Medical Laboratory Assistant | Barts Health NHS Trust

Duties will include registration and processing of Microbiology samples and undertaking their culture and antibiotic sensitivity testing. MLAs will also be required to operate several laboratory analysers including the DS2, Wasp, BD Max, UF5000, Mast Uri System, various serology /molecular diagnostic analysers and the Virtuos and BD FX blood culture analysers. In addition there will be a requirement to perform autoclaving, stock control and general admin /clerical / pathology reception team duties.

The successful candidate will ideally have previous laboratory work experience and they will be able to demonstrate attention to detail and be able to work as part of a team. Successful candidates will be required to participate in 24/7 shift rotas alongside a team of Biomedical Scientists, Associate Practitioners and Medical Laboratory Assistants. Night teams consist of a minimum of 3 MLA and 2 BMS staff.

The successful candidate will be required to participate in all shift rotas including night shifts and there are a team of staff working at all times. Typical shift working hours are 9am-5:30pm and shifts include starting at 8am, 9am, 11:30am and 8pm, 7 days a week including weekends and bank holidays. Shift patterns are fully compliant with the Working Time Regulations. All weekend, bank holiday and night work will form part of your contracted 37.5 hour week with appropriate rest breaks being rostered and Agenda for Change shift work payment enhancements will be applied.

We are looking for some enthusiastic Medical Laboratory Assistant (MLA) staff to work a range of shifts including night shifts within the department. Medical Laboratory Assistants (MLAs) will be required to work as part of a team within all sections of the laboratory including within the Specimen Reception and within the Containment Level 2 and 3 facilities in the microbiology laboratory.

An exciting opportunity has arisen in both the Microbiology Department at the Royal London Hospital, the hub site for the NHS East and South East London Pathology Partnership. We are a new organisation, jointly owned by Barts Health NHS Trust, Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. We are an arms-length organisation, and we have our own board and governance framework, with each of the three Trusts having an equal voice and vote in the running of the Pathology Partnership. We are one of the largest pathology providers in the NHS, and we bring together the strengths of teams from each of the three trusts into a single organisation, dedicated to the provision of high quality and cost-effective pathology services.

Our vision for Pathology services is to be renowned for excellence and innovation, providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient care and consistently delivering high standards of pathology diagnostics with timely and accurate results. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

A complex transformation programme has been completed to develop a single, integrated pathology network between 7 hospital laboratories. The 'hub and spoke' operating model is centred at The Royal London Hospital and connects to Essential Service Laboratories (ESL's) supporting various clinical specialities at our partnered hospital sites.

The Microbiology laboratory provides a comprehensive clinical and diagnostic Microbiology service using a full range of methodologies including automated, manual and molecular-based diagnostics. The service continues to develop and expand to provide a wide range of diagnostic assays to meet the demands of the network and our diverse patient populations.

We are a UKAS ISO15189 accredited laboratory and we actively promote staff training and continuous professional development., The NHS East and South East London Pathology Partnership is an arms-length organisation providing pathology services to Barts Health NHS Trust, Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. The Pathology Partnership is hosted by Barts Health.

The Pathology Partnership is based on well-established models for pathology networks, with the Royal London Hospital becoming the main hub laboratory for the network and Essential Service Laboratories (ESL) as a minimum at all other Hospital sites.

Pathology is made up of the following services - Blood Sciences including Haematology, Blood Transfusion and Biochemistry; Infectious Diseases including Microbiology and Virology; Cellular Pathology including Histopathology, non-gynae Cytology and mortuary services; Immunology; Cytogenetics and Molecular Haematology; Immunophenotyping; Clinical Transplantation and Retinoblastoma.

The 2020/21 total operating costs across the Partnership were c. £126m per annum with a workforce establishment of circa. 822 WTE. We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

Do you want to help with the critical diagnosis of infections?

Do you want to use the latest laboratory technology and diagnostics?

Do you want to continually develop and learn something new every day?

Then working for the NHS East and South East London Pathology partnership is for you!