Job overview
The Neuropathology Department provides a neuropathology and ocular pathology service to aid diagnosis and or management of patients through appropriate analytical assessment. The service is offered to the clinicians of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, to regional and supra-regional hospitals and supports a service to HM Coroners in Oxford and the region. In addition, we provide a full interpretive and consultative national and international referral service. We are involved in the education and training of laboratory, clinical and other appropriate staff in matters pertinent to neuropathology.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced band Biomedical Scientist to join our specialist diagnostic laboratory. The successful candidate will rotate through the different laboratory services, covering routine CNS histopathology, along with specialist diagnostic tissues, such as muscle, nerve and skin biopsies for intra-dermal nerve fibre density analysis. This is a great step for a Biomedical Scientist to move into a specialist role. Full training and support will be provided by the laboratory for those who have not yet worked with these tissue types.
As a small team we are supportive, focused and provide a patient-centric service. We work closely with teams outside the department, so that we can get a better understanding of the wider clinical picture. The department encourages CPD and ongoing training and education relevant to the role.
Main duties of the job
1. Undertakes scientific duties to facilitate the smooth running of the routine surgical and post mortem services.
2. Prepares samples using a range of specialist laboratory procedures, by either manual or automated techniques, to produce results of a quality consistent with excellent patient care. Undertakes these duties in all required areas of the department under the supervision of senior staff.
3. Ensures efficient use and maintenance of resources, is aware of stock levels and rotation, storage conditions, batch numbers and expiry dates, thus ensuring the viability of the reagents and / or products used.
4. Exercises a degree of autonomy but refers to senior staff and works in co-operation with other staff members to ensure that the workload is processed in a timely and efficient manner, assessing samples for urgency and ensuring samples meet acceptance criteria for testing and dealing with any non-compliance in accordance with departmental protocols.
5. Works to gain competence in all departmental policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), ensuring that personal performance complies with UKAS and other professional standards.
6. Carries out troubleshooting and preventive maintenance on complex and expensive automated systems. Ensures appropriate records are kept and liaises with senior staff and service engineers where appropriate.
7. Matches samples with request forms and inputs patient and test information into the laboratory computer system, requiring complete accuracy.
Working for our organisation
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.
We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.
These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the .