Biomedical Scientist Specialising in Histopathology

Job description

We are proud to provide 'Outstanding' care and be a great place to work.

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust provides safe, compassionate and high quality hospital and community care to the half a million people living in East Sussex and those who visit our local area.

We are one of the largest organisations in East Sussex with an annual income of £700 million and we are the only integrated provider of acute and community care in Sussex.

Our extensive health services are provided by over 8,000+ dedicated members of staff working from two acute hospitals in Hastings and Eastbourne, three community hospitals in Bexhill, Rye and Uckfield, over 100 community sites across East Sussex, and in people's own homes.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated us as 'Good' overall, and 'Outstanding' for being Caring and Effective. The Conquest Hospital in Hastings and our Community Services were rated 'Outstanding' and Eastbourne DGH was rated 'Good' Our two acute hospitals have Emergency Departments and provide 24 hour a day care, offering a comprehensive range of surgical, medical, outpatient and maternity services, supported by a full range of diagnostic and therapy services.

Job overview

We are thrilled to offer an exciting opportunity for a talented Band 6 Specialist Biomedical Scientist to join our diverse, highly motivated & friendly team. Our team is dedicated to delivering the highest quality service to patients across the region & we are looking for someone who shares this commitment to excellence.

The ideal candidate must be HCPC registered & have either completed or be working towards the IBMS specialist portfolio, or possess equivalent experience. This is a fantastic opportunity for a skilled Biomedical Scientist ready to take the next step in their career.

Our department is a busy and dynamic environment, processing approximately 33,000 histology & 1,800 diagnostic cytology samples each year. The Conquest Hospital is our main site, where we conduct a wide range of procedures including specimen dissection, centralized tissue processing, microtomy, staining, immunohistochemistry & diagnostic cytology preparation. Additionally, we have a satellite site at Eastbourne DGH where specimen dissection is also performed.

Our facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art technology through a Managed Service Contract, featuring cutting-edge equipment such as Epredia Revos Tissue Processors, Menarini E-Gross Pro X grossing stations, ThermoScientific HM525NX Cryostats, Sakura Prisma staining machine with a film coverslipper, Ventana Benchmark Ultra, Ventana Benchmark Ultra Plus, Ventana Benchmark Special Stains and Hammamatsu Nanozoomer digital scanners.

Main duties of the job

As a Specialist Biomedical Scientist, you'll be experienced and operating as a Biomedical Scientist within Histopathology, in line with ISO 15189 standards and you'll have rotated across the department, providing scientific services to patients and customers to aid pathological diagnosis. You'll deputise for senior team members, assist in workflow management, support with the management of documentation, and general overall performance. You'll also play a vital role in the training and development of junior scientific staff.

We support and encourage our Specialist Biomedical Scientists to undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities, which could be internal talks and seminars, as well as attending approved courses. We have a dedicated Training officer within our department. The department has full HCPC training status for pre and post registration IBMS portfolios, and full ISO 15189 accreditation.

In addition to the brief list above you must familiarise yourself with the full job description and person specification attached to this advert prior to applying.

If you are a motivated, dynamic individual who embraces change and seeks to contribute to a forward-thinking department, this is the perfect opportunity for you! Join us in making a meaningful impact on patient care in our region.

Working for our organisation

A wide range of staff benefits are available to our staff including staff development, enrolment in the NHS pension scheme, auto-enrolment to our Temporary Workforce Service, access to onsite nurseries. staff restaurants and accommodation.

In addition to an internal Occupational Health department, all staff also have access to free psychological support through our confidential Employee Assistance Programme. Onsite parking is available from only £50 a year.

There has never been a better time to join East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, submit your application today.

Statement on the Use of AI

We value the individuality that each candidate brings to the application process. While we understand that AI tools are widely available, we strongly discourage applicants from using AI-generated content when applying for jobs with us. We believe that your application should reflect your true skills, experiences, and motivations, which are best conveyed through your own words and unique perspective.

Using AI for your application may not accurately represent your knowledge, skills, and experience and may result in a disconnect between your qualifications and our assessment of your application.

We encourage applicants to take the time to thoughtfully complete their applications; by doing so, you allow us to better understand your true potential and ensure a fair and transparent evaluation of your application. Over reliance on AI-generated content may diminish your chance of success.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the job description attached.

If you have any questions about this position please do not hesitate to contact us.

In line with the NHS England vision of a consolidated and collaborative pathology network, our department is proud to be part of the Sussex Pathology Network. We went live with Digital Pathology in November 2023 and are currently completing the clinical validation of digital imaging, positioning us at the forefront of innovation in pathology services.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Science or equivalent
• State Registration (Health Professionals Council)
• Postgraduate specialised training evidenced by completion of IBMS specialist portfolio or equivalent experience
• Demonstrable knowledge and skills achieved through ongoing professional development and attendance on educational and practical courses e.g immunohistochemistry update courses etc

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of Continuing Professional development
• IBMS diplomas of extended practise

Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant amount ot experience of working in a Histology department
• Experience of working as part of a team
• Commitment to the ethos of a health care environment

Skills

Essential criteria

• Ability to work to code of conduct for the institute of Biomedical Scientists and HCPC
• Highly developed histological skills and techniques.
• Good Knowledge of Health and Safety legislation and procedures as applied in Pathology.
• Sound Knowledge of Good Laboratory Practice including UKAS standards
• Good communications and interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge and use of Pathology computer system. Strong command of Microsoft packages such as word, excel and PowerPoint
• Capable of working as part of a team to maintain a diagnostic service.
• Working on own initiative and managing own workload.
• Ability to carryout special stains and immunohistochemistry
• Ability to cut and stain frozen sections
• Good concentration skills.
• Capable of working in difficult environmental conditions
• Must have effective written and oral communication skills.
• Able to use specialist laboratory equipment and perform a range of tests appropriate to the post demonstrating accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to work under pressure and attain targets and deadlines.
• Able to recognise errors and mistakes, making serious attempts to rectify and learn from them.
• Ability to undertake independent study in order to develop technical and practical skills in Cellular Pathology.
• Adopt a positive approach to CPD and be able to demonstrate an interest in Biomedical Science /Cellular pathology.
• To maintain a professional development portfolio in Cellular Pathology.

Desirable criteria

• Capable of working with minimum supervision after State Registration
• Knowledge and use of data extraction programmes such as Corvu

Patients come first at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

Our vision is to be:

• The healthcare provider of first choice for the people of East Sussex.

Our mission is to:

• Deliver better health outcomes and an excellent experience for everyone we provide with healthcare services.

Our strategic objectives are to:

• Improve quality and clinical outcomes by ensuring that safe patient care is our highest priority.
• Play a leading role in local partnerships to meet the needs of our local population and improve and enhance patients' experiences.
• Use our resources efficiently and effectively for the benefit of our patients and their care to ensure our services are clinically, operationally and financially sustainable.

Our aims are that all services delivered by the Trust are:

• Safe
• Effective
• Caring
• Responsive and
• Well led

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