Are you interested in working within the field of newborn screening? Would you like to be part of a team that screens over 55,000 newborn babies each year for inherited and congenital conditions, making a meaningful difference to patients and their families?
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Band 6 Specialist Biomedical Scientist to join the Newborn Screening Department within Reference Chemistry at Synnovis. You will become part of a dedicated team delivering the Newborn Screening service, alongside a wider multidisciplinary workforce of over 70 scientists and support staff based in our modern Blackfriars Hub, just a five-minute walk from Southwark and Blackfriars stations.
The successful candidate will play a key role within the South East Thames Regional Newborn Screening Laboratory, providing a vital service to over 55,000 babies annually. You will work collaboratively with Biomedical Scientists, Medical Laboratory Assistants, and Clinical Scientists, and be part of a wider network of 18 laboratories across the UK and Ireland.
This is a full-time, permanent position (37.5 hours per week), working Monday to Friday, 09:00–17:30.
If you are looking to start or progress your career in this rewarding and impactful field, we encourage you to apply.
Our laboratory provides screening for newborn babies using various technologies for the following conditions: congenital hypothyroidism, phenylketonuria, medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, maple syrup urine disease, homocystinuria, glutaric aciduria type 1, isovaleric acidaemia, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disorders, Hereditary Tyrosinemia Type 1, Severe combined immunodeficiency.
Techniques include PCR, HPLC MS/MS, immunoassay and enzymatic techniques. Use of pipettes, centrifuges, plate shakers, and analytical equipment will be part of the role.
Other responsibilities will be to receive, book, sort and archive specimens, maintain and operate analytical equipment, prepare reagents and patient batches. The post-holder will be expected to work in accordance with laboratory quality and health and safety policies and standard operating procedures.
The successful candidate will work closely with Clinical and Senior Biomedical Scientists and must be able to reliably and efficiently communicate with all grades of staff within and external to the department, as well as other external centres, being the point to call for external queries and referrals via telephone and email. Attention to detail and good communication skills are a must in this role. You will be expected to work under pressure both as part of a team and independently, maintaining accuracy.
Our department works to the guidance and Newborn blood spot screening standards and pathways laid out by NHS England and the national screening committee. The national screening committee is an evidence based programme which means tests offered are continuously evolving over time. Making this department a particularly dynamic.
Your development and learning
You will have a suite of learning opportunities available through The ACCE competencies programme, the Scientific Learning and Development Fund and the Synnovis Academy through which you can receive funding / support for advanced qualifications.
Through our Innovation Accelerator Fund, you can apply for finance to get that new innovative scientific project off the ground, and participate with the wider scientific community through symposiums, conferences and other peer group meetings.
Purpose of the Job
This role delivers specialist biomedical investigations as part of the laboratory team in Synnovis. Within this you will be processing specimens, analysing and releasing results whilst maintaining local quality systems. Reporting to the Senior Specialist BMS or Operations Manager, you will hold a variety of responsibilities, including supervision and troubleshooting, to ensure the successful delivery of pathology services, in line with our corporate objectives. You will be accountable to the senior BMS of the section and ultimately the deputy and director of the newborn screening service.
What you will do
You will hold a variety of accountabilities in the laboratory environment. These include, but are not limited to:
Complete routine and complex specialist biomedical investigations in accordance with
standard operating procedures (SOPs) and within specific turnaround times.
Deliver work autonomously within all regulations and legislative requirements.
Operate and maintain complex laboratory equipment within all safety standards relevant
to your area, including troubleshooting
Supervise and guide colleagues and answer questions as required.
Use cost effective methods in your practice and maintain levels of consumable goods and
supplies in your area, and report shortages accordingly.
Key Responsibilities
Perform and interpret routine and specialist biomedical investigations by participating in
regular daily workloads, as directed by management, in line with your skills, experience
and competencies.
Maintain standards of conduct required by the HCPC to practice as a registered
Biomedical Scientist.
Provide technical advice to clinical colleagues as required and within limits of competency.
Process specimens and handle sensitive information with care and due diligence, such
as patient results, in line with local SOPs.
Propose and implement changes to SOPs, policies and work practice as required.
Participate in development of new tests, as directed, including alignment with
accreditation bodies and local management processes. Where necessary this will include
analysing clinical trial samples.
Participate in verification and validation work when required.
Day to day supervision of MLAs, APs and BMSs, providing support, training and
mentoring to ensure performance is in line with laboratory standards.
Observe all safety regulations and ensure others are doing the same. This includes
holding people to account when standards fall short of expectations and raising concerns
about safety in the laboratory.
Ensure compliance for your area of work with all legislative and quality requirements of
regulatory directives, accreditation bodies, and local management including:
Care Quality Commission
UKAS
Synnovis policies and SOPs
Any other body in area of responsibility.
Participate in quality management activities including inspections, audits, EQA and IQC
procedures as required.
Utilise the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), Q-Pulse quality
management database and other relevant software to ensure high quality reliable data
capture and entry.
Complete data entry accurately to record sensitive patient information, requiring frequent,
long period of concentration whilst maintaining patient confidentiality and following
Information Governance (IG) guidelines.
Work closely with colleagues in the quality team to identify best practice and embed a
culture of high quality and performance across your area.
Report all incidents and adverse events to management and enter the information in the
CAPA module of Q-pulse in a timely manner as directed, supervising and assisting junior
colleagues with the process.
Demonstrate ongoing laboratory-based competency against training plans.
Demonstrate professionalism, patience and empathy when explaining complex subjects,
and in particular when communicating with people who do not share same level of
knowledge or understanding.
Prioritise your workload effectively to ensure that deadlines are met, and that work is
delivered to the highest standards possible.
Take part in CPD activities to ensure that your practices and knowledge are always
relevant and up to date to your specific area.
Synnovis is a pathology partnership between SYNLAB UK and Ireland, and the NHS, including sites, Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to deliver and transform pathology services across South East London.
The partnership provides services to 1.7 million people living in South East London, as well as to hundreds of thousands of patients from outside the region who use local healthcare services.
The partnership provides diagnostics, testing and digital pathology for hospital trusts, GP services and other healthcare providers.
The hub is an eight-storey building, and we are working across 10 floors including the ground and lower ground floors. Synnovis’ corporate function operates from the hub on the 8th floor, above the laboratories underneath. This is a total net internal area of almost 10,000m squared across the 10 floors.
Based in Blackfriars, it’s less than a 5 minute walk from Southwark Tube or Blackfriars station and nestled closely to a vast array of entertainment and fabulous places to dine, relax and meet people.
