Band 4 Associate Practitioner (Microbiology)

Job summary
We are seeking an enthusiastic, well-motivated and reliable person to join our friendly team in the Microbiology department at BHR University Hospitals Trust. The department is based on two sites; Queen's Hospital in Romford and King George Hospital in Goodmayes. The King George Hospital site is the current primary work base, however working at the Queen's Hospital site will be required.

You should have a science-based foundation degree, preferably Biomedical Science, or equivalent qualification. You will be computer literate, have the ability to follow procedures, have good written/verbal communication skills and an enthusiasm for learning. The post holder will receive formal training within the Trust as well as within the Microbiology Department. Performance will be assessed regularly by an appraisal system and laboratory-based competence assessment.The post holder will work in all areas of the laboratory on a rotational basis, including the bacteriology sections based at Queens Hospital.

The position requires staff to work flexible hours during the week as well as at weekends and bank holidays, providing a seven-day working week service. We are a very busy department and require staff to work as a team to allow us to efficiently process the daily workload

Main duties of the job
The post holder will rotate through sections of Microbiology, working in a team to perform complex analytical investigations on patient samples in order to provide a quality and timely diagnostic and monitoring service essential for patient care. Although not UK registered, the post holder will hold relevant qualifications in Medical Laboratory Science or Technology, but will not take responsibility for validating or authorising patient results.

About us
We're an organisation that is getting better and better and our improvements are driven by a determination to deliver care we're proud of and our patients are happy with.

They are benefitting from a new electronic patient record (we were the last acute trust in London to introduce one) and our maternity services have been rated good by the Care Quality Commission.

We operate from two main sites - KGH in Goodmayes and Queen's Hospital in Romford. We have two busy emergency departments with more than 346,000 people visiting them last year. We're campaigning to secure the £35m we need to transform the A&E at Queen's and get rid of corridor care.

We're proud of our regional Neurosciences Centre, Radiotherapy Centre and Hyper Acute Stroke Unit. We're also part of the North East London Cancer Alliance.

We run a Women's Health Hub in Ilford; an Ageing Well Centre in Hornchurch; and Community Diagnostic Centres (CDC) at Barking Community Hospital and at St George's Health and Wellbeing Hub. These CDCs are open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The majority of our 8,400 staff - who come from 146 different countries - live in the three diverse London boroughs we serve and are from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. Many can work flexibly and more than 400 of them are on our Ofsted accredited apprenticeship programmes. We're proud to be a London Living Wage employer.

Job responsibilities
For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification.

The person specification listed below is not the full specification requirements for the role. Please ensure you review the full specification on the job description prior to submitting your application.

Applicants are advised to read all the information on the advert and the supporting information before completing and submitting an application. As you complete your application please ensure you clearly demonstrate how you meet the criteria in the person specification for this post by adequately completing the supporting information section of the application form.

All new staff appointed at the Trust are subject to a probationary period.

Applications should be made online, however, queries regarding the application process, assistance with completion of the application form or if you require any adjustments (for applicants with a disability) please contact Sarah Wood, Recruitment Advisor, on View phone number on meeveem.com. Further details regarding the post may be obtained by contacting the manager as per the contact details above.

Person Specification
Education/ Qualifications
Essential

• Holds or currently working towards Foundation degree in laboratory science, IBMS Certificate of Achievement part II, or non-IBMS accredited science-based degree or diploma which is not eligible for registration with the Health Care Professions Council.

Experience/ Knowledge
Essential

• Experience in a Microbiology diagnostic laboratory

Desirable

• Experience in a NHS laboratory
• Knowledge of Quality control procedures

Skills/ Abilities
Essential

• Competent in using complex analysers

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sections of the community.