Blood Tissue & Cells
Specialty Doctor
Permanent
Salary Scale - £37,547 - £70,018 per annum
Location – Edinburgh Blood Donor Centre
Blood Tissue and Cells is a division of NHS National Services Scotland (NSS). Accountable to the Scottish
Government, NSS works at the very heart of the health service, providing national support services and expert
advice to NHSScotland. It also plays an active and crucial role in the delivery of effective healthcare to patients
and the public.
Blood Tissue and Cells is the specialist provider of transfusion medicine in Scotland. We collect and supply
blood, tissues, cells and services to hospitals. We work with communities, hospitals and professionals to ensure
that the donor's gift is used wisely and effectively for the benefit of patients. Within Blood Tissue and Cells,
Donor Services are responsible for the collection of blood and platelets from our donors.
We have a vacancy for a Specialty Doctor within Donor Services. The post holder form part of a national donor
medical team. The team supports Blood Tissue and Cells mission to supply safe high quality blood by advising
on donor care and selection. Using your clinical knowledge and experience, you will develop expertise in
advance donor selection queries, management of donor incidents and complaints, and the management and
follow up of donors found to abnormal donation testing results, complications of donation and investigation of
suspected transfusion reactions. Your contact with donors will usually be by phone, email or letter.
Applicants are required to have four years experience after graduation. Experience of a range of clinical
specialties (e.g. general practice) can be valuable to this role. Previous haematology or transfusion experience is
not required as full training will be given.
A single full time post (10 PAs, 40 hours per week) is available. We are very happy to receive applications from
doctors who wish to job share or work part time. Whilst the clinical support team is based in Edinburgh, new
technologies may allow us to consider those who would prefer to work at another Blood Tissue and Cells
location
Our benefits package includes pension scheme, comprehensive range of work life balance policies, occupational
health services, learning resource centres and discounted leisure, financial and shopping benefits.
For an informal discussion on the post, please contact Dr Angus Wells, Clinical Director Donors and
Manufacturing (0131 314 5709, 0799 056 7098, angus.wells@nhs.net).
Further information on NSS is available from: www.nhsnss.org
For an application pack please complete the online application form on the SHOW website
www.jobs.scot.nhs.uk. Ref G38275
Closing date for completed applications is 10th February 2015
Please note that the majority of correspondence is sent by e-mail only, so please check your e-mail regularly
(including junk folders).
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.
NHS National Services Scotland is an equal opportunities employer.
Candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria will be guaranteed an interview.
Chairman
Chief Executive
Bill Matthews
Ian Crichton
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common
Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.
JOB DESCRIPTION
NATIONAL SERVICES SCOTLAND (NSS)
Blood Tissue and Cells (BTC)
1. Job Details
Job title:
Specialty Doctor
Employer:
NSS
Location:
Edinburgh Blood Donor Centre. (Consideration will be given to candidates who wish to be based
at another BTC site)
2. Entry requirements
Full registration with the GMC with license to practice
Minimum of four years post registration experience
Previous experience of a range of clinical specialties, including but not limited to General Practice, is
desirable.
Previous experience of donor selection or blood transfusion is desirable but not essential.
Flexibility to travel to meetings, courses and training events away from base is expected.
3. BTC
The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (BTC) is a division of NHS National Services Scotland (NSS).
Accountable to the Scottish Government, NSS works at the very heart of the health service, providing national
support services and expert advice to NHS Scotland. It also plays an active and crucial role in the delivery of
effective healthcare to patients and the public.
BTC is the specialist provider of transfusion medicine in Scotland, supplying high quality blood, tissues, cells and
services. We work with communities, hospitals and professionals to ensure that the donor's gift is used wisely
and effectively for the benefit of patients.
Our key priority is to ensure that NHS Scotland has enough blood to meet the transfusion needs of patients in
Scotland. It is our responsibility to make sure that blood, tissues and cells are available when patients need
them.
In the financial year 2013/14, 193,455 whole blood donations were collected .
Chairman
Chief Executive
Bill Matthews
Ian Crichton
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common
Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.
4. Donor Services
Within BTC, Donor Services aims to maintain a safe and sufficient supply of blood by the recruitment of new
donors and the care of those who have already made a commitment to give blood. Donor Services are also
responsible for planning, publicising and coordinating the blood collection programme. There are five permanent
Blood Donor Centres in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness. Blood is also collected within
communities and workplaces across Scotland. As well as ‘traditional’ whole blood donation, cell separator
technology (apheresis) is used to collect platelets from selected donors at our Donor centres.
The current medical establishment within Donor Services is:
Clinical Director (1 WTE)
Five Specialty Doctors (3.3 WTE)
Further medical support is provided by three Associate Specialists, based outside Edinburgh, whose main duties
are for Patient Services.
5. Donor Services medical team
The post holder is a key member of the Donor Services medical team. The team supports BTC’ mission to
supply safe high quality blood by advising on donor care and selection. Donor selection guidelines are in place
to ensure both the safety and wellbeing of our donors and the safety and wellbeing of recipients.
The team provides expertise in:
Donor selection queries and issues
Management of donor related incidents
Management of donor with abnormal test results, which includes confirmed infection with Hepatits B,
Hepatitis C or HIV.
Liaison with BTC colleagues or other health care professionals to resolve such matters
The job has developed from the tradition ‘donor centre doctor’ role to deliver advice to donors and colleagues
nationally.
An important role for Donor medical staff is supporting the BTC Donor Services Clinical Support Team which is a
multidisciplinary team that deliversa national coordinated response to donor enquiries received by telephone,
email or web.
The job is mainly office based with most interaction with donors by phone, email or letter.
Chairman
Chief Executive
Bill Matthews
Ian Crichton
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common
Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.
6. Duties of the post
a.
Donor Medical Selection
Respond to donor eligibility queries. These can be direct from the donor by telephone, email, website, letter
or social media.
Other queries may come from front line donor staff or GPs and other health care professionals.
Undertake subsequent actions to resolve queries including reviewing relevant literature and evidence
and/or liaison with other BTC staff or health care professionals outside BTC.
Categorise and record donors who are not eligible to donate by allocating appropriate deferral codes and
ensure the donor’s electronic (and/or paper) records are correct
b.
Follow up after Donor Sessions
Review of medical selection queries with further management as appropriate
Request and assess information from donors’ GPs (or other healthcare professionals) and subsequently
advise donors on their eligibility to donate.
Assess confidential or sensitive information recorded at session with regard to the donor’s suitability whilst
considering any consequences for recipients of previous donations
Manage any donation quarantined during or after the donor’s attendance
Follow up of adverse events of donation
Provide clinical advice to resolve quality incidents or donor complaints
Manage donors deferred due to low or high haemoglobin levels
Assessment of donation abnormalities identified during processing.
Respond to Post Donation Alerts (follow up of donor and donation)
c.
Notification, investigation and/or counseling of:
Donors found positive for microbiological markers and subsequent look back investigations of previous
donations when indicated.
Donors with repeat reactive tests
Donors implicated in a transfusion reaction e.g. TRALI, suspected bacterial contamination
Lookback investigations for suspected transfusion transmitted infections.
d.
Other duties:
Identify and manage donors required to supply rare or specialised components
Support of approved clinical studies
e.
Supporting professional activities:
Write, review and update donor related standard operation procedures and policies
Attend relevant local or national meetings
Provide medical knowledge, support and/or leadership for service developments to meet BTC objectives.
Delivery of training
Clinical audit
Mandatory training
Participation in an appropriate CPD scheme (e.g. Royal College of Pathologists)
Preparation for, and participation in, appraisal, job planning and revalidation.
7. Hours of work
Whilst this sample job plan is written for a full time post holder (10 Programmed Activities), applications from
suitable candidates who wish to job share or work part-time are very welcome.
In keeping with the specialty doctor contract, out of hours work is defined as outside the period of 07:00 to 19:00
Monday to Friday and any time on a Saturday or Sunday, or statutory or public holiday. At this time, participation
in an out of hours (on-call) rota is not envisaged.
Chairman
Chief Executive
Bill Matthews
Ian Crichton
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common
Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.
The post is currently based at Edinburgh Blood Donor Centre but it is planned that the donor medical team will
move to the new BTC national centre in 2017. This is located at the Heriot Watt Research Park, at Riccarton.
DAY
LOCATION
DESCRIPTION OF WORK
DC
Monday
0900-1700
Tuesday
0900-1700
Wednesday
0900-1700
Thursday
0900-1700
Friday
0900-1700
Saturday
Sunday
Blood Donor
Centre,
Edinburgh
Blood Donor
Centre,
Edinburgh
Blood Donor
Centre,
Edinburgh
Blood Donor
Centre,
Edinburgh
Blood Donor
Centre,
Edinburgh
N/A
N/A
On site medical cover and
duties relating to donor
care/blood safety
On site medical cover and
duties relating to donor
care/blood safety
On site medical cover and
duties relating to donor
care/blood safety
Supporting professional
activities
On site medical cover and
duties relating to donor
care/blood safety
On site medical cover and
duties relating to donor
care/blood safety
Chairman
Chief Executive
CATEGORY
SPA
AR
ED
PA TYPE
PA
APA
2
0
0
0
2
-
2
0
0
0
2
-
1
1
0
0
2
-
2
0
0
0
2
-
2
0
0
0
2
-
Bill Matthews
Ian Crichton
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common
Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.
8. Other facilities
An office shared with other Donor Services doctors, including relevant IT equipment.
Full time PA, shared between Clinical Director and Specialty Doctors.
Chairman
Chief Executive
Bill Matthews
Ian Crichton
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common
Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.
Blood Tissue and Cells
(A Division of NHS National Services Scotland)
Donor Services Clinical Support Team
Specialty Doctor
Person Specification
(a description of the ‘ideal person’ to fill the post)
Criteria
Qualifications and Training
Experience
Knowledge, skills and
abilities
Personal qualities
Essential
 Qualified Medical
Practitioner
 Full registration with
GMC
 License to practice
 Minimum of four
years full time
postgraduate training (or
its equivalent gained on a
part time or flexible basis)
 Clinical experience
in a broad range of
specialties and/or General
Practice
 Good
communication skills
using a range of media
 Well organised with
good time management
skills
 Excellent team
working skills
 Able to gather and
assess evidence to inform
clinical decisions
 Receptive warm
open manner
 Positive approach to
multi-disciplinary team
working
 Flexibility in working
practice
Chairman
Chief Executive
Desirable
 Post graduate
certificate or diploma in
relevant specialty
 Previous blood
transfusion and/or donor
selection experience
 Knowledge of the
regulatory and legislative
framework within which
BTC must operate
 Computer literacy
with knowledge of Word,
Access, Excel and/or
similar programmes
 Proven leadership
ability
Bill Matthews
Ian Crichton
NHS National Services Scotland is the common name of the Common
Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.