Are you a proactive Blood Transfusion professional committed to patient safety? Do you thrive on leading change and driving improvement? We have an exciting opportunity for a motivated and innovative Advanced Practitioner Biomedical Scientist in Blood Transfusion to lead excellence, governance, and continuous improvement across our Essential Service Laboratories at Musgrove Park Hospital and Yeovil District Hospital.
Our mission is to improve health and wellbeing through science, innovation, and high-quality diagnostics. If this aligns with your values and you bring extensive transfusion expertise, this role could be a great fit.
Southwest Pathology Services (SPS) is seeking an Advanced Practitioner to join our Blood Transfusion team. Salary ranges from £57,528 to £64,750 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience, with a potential £10,000 welcome bonus subject to agreement.
SYNLAB UK & Ireland has a strong track record of working in partnership with the NHS to enhance pathology services through successful joint ventures, including SPS.
For over 10 years, SPS has supported healthcare improvement across Somerset. We hold ISO15189 UKAS accreditation and are an HCPC-approved laboratory for IBMS Registration and Specialist Portfolio training.
We offer a comprehensive training budget to support career development, providing the resources and opportunities needed for professional growth.
The Blood Transfusion Advanced Practitioner is integral to delivering high-quality services to clinicians and patients, ensuring they meet evolving service needs. Using expertise in transfusion theory and practice, you will provide both strategic and operational leadership, ensuring full compliance with regulatory standards, including MHRA and ISO15189.
You will be HCPC registered, hold a Specialist Diploma in Blood Transfusion (or equivalent) and an MSc in Blood Transfusion.
SYNLAB offers tailored development programmes for managers and leaders, with support to complete management training to further enhance your leadership skills.
Key responsibilities include:
Providing expert leadership for the technical advancement of Blood Transfusion service in conjunction with the clinical lead of Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
Providing professional leadership to Team Managers, Biomedical Scientists and Pathology Support staff across Blood Sciences (Haematology, Clinical Chemistry and Blood Transfusion) within both Essential Service Laboratories
Ensuring high-quality analysis, service standards and achievement of key performance indicators
Providing expert technical and operational leadership to the laboratory service
Overseeing specialist training for Biomedical Scientists and other professionals, and offering expert advice
Responsible for policies, risk management, quality management procedures and monitoring within Blood Transfusion department
Formed in 2012, Southwest Pathology Services (SPS) is a joint venture between SYNLAB UK & Ireland and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. It serves a population of around 500,000 supporting the Trust and 70 GP practices and delivers more than 10 million tests each year. The department is an IBMS-accredited training laboratory with full UKAS accreditation.
A well-established central ‘Hub’ laboratory is based in Taunton, supported by Essential Service Laboratories at Musgrove Park Hospital and Yeovil District Hospital to provide urgent testing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
SPS promotes continuous professional development through regular seminars, and as part of HCPC registration, staff are expected to maintain an up-to-date CPD portfolio. A training budget supports attendance at local and national congresses, seminars and symposiums.
All staff appointed under SYNLAB Hospital terms and conditions will be subject to a 6-month probationary period and may be eligible for a £10,000 welcome bonus.
Please note we reserve the right to close this advert once sufficient applications have been received. If you have not heard from us within two weeks of applying, please assume your application has not been shortlisted on this occasion.
Demonstrate senior leadership and deliver operational and strategic responsibilities across the following areas:
Local Responsibilities
Lead workforce development through training, competency assessment, and appraisal processes aligned to service and organisational priorities
Provide strategic leadership in quality assurance, embedding a culture of continuous improvement, safety, and compliance
Develop and implement policies and support service transformation initiatives in line with strategic objectives
Establish and utilise exception reporting systems to inform risk management and drive performance improvement
Oversee informatics systems, ensuring effective integration, connectivity, and alignment with digital strategy
Corporate Responsibilities
Provide senior management cover to ensure continuity of leadership and delivery of organisational objectives
Chair key operational and governance meetings, ensuring clear accountability and alignment with strategic priorities
Contribute to trust-wide, regional, and transfusion committees, influencing policy, practice, and service development
Support participation in senior on-call rotas to maintain service resilience
Lead multi-disciplinary teams across ESL sites, ensuring delivery of high-quality services that meet KPIs, regulatory standards, and patient needs
Maintain HCPC registration and act as a professional role model
Provide expert clinical and scientific advice to support effective test utilisation and patient pathways
Ensure compliance with ISO15189, MHRA, HTA, and organisational governance requirements
Lead the development and governance of SOPs, ensuring standardisation and best practice
Drive the implementation of new technologies and service improvements, delivering measurable benefits in quality and efficiency
Oversee Quality Assurance programmes, using data to manage performance, risk, and continuous improvement
Maintain robust Quality Management Systems to support compliance and assurance
Communicate complex information clearly to support decision-making at all levels
Develop and deliver audit programmes aligned to risk and organisational priorities
Optimise the use of LIMS, Q-Pulse, and digital systems to enhance reporting, safety, and efficiency
Lead workforce planning, training, and performance management to ensure a skilled and sustainable service
Maintain personal CPD and support staff development and succession planning
Lead incident investigation and CAPA processes, ensuring root cause analysis drives sustainable improvement
Embed risk management processes and ensure safe, compliant equipment use
Ensure compliance with mandatory training and manage resources effectively, including consumables
Support clinical trials and contribute to innovation and service development
Other Responsibilities
Champion equality, diversity, and inclusion, fostering a positive and inclusive culture
Role model organisational values and behaviours
Communicate effectively and professionally across all settings
Undertake additional duties as required to support service delivery
Maintain ongoing professional competence and complete all required training
Safety Responsibilities
Promote a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with health and safety regulations
Lead incident reporting and investigation, ensuring learning is embedded
Support risk assessment processes and ensure safe operation of equipment in line with SOPs
