NHS WESTERN ISLES
AGENDA FOR CHANGE
JOB DESCRIPTION
1. JOB IDENTIFICATION
Job Title: Lead Biomedical Scientist, Biochemistry
Department(s): Laboratory. Western Isles Hospital
Responsible to: Laboratory Manager
Job Holder Reference:
No of Job Holders: 1
2. PURPOSE
As the Lead Biomedical Scientist (BMS) for Biochemistry the post holder is responsible for the
management of the department providing all aspects of the Biochemistry service on all hospital sites.
The post holder will be responsible for managing the day to day organisation and analytical work of the
Biochemistry department. The post holder will be responsible for providing the leadership of the
department, managing the department staff in order to deliver a fit for purpose clinical laboratory
service for Biochemistry to achieve the objectives of efficient and effective patient care. Duties will
include development of staff, departmental policies and standard operating procedures.
The post holder must have excellent theoretical knowledge of all aspects of biochemistry, will be considered the
expert in the field of biochemistry within the Western Isles Health Board and be expected to give advice
regarding biochemistry to all clinical staff.
The post holder must have or develop good practical knowledge of haematology and blood transfusion,
and is expected to participate in blood sciences emergency and on-call duties, when competent to do so.
3. ORGANISATIONAL CHART: See attached
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4. MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POST
Communications:
 To communicate highly complex and highly sensitive information to clinical staff. For example,
communication of multiple test results, some of which may be conflicting, and that have
implications for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of patients.
 To provide information and advice to patients as necessary.
 Represent both the department and laboratory at relevant meetings: e.g. departmental business
meetings, specialist audit meetings, clinical governance committee, safe and effective care
committee. Both within and outwith the WIHB area.
 Liaise with all Clinical staff
 Liaise with all visitors to the department such as nurses, doctors, domestic staff etc.
 Communicates with outside agencies such as Specialised Consultants, Referral Laboratories,
Manufacturers and Suppliers, NEQAS, Scottish Biochemistry Managed Diagnostic Network.
Analytical and Judgemental:
 To act as an expert resource for biochemistry within the WIHB for all clinical staff.
 Solve highly complex, scientific and technical problems that need a highly specialised level of
skills in biochemistry. For example, to undertake technical validation of the results from
laboratory investigations to ensure accuracy and precision.
 To monitor technical validations undertaken by staff under the post holders’ supervision.
 To investigate and implement corrective action when quality control or assurance procedures
indicate loss of performance of the laboratory instruments or methods.
 Report, investigate and take measures to resolve clinical departmental incidents and failures of
service provision.
 To take a lead role in Risk Management for both the department and throughout the WIHB for
biochemistry issues.
Planning and Organisational:
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To be responsible for the biochemistry service throughout the Western Isles NHS Board, across
all sites, including Western Isles, Uist and Barra Hospitals and St Brendans. To lead on the
development and long term planning to ensure a safe and effective service to all patients.
Take the lead responsibility for the standardisation of laboratory biochemistry technical services
in response to clinical demand and organisational change.
To ensure that all results are reported in a timely manner, and to take appropriate action, for
example communicating with colleagues and managers should this not be possible.
To plan and organise own work, and that of the department staff to suit the demands of the
department.
Policy and Service Development:

To take the lead in developing and reviewing laboratory biochemistry policies and procedures
following national and local guidelines.
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Responsible for inputting into clinical treatment polices, such as shared clinical guidelines,
which impact across the organisation.
Develop and maintain standard operating procedure documentation and regulation and to lead in
their regular review and update for use by laboratory staff within the Western Isles Hospital.
Financial:
 To work with the laboratory manager to keep expenditure within budgetary limits and to be pro
active in cost saving measures.
 To take a lead on decisions for the purchase of all new equipment within the biochemistry
department, as part of the procurement process
 To be responsible for the ordering and delivery of effective stock control of reagents and
consumables.
 To use laboratory equipment valued in excess of £100k. To be responsible for the maintenance
and testing of such equipment to ensure validated results. Individual analysers are valued in
excess of £80k.
Human Resources:
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To manage staff in the day to day running of the department.
To provide professional leadership for the departmental staff
To participate in staff developmental reviews and assist in the production of personal
development plans.
To ensure that staff are appropriately trained and competent to work within the biochemistry
department.
Training and development:
 To actively participate in such forms of study that can be used as evidence of Continuing
Professional Development
 To have in place a current personal development plan and a professional portfolio
 To participate in annual performance and development appraisals and set own personal targets
and objectives
 Actively take part in, supervise and facilitate the training of biomedical staff and any other staff
assigned to the department.
 Develop and implement training policies and protocols to support the effective training of staff
who take part in the on-call/emergency rota for the laboratory.
 Assist staff with formal education programmes acting as mentor, project supervisor and work
place tutor as appropriate.
 To provide professional leadership for biomedical scientists within the department
 Develop training schedules for the introduction and implementation of new technologies and
methods
 Develop training/educational material for use by all staff within the department and throughout
the WIHB
 Be aware of developments in training and education and in the provision of training and
education by external agencies
 To maintain Health Professions Council registration and provide proof of such.
 To act at all times, in compliance with IBMS Code of Conduct guidelines.
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Laboratory informatics:
 To comply with local and national policies for the safe, secure and confidential processing and
storage of patient and other laboratory information
 To develop systems and processes for recording and storing laboratory information, compiled by
self and others.
 To develop and produce reports and statistics as requested.
 To be responsible for the integrity and accuracy of biochemistry databases, developing and
adapting as necessary.
Research and Development:
 To undertake operative maintenance on laboratory instruments and equipment, as directed in
SOPs, prior to them being used for patient investigations.
 To carry out first line troubleshooting of equipment or methods, to arrange for engineer service
visits and to supervise and if necessary participate in the resolution of equipment or method
failures. To liaise with any and all outside agencies necessary to resolve any failure of
equipment, method or IT.
 To carry out regular equipment testing and regularly measure and monitor the accuracy and
imprecision of laboratory investigations using appropriate quality control procedures. To
counter sign quality control procedures carried out by staff under the post holders’ supervision.
 To undertake method and laboratory instrument evaluation and to introduce new equipment or
methods to the department as necessary.
 To participate in research and development as necessary. To undertake annual laboratory based
audits on biochemistry processes etc.
Performance criteria/Freedom to act:
 The post holder is required to have specialist knowledge in biochemistry, seeking guidance from
specialists outside the organisation as necessary.
 To interpret clinical and professional policies in order to ensure biochemistry service provision.
 The performance of the post holder will be reviewed annually at Development Review. Key
elements of this process will be to establish evidence of continuing professional development
and competence to practice as a biomedical scientist, and contribution to the corporate objectives
of the laboratory and the Health Board.
Clinical and Technical:
 To act as an expert resource for biochemistry within the WIHB for all clinical staff.
 Apply expert knowledge and interpretative skills to all laboratory results, or requests made by
users of the service and take appropriate actions in line with laboratory policies and procedures.
 To perform all steps necessary from sample reception through to manual and semi-automated
laboratory investigations to produce analyses required by the requester.
 To maintain working and organisational knowledge of all sections within the laboratory and in
depth and specific knowledge in relation to biochemistry.
 To keep up to date with all developments in technology, methodology and theory in
biochemistry in particular and service provision in general.
 To safely use, handle or dispose of blood or hazardous chemicals.
 To ensure that reagents are prepared, stored and used according to manufacturer and laboratory
procedures. To monitor minimum stock levels and to take appropriate action should those levels
be aproached.
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Working Environment including Mental and Emotional
 Exposure to bio hazardous organic material. For example, blood and blood products.
 Potential and actual exposure to harmful chemical and substances recorded under COSHH
regulations. For example cyanide.
 There is occasional lifting as well as moving and handling of weights in excess of 20kg where
there is no mechanical aid. For example when stores come into the laboratory weekly which
need to be moved and stored, and when changing reagent for analysers every two to three days.
 The post holder is required to wear personal protective equipment in the form of laboratory
coats, protective gloves and eye protection when indicated.
 The post holder is required to use safety shields where provided
 There is a frequent use of VDUs and the post holder should observe recommendations for their
use
 The post holder will concentrate for long periods of time, up to half a shift.
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6. STANDARD ELEMENTS
Confidentiality
This involves taking the necessary precautions when transmitting information only disclosing it to
those who have the right and the need to know it.
All personal health information is held under strict legal and ethical obligations of confidentiality.
NHS Staff must follow guidance (NHS Code of Practice on Protecting Patient Confidentiality) before
disclosing any patient information. All staff must respect confidentiality of all matters that they may
learn relating to their employment, other members of staff, patients and their families.
Health and Safety:
Assist in maintaining own and others’ health, safety and security.
This involves:
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Complying with Board health and safety policies, procedures and participating in mandatory
training.
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Maintaining a safe working environment and reporting any issues of concern as appropriate.
NHS Western Isles attaches the greatest importance to the health and safety of its employees. It is the
Board policy to do all that is reasonable to prevent personal injury and hazard to health by protecting
staff and others including the public from foreseeable hazards compatible with the provision of proper
services to patients. The Board expects its entire staff to take reasonable care of their own health and
safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions at work. More detailed
information is given in departmental safety policies where appropriate.
Ensure own actions support equality, diversity and rights.
This involves:

Acting in ways consistent with the Board’s policies and procedures.

Treating those you come into contact with equitably and with respect.
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Recognising the need for aids or adaptations.
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JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT
I, (Print Name)…………………………………………………….. confirm
that the job description(s) /person specification(s) attached have been
discussed with me and are an accurate and up-to-date account of the duties
and responsibilities and skills/qualifications required to undertake the post.
Job Holder’s Signature:
Date:
Head of Department Signature:
Date:
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WESTERN ISLES NHS BOARD
PERSON SPECIFICATION
JOB TITLE:
Lead Biomedical Scientist, Biochemistry
DEPARTMENT:
LOCATION:
Laboratory
Western Isles Hospital
FACTOR
JOB RELATED
EXPERIENCE
ESSENTIAL
Broad experience of
working in a
Biochemistry
Laboratory.
Several years
consolidated band 6
experience in relevant
discipline.
QUALIFICATION/TRAINING BSc (Hons) Biomedical
Science or equivalent
professional examination
Relevant MSc or IBMS
Fellowship
State registration (Health
Professions Council)
Evidence of CPD.
JOB RELATED SKILLS
Ability to work
unsupervised
Able to communicate
complicated technical
information and results
verbally and in writing
efficiently and accurately
Ability to interpret and
validate results
Be computer literate.
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DESIRABLE
Experience of leadership
in a laboratory
environment
Multidiscipline
laboratory experience
(haematology and blood
transfusion).
Numerate and able to
undertake scientific
calculations
PERSONAL SKILLS
SPECIFIC PHYSICAL
REQUIREMENTS RELATED
TO THE POST
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
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Be conscientious,
responsible, careful,
cooperative, reliable with
good interpersonal skills
Able to move, handle
and operate equipment.
Flexible approach to
work.
Laboratory Organisation Structure – Jan 2012
Laboratory
Director
Laboratory/Mortuary Manager
(Band 8b)
Quality Manager
(band 7)
Lead BMS
Biochem
(band 7)
Clinical support
from POCT lead
and QM
MLA (b2)
0.53 WTE
Page 10 of 10
MLA
(band 2)
Lead BMS
POCT
(band 7)
Lead BMS
Haem/BT
(band 7)
Lead BMS
micro
(band 7)
BMS (b6)
Haem/BT
BMS (b6)
Micro
MLA
(b2) FTC
MLA (b2)
FTC
Phlebotomist
(band 2)
Secretarial and
Clerical
asst.(b3)
Mortuary
Tech. (band
4) 0.24
WTE