Overview
The post holder will have managerial responsibility for the Biochemistry laboratory service with East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT), delivered at Royal Blackburn Hospital and Burnley General Hospital sites. This vacancy is open internally to ELHT and to the other Trusts in Lancashire and South Cumbria. Working in partnership with the Clinical Lead, the post holder will ensure that the requirements for laboratory accreditation (UKAS) and the needs of service users are consistently met. The post holder will provide professional management and effective leadership to the department. The post holder will be part of the senior management team, and will participate in Management, Quality, Governance and Operations meetings within the directorate. The post holder may also be required to represent the Department and/or Directorate at meetings at Divisional and Trust level.
Key responsibilities
* To have overall responsibility for the delivery of a robust Biochemistry laboratory service to ELHT.
* Work as a key member of the Directorate Senior Management Team, responsible for the effective operational management and strategic direction of Clinical Laboratory Medicine at ELHT.
* Have overall responsibility for Biochemistry and work in partnership with the Lead Clinician, Laboratory Operations Manager and other senior staff to develop and promote efficient and effective systems and processes in the management of resources including finance, staff, information, equipment and space.
* Monitor the budget of Biochemistry to assist in achievement of financial targets and cost effective delivery of service.
* Ensure Biochemistry contributes to and meets the Trust and Divisional Objectives including delivering cost improvement savings.
* Take a strategic lead in the continuing provision of a high quality and responsive service meeting regulatory and accreditation requirements.
* Promote continuous improvement in service delivery and quality within Biochemistry, using modern methods to lead in the delivery of service and workforce transformation and redesign.
* Line manage the Senior BMS staff, supporting them to manage the work of staff in Biochemistry and develop a culture of continuous improvement in delivery of high quality services.
* Set and ensure the development and acceptance of challenging but realistic objectives for staff, and through leadership, motivation and systematic performance management to achieve the required results.
* Communicate effectively with Healthcare Scientists, Clinicians and other healthcare providers within and outside the Trust including Estates, Human Resources, Finance, Payroll, Occupational Health; representatives and service personnel from Commercial organisations.
* Actively participate in meetings within Biochemistry, Clinical Laboratory Medicine and wider within the Trust, providing specialist leadership and expert advice.
Qualifications
* IBMS approved Honours degree plus IBMS specialist portfolio plus MSc in Biomedical Science or HNC + FIBMS "special" exam (if registered before 1994), Management or Leadership qualification, Previous extensive experience within a Biochemistry department
* Experience of training and competence assessment of laboratory staff.
* Lead or significant involvement in / preparation for ISO inspections
Desirable criteria
* Proven management experience in a Senior/Lead BMS role within a Biochemistry department
* Extensive IT skills including MS Office, Q-pulse & LIMS
* Detailed knowledge of ISO/UKAS standards and other relevant legislation
* Managed staff including Appraisals, sickness reviews, competency and training
* Financial and budget awareness
* Ability to implement and manage change
* You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
Additional information
At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work. At East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 700,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 8,000 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.
Aligned to national strategy, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust is working with 3 local Trusts to form a single Pathology Service for Lancashire and South Cumbria, hosted by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals. While this post is based at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital, this may change in the future if services are reorganised. Within current timelines, this post may TUPE into LTHTR as the hosting employer in early 2026.
The Trust is an equal opportunities employer, committed to improving the working lives of our staff and operates a 'Zero Tolerance' policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment. In addition, our aim is to help protect children and vulnerable adults by providing a first-class service to the recruitment of people into positions of trust. We aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability or social background. We especially welcome applications from members of our black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, as we have identified that ELHT has an under-representation of BAME employees. Appointments will be made on merit.
It is important you are made aware of the following as regards your application to East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust:
* Please note that the salary advertised is for full time hours. If this post is less than 37.5 hours per week, the salary will be pro-rata. For posts on Agenda for Change pay-scales, new entrants to the NHS will normally commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.
* This vacancy may close before the closing date if the recruiting manager deems sufficient applications have been received. Therefore it is advised to complete your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
* Please ensure you check the email account from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.
* Please note that shortlisting is completed anonymously with candidates being assessed against the essential criteria for the post. Therefore only applicants who can clearly demonstrate how they meet our person specification criteria in their application will be short-listed.
Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS): If the role you are applying for is identified as either controlled or regulated activity as defined in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006), any offer of employment is provisional upon a satisfactory DBS check being obtained. The healthcare sector is exempted from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. In line with other NHS organisations in the North West Region, the Trust is now passing the charge for undertaking a DBS check on to candidates in the event they are successfully appointed into the post for which they have applied. Candidates can choose whether to pay this over 1-3 months as a deduction from the monthly salary. However, if you are applying for a post as a BANK worker, the payment must be made in full at the time of employment checks. The cost of an Enhanced Disclosure will be £55.38 and for a Standard Disclosure will be £27.38.
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