Employer University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site Derriford Hospital Town Plymouth Salary £27,485 - £30,162 £27,485 - £30,162 Per Annum Salary period Yearly Closing 25/08/2025 23:59
NHS AfC: Band 4
Job overview
The Flow Cytometry Laboratory conducts haematological malignancy testing for the South West Peninsula. Our services include essential immunology flow cytometry assays, such as CD4+ testing for lymphocyte and B cell subsets, as well as functional assays.
We are seeking a motivated, conscientious, and caring individual to join our team as an Associate Practitioner in the Immunology Laboratory.
Key Responsibilities:
* Perform basic laboratory and technical duties to ensure the smooth operation of the Flow Cytometry Laboratory.
* Provide technical support by conducting routine and specialist analytical testing on various biological samples.
* Maintain and operate specialist equipment valued up to £1 million.
* Carry out general administrative tasks.
***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***
Main duties of the job
* The post holder will work together with senior staff and support staff in the Flow Cytometry Laboratory to produce a timely, high quality, accurate and cost-effective service.
* The post holder will ensure the timely processing of patient samples, serving all those patients attending PHNT, PCTs representing 100 General Practices and specialist assays referred to us from other Trusts within the Peninsula. The department performs 4.7 million tests annually and employs 123 staff.
Working for our organisation
We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. Working with colleagues to ensure Immunology in DCL delivers timely processing of all samples and test requests.
2. Ensure stock levels are maintained and recorded.
3. Support the Biomedical Scientists in the preparation, running and maintaining other analysers in the section.
4. Assist in the receipt, processing and storage of all samples including those for which the department derives income.
5. To plan and prioritise own work under supervision and be fully aware of service requirements.
6. To ensure that your own work is carried out efficiently, accurately and in accordance with departmental procedures.
7. To identify, prepare by uncapping and loading onto analysers samples for analysis. Unload, rerun if required, recap, rack away for storage in a refrigerator or cold room.
8. Ensure that samples received match work lists, the patient ID is correct before testing and there is sufficient sample to perform the assay.
9. To schedule, load and run a range of Quality Control material and to monitor the results of those Quality Control tests, bringing out of range results to the attention of senior staff.
10. Answer telephone enquiries regarding results and other general laboratory issues e.g. giving advice on the correct conditions and sample type for a particular test request.
For further details please see the attached JD & PS
Person specification
Qualifications
* NVQ Level 3 in Laboratory Science or demonstrate proven equivalent experience to the level of an NVQ Level 3 In laboratories Science
* Demonstrable experience of supervising laboratory staff.
Aptitude and Abilities
* Excellent communication skills, being able to deal with staff and patients
* Precision in sample reception processes
* Good interpersonal skills
* Precision in sample booking-in process.
Knowledge and experience
* Proven knowledge of all relevant Health & Safety legislation and its application to the Section.
* Proven technical skills in a Pathology laboratory.
* Demonstrable experience in data input.
* Proven knowledge of all assays performed and sent away by the department.
* Demonstrable experience working in an immunology laboratory.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY INCLUDING YOUR JUNK FOLDER.
If you need support with the online application process or require reasonable adjustments with the application and/or interview process please contact the Recruiting Manager for this post.
We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants about less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. We recommend contacting the manager of the role prior to applying and we commit to giving requests full consideration.
We welcome and encourage applicants who identify with all protected characteristics to apply for our roles. We believe that diversity strengthens our teams and improves our patients' experience. At UHP we aim to create an inclusive workplace and hospital where everyone feels they belong and included .
It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Providing false information is an offence & could result in the application being rejected or summary dismissal/police action if an applicant is successful.
Please note that if you are successful in your application & accept the position you agree that the Staff Health and Wellbeing Department can access your health records from your current/previous employer in order to check the status of your inoculations & screening tests. This is an automated process & the information will only be used for these purposes prior to your taking up the position with us.
For Doctors Roles:
Unsolicited CVs and Candidate Profiles/Details
University Hospitals Plymouth has a commitment to sourcing candidates directly and as such we do not accept speculative CVs from agencies.
We do, however, work with a defined list of preferred HTE Framework suppliers who may be invited to support us in sourcing candidates for particular roles.
In line with our preferred supplier list, we only pay agency fees where we have a signed agreement in place and an agency has been instructed by a member of the Trust’s Medical Workforce team.
We do not pay agency fees where speculative and unsolicited CVs are submitted to the Trust or Trust employees by any other means than the official route above. Where this is not observed the Trust reserves the right to contact these candidates directly and initiate discussions without payment of any agency fee.
Any candidate details (whether written or spoken) or CVs that are referred directly will not constitute an introduction. The Trust will under no circumstances be responsible for any recruitment fees in relation to these contacts.
Submission of any unsolicited CVs, candidate’s details and/or proposals to the Trust will not be considered further and will be deemed evidence of full and unlimited acceptance of this Agency Protocol.
In order to establish and maintain good working relationships with the Trust’s agency suppliers, we ask that this Protocol is adhered to and thank you for your co-operation.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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