in any training required to maintain an up to date knowledge of all equipment and techniques used in areas in which they work.

To help to ensure that all work is carried out to the standards necessary for UKAS Accreditation.

To carry out preliminary inspection and preparation of samples under supervision.

To follow at all times the instructions set out in Standard Operating Procedures.

To undertake routine laboratory cleaning duties as required.

To provide a high quality and timely service.

To follow departmental procedures and health and safety rules at all times.

To avoid waste and work in a cost-effective way at all times.

To identify problems within the areas that they are working and report them to their manager.

To maintain clear and concise communication with users of the service at all times.

To take part in any training required to maintain an up to date knowledge of all equipment and techniques used in areas in which they work.

To help to ensure that all work is carried out to the standards necessary for UKAS Accreditation.

To carry out preliminary inspection and preparation of samples under supervision.

To follow at all times the instructions set out in Standard Operating Procedures.

To undertake routine laboratory cleaning duties as required.