Workforce Directorate
Human Resources
Recruitment Team
High East, Crichton Hall, Dumfries DG1 4TG
Fax: 01387 244043
Email: dg.recruitment@nhs.net
JOB DESCRIPTION for the following vacancy:
VACANCY REF No:
G289.13
VACANCY (Post Title):
Associate Practitioner
Diagnostics - Microbiology
GRADE:
Band 4
SALARY:
£18,652 to £21,798 pro rata
HOURS:
37.5hpw
3months Fixed Term
Informal enquiries to Anne Westgarth, Head Biomedical Scientist – Microbiology, on
01387 241559.
Closing Date:
Thursday 9 May 2013 at 5.00pm
Dumfries & Galloway NHS
AfC JD Ref: PTB011MICRO
Criminal Record Check
With effect from 28th February, 2011 posts considered to be within "Regulated
Work" with Children and/or "Regulated Work" with Protected Adults will require
membership of the Disclosure Scotland Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme
(PVG Scheme) as a condition of employment.
The cost of PVG Scheme membership is £59.00 and may be recovered as a
deduction from the successful candidate’s salary and is applicable to both EEA and
Non EEA applicants
It was agreed at the Joint Negotiating Committee on 25 th October 2012 that for all
employees who commence with the Board from 1 st November 2012 in Band 5 or
above (including all medical, dental and senior managers) will be responsible for the
payment of their membership to the PVG scheme. This is a one off payment of £59.
PVG updates will continue to be paid for by the Board.
Please note:
You do not have to do anything about PVG Membership when submitting your
application form for the post. Candidates selected for appointment will be advised on
how to become a PVG Scheme Member prior to taking up the position.
Further information on the PVG Scheme Membership can be found at the
following:- http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/pvg
Standard Disclosure Check
For other roles not considered to be within "Regulated Work with Children" and/or
"Regulated Work with Protected Adults", a Standard Disclosure Check may be
required and the cost of this will be met by NHS Dumfries & Galloway.
Applicants who have lived outside the UK within the last five years, if offered a
position, in addition to a Disclosure Scotland Check, will be required to provide a
completed police record check (Certificate of Good Conduct) from the police
authority in the country or countries in which they were resident.
Dumfries & Galloway NHS
AfC JD Ref: PTB011MICRO
1. JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title:
Trainee Associate Practitioner Biomedical Scientist
(Healthcare Scientist Practitioner)
Department(s):
Microbiology
Job Holders Reference: (revised version rec’d 04/08/09)
No of Jobholders: 3
2. JOB PURPOSE
Process a range of laboratory diagnostic investigations using a range of
scientific measurements and technical procedure on patient samples in
Microbiology .
Analyses and is responsible for own work.
Provides restricted advice to service users on appropriateness of tests and
timescales.
Maintain standards required to retain membership of the Accreditation and
Quality Control schemes (CPA and NEQAS)
3.ORGANISATIONAL POSITION
Organisational chart attached.
4. SCOPE AND RANGE
Provides a clinical laboratory service to NHS Dumfries and Galloway 24 hours
a day, seven days a week.
Dumfries and Galloway has a population of 150000 people covered by
approximately 175 General Practitioners all using the laboratories. Approximately
185,000 Microbiology requests are received per year. 50-65% of requests come
from the primary care sector, the remainder comes from work generated by hospital
sites. The Microbiology budget to provide this service is approximately £1.8 million.
The laboratory services are provided by various staff groups including:
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Biomedical Scientists
Associate Practitioner Biomedical Scientists
Clerical staff
Clinical Scientists
Medical Laboratory Assistants
Medical Staff
Dumfries & Galloway NHS
AfC JD Ref: PTB011MICRO

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Mortuary staff
Infection Control Nurses
Phlebotomists
5.MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
A) Professional and Technical
A Trainee Associate Practitioner is required to · Provide a high standard of patient care.
· Work under supervision within a subsection of the lab.
· Perform standard and complex diagnostic laboratory tests including:
a. The examination of CSF in the diagnosis of Meningitis.
b. The examination of blood in the diagnosis of Septicaemia.
c. The serological examination of blood in the diagnosis of HIV,
Hepatitis B and Helicobacter pylori.
d. The examination of Urine, Faeces, Fluids, Tissues, Sputum
and Swabs, where investigations include target
micro-organisms.
·
Participate in professional development and continue to maintain scientific and
technical knowledge and skills by attending or presenting at scientific meetings or
taking part in journal clubs.
Rotate through all sections of the lab covering General Bacteriology and
Mycology, Parasitology, Viral and Bacterial Serology, antibiotic sensitivity testing
and molecular testing for Chlamydia and antenatal serological screening.
B) Analytical and Interpretive
A Trainee Associate Practitioner Scientist (Working under close supervision) is
responsible for –
· Performing accurate and precise analyses and the reporting of test results with
an appropriate technical comment as required.
· Deciding on the significance of bacteria within mixed cultures from samples taken
from any body site whilst working within the scope of the Associated Practitioner
Training.
· Performing antimicrobial sensitivity testing on clinically significant bacteria as a
guide to treatment.
· Reporting critical or urgent results directly to clinicians/nursing staff with referral
to more senior staff or Consultant Microbiologist where required.
C) Supervisory or Management
· May be responsible for:· Supervision of support workers within a subsection.
5.MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (Contd.)
· Adherence to scientific, technical, accreditation, administrative and standard
policies and procedures in accordance with Hospital and regulatory requirements
to ensure compliance within area of responsibility.
Dumfries & Galloway NHS
AfC JD Ref: PTB011MICRO
Takes part in annual Joint Development review meetings with management.
·
Compliance with Hospital and departmental Health and Safety Policy and Risk
Management policy.
·
Recording reagents and other stock material as part of a stock management
programme ensuring that all stock is used in an efficient manner.
D) Service Management or Development
Is required to · Regularly participate in the development of the service by assisting in evaluation
and implementation of new equipment, analytical procedures and work practices.
E) Teaching or Training
A Trainee Associate Practitioner is required to · Participate in the training of Medical Laboratory Assistants and student
placements.
· Participate in monthly departmental meetings. May give short presentations at
Education meetings involving presentation and software knowledge.
F) Quality Control and Quality Management
A Trainee Associate Practitioner (Working under supervision) is required to · Perform routine maintenance, quality assurance and quality control tasks
including error logging.
· Participate in audits.
· Report non-conformances to Senior Biomedical Scientists.
G) IT Policies and Skills
A Trainee Associate Practitioner BMS is required to · Keep accurate records in accordance with Data Protection Act and Caldicott
guidelines.
· Input patient details, test results and interpretative data onto the laboratory
information system.
· Be aware of proprietary software packages such as MS Word, Excel and
PowerPoint.
· Compile data used to create reports for external and internal audit committees.
H) Other
·
· Perform delegated duties as agreed with line manager
6. SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT
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·
Laboratories are equipped with a variety of equipment from simple to highly
sophisticated. An example of simple equipment is an adjustable pipette, costing
£100. A specialised piece of equipment such as a Cobas Taqman PCR
molecular testing system costs circa £100,000. Equipment may be complex, and
used to analyse patients’ samples to provide routine analysis, or it can be highly
complex for the analysis of bacterial DNA.
Microscopy is used frequently to examine samples for the presence of bacteria,
fungi and parasites.
Dumfries & Galloway NHS
AfC JD Ref: PTB011MICRO
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Daily requirement to operate, calibrate and perform first line maintenance and
repair on equipment to ensure the accuracy of results and the safety of all users.
Use of laboratory I.T. systems to access patient information, record and validate
personally generated laboratory results and reports.
Use of dedicated analyser software plus MS word.
Ensures the integrity of the patient database within the laboratory management
information system by accurate registration of patient demographics and request
details.
Complies with Quality Management system.
Queries the Hospital Patient Management System (PMS).
Works to safe standards as detailed in the Containment of Substances
Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations and risk assessments.
Operates interfaces between laboratory management information system and
complex analytical equipment.
Accesses patient and request information on the laboratory management
information system and authorises reports.
7. DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS
· Follows standard operating procedures (SOP) and may update standard
operating procedures following departmental policy.
· Follows all related directorate policies and procedures and comments on these.
· Operates under supervision in sub sections of the department, referring
unexplained results to senior BMS staff.
· Under supervision, works towards competency in interpreting complex diagnostic
test results in a variety of formats and making valid judgements on the basis of
data e.g.
Microscopic assessment of cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) in the diagnosis
of meningitis.
Makes complex judgments on the identification of organisms and their
significance.
Is able to recognise and identify rarely encountered infections and
alerts Consultant staff appropriately.
8. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
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Assists in the training of MLA’s, other trainee grades and student placements.
Attends and occasionally delivers presentations at educational seminars both
locally and regionally.
Participates in departmental meetings and Directorate seminars and contributes
to effective communication within the department.
Communicates with other staff groups including Medical, Nursing, Clerical,
Porters, Estates and Drivers.
Communicates non-conformities or malfunctions to senior Biomedical Staff.
Communicates with educational establishments and external research staff.
Dumfries & Galloway NHS
AfC JD Ref: PTB011MICRO
9. PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB
Physical demands
· Combination of sitting for long periods of time in a restricted position when using
a microscope or when using laboratory computer system and standing whilst
processing microbiology samples.
· Working under stressful conditions during out of hours/equipment failures/
bacterial/viral outbreaks.
· Some manual handling may be undertaken, such as manipulation of gas
cylinders, moving of bulk reagents or clinical waste.
Physical skills
· Accurate hand/eye co-ordination required for isolation of clinically significant
bacteria from mixed cultures. The microscopic examination of clinical material
for the diagnosis of Septicaemia, Meningitis, parasite infestation or Tuberculosis
requires long periods of intense concentration.
· Use of specialist equipment requiring fine adjustment e.g. microscopy analyser
adjustments and maintenance.
Mental demands
· The job demands frequent periods of concentration for the majority of a shift
when diagnosing bacterial meningitis, bacterial peritonitis, septicaemia and
tuberculosis by fluorescent, light oil immersion microscopy. Sensory skills
required for the recognition of microorganisms.
· Entering and screening large quantities of data, which requires intense
concentration to interpret the results.
Trainee Associate Practitioners may be involved in maintaining a service in the
presence of possible adverse events, including equipment failure. The job
required multi-tasking and prioritisation of work and there are frequent
interruptions for phone calls and technical queries.
.Emotional demands
· Occasional exposure to specimens of recognisable body parts.
· Pressure to ensure clinical specimens are examined correctly, knowing that
inaccurate results could result in inappropriate treatment of patients.
Working Conditions
· Unavoidable exposure and manipulation of open samples of blood and other
body fluids, including urine and faeces, which may contain Hazard group 3
pathogens e.g. tuberculosis.
· Manual manipulation of highly unpleasant body substances e.g. sampling of
faecal specimens for microscopy and culture.
· Controlled exposure to reagents, chemicals and solvents required for the
identification of micro organisms, some of which may be carcinogenic.
10. MOST CHALLENGING/DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE JOB
· Mixing technical and clinical aspects of analysis to provide a safe, accurate and
timely service, reducing the potential serious consequences of a laboratory error.
· Making complex decisions about the clinical significance of bacterial cultures,
taking into consideration; clinical specimen, the age and sex of patient and
relevant clinical details
· Ensuring the accuracy of the work in a busy environment.
Dumfries & Galloway NHS
AfC JD Ref: PTB011MICRO
·
·
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Safe handling of unpleasant pathogenic, highly infectious body fluids and tissue
samples.
Keeping abreast of the wide range of multi- faceted procedures performed
covering general bacteriology, faecal parasitology and virology and the specialist
regional services for ante natal screening, Mycology and Tuberculosis creates a
challenge to the skills and knowledge of Biomedical Science staff, which requires
adaptability and a willingness to learn new techniques in a continually changing
scientific environment.
Finding the time to keep up with continuing professional developments.
11. KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DO THE
JOB
Entry to posts of Trainee Associate Practitioners will be open to those with
considerable experience already obtained in the role of Medical laboratory Assistant
equivalent to NVQ level 3 and trainees will work towards obtaining a diploma level
qualification such as the Foundation degree in Biomedical Science or equivalent.
A specialist portfolio of development must be maintained through attendance
at specialist courses e.g. training on new instrumentation.
12 JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT
Job Holder’s Signature:
Date:
Head of Departments Signature:
Date:
Dumfries & Galloway NHS
AfC JD Ref: PTB011MICRO
PERSON SPECIFCATION
Trainee Associate Practitioner Biomedical Scientist (HCSP)
Requirement
Essential
Qualifications
NVQ Level 3 (Laboratory and
Associated Technical Activities or
equivalent). Should also have
GCSE’s A-C (Maths, English,
Double Science or single science
subjects) or equivalent .
Experience
Judged competent to process
specimens within a laboratory
environment and make decisions
and judgements in own area of
work
Knowledge
Knowledge of a range of routine
and non-routine Biomedical
Investigations.
Ability to be trained to perform
assays relevant to the section in
which you work irrespective of
their complexity
To gain an understanding of the
meaning of results which in the
future will enable authorisation
and appropriate action in dealing
with abnormal or unusual results
To understand the principles
underlying the analytical processes
used in your area of work so as to
maintain their operation and
quality of results.
A working knowledge and
practical application of the
departments IT systems including
Desirable
EDCL or equivalent IT
qualification
Ability to learn the Pathology
of disease and apply within one
or more disciplines within
Pathology
Dumfries & Galloway NHS
AfC JD Ref: PTB011MICRO
software for word processing,
spreadsheets and data basis.
Participation in Continual
Professional Development (CPD)
Knowledge of all H&S issues,
relating to the laboratory activity
including national and European
directives.
Skills
Good manual dexterity at bench
level.
Able to organise own workload
Good communication skills
Able to train less experienced staff
Keyboard skills
Accuracy essential