Employer Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site NNUH/QEH Town Norwich Salary £38,682 - £46,580 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 18/08/2025 23:59 Interview date 04/09/2025

Biomedical Scientist - Haematology and Transfusion

NHS AfC: Band 6

At NNUH it is our privilege to provide healthcare to over one million people across Norfolk and surrounding areas. Our vision is to ‘provide the best care for every patient’, and if this inspires you and you share our values, we really want you to join our team.

NNUH is currently the busiest Trauma Unit in the East of England caring for almost 850 trauma patients annually many with complex care needs. We are enhancing our urgent and emergency care specialist services for patients with significant injuries as a result of trauma and have an ambition to become a Major Trauma Centre.

Our values support our vision and guide the behaviour of everything we do, these are:

People-focused

We look after the needs of our patients, carers and colleagues, to provide a safe and caring experience for all.

Respect

We act with care, compassion and kindness and value others’ diverse needs.

Integrity

We take an honest, open and ethical approach to everything we do.

Dedication

We work as one team and support each other to maintain the highest professional standards.

We continuously learn and improve to achieve the best outcomes for our patients and our hospital.

We want all our staff to achieve a balance between work and personal life and understand how important flexible working can be. We welcome applications on a full or part time basis, various shift patterns and hybrid working, where roles allow.

At the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH), we know the benefits diversity can bring to our organisation such as creativity, innovation and compassion. All of which have a direct impact towards our staff and patient experience. We are committed to being a Hospital for All – being equitable and inclusive, and a place where all feel a sense of belonging. We therefore particularly encourage and welcome applications from candidates who are underrepresented in NNUH’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, people with diverse abilities and people within the LGBT+ community.

Job overview

The Eastern Pathology Alliance is formed from three Pathology Laboratories based at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH), the James Paget University Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn.

We have an exciting opportunity for 2 HCPC registered Biomedical scientists to work in full time cross site rotational roles between the NNUH hub laboratory and the QEH spoke laboratory, in Haematology and Transfusion. The Laboratory at NNUH provides a large range of Blood Sciences services comprising Clinical Biochemistry, Haematology and Transfusion, Immunology and Toxicology. The laboratory at JPUH provides 24/7 laboratory services in Haematology, Transfusion and biochemistry primarily for the Inpatient and outpatient demands for the Trust.

Successful candidates will work as part of the BMS teams at the hub laboratory and QEH laboratories where they will be rostered to cover shifts on both sites. They will have experience of working as independent practitioners in haematology and Transfusion and will be required to participate in the delivery of a 24/7 laboratory service between both sites. Rosters will be planned in advance, and full training and competency assessment will be given to enable candidates to work on both sites. Candidate will be expected to have their own transport and be able to travel between sites, for which reimbursement of mileage will be given.

Main duties of the job

Oversee and run daily test procedures on all methodologies to include calibration and quality control testing and to sign off as fit for clinical use

Be responsible for ensuring the team is able to process both urgent and routine work to maintain routine turnaround times in line with Trust and Service policies.

Fault find equipment and analysers, and take appropriate action to ensure equipment is operational and fit for purpose.

Participate in out of hours rosters between NNUH and QEH sites in haematology and transfusion.

Be responsible for inputting and amending patient data and results, which includes other colleagues work and specimen reception.

Provide education and training of Medical staff, Clinical Scientists, other Biomedical Scientists, Trainee Biomedical Scientists, MLA’s and visiting students as required within laboratory haematology.

Demonstrate on-going competence to practice by attending courses, lectures, mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and other training activities.

Working for our organisation

Join us at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and be part of a workforce of over 10,000 staff!

The NNUH is one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, providing first-class acute care for around one million people, living in Norfolk and surrounding areas. We are a teaching and research hospital, at the forefront of innovation, home to state-of-the-art facilities, such as the Quadram Institute. We are pleased to work closely with the University of East Anglia, providing teaching opportunities for our staff and placement opportunities for their students. We attract some of the best and leading professionals from across the country and are proud that our workforce represents 94 countries from across the world.

We are a friendly, collaborative hospital, working with local services and home to N&N Hospitals Charity.

We can offer you the full range of NHS benefits/discounts and in addition:

• Fast Track Staff Physiotherapy Service
• Multi Faith prayer room at NNUH Colney Lane site
• Discounted gym memberships
• Excellent pension scheme and annual leave entitlement
• Wagestream - access up to 40% of your pay as you earn it
• Free Park & Ride service direct to NNUH Colney Lane site
• Free 24-hours confidential counselling support
• On-site Nursery at NNUH Colney Lane
• On-site cafes offering staff discounts at NNUH Colney Lane
• Flexible staff bank
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars, Cycle to Work scheme and home electronics

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Communicates complex clinical scientific service related test information to managers, consultants, nurses, other health care colleagues, patients and patient carers.
  
  
• Answers telephone inquiries from pathology users, patients and patient carers about test results and provide information that is highly complex about methodologies and service requirements.
  
  
• Interprets results and reassures the users that the information is correct when results do not agree with clinical presentation and investigate and problem solves situations in their specialist field.
  
  
• Manages own work and day-to-day routine work in specialised services. Responsible for processing both urgent and routine work to maintain routine turnaround times in line with Trust and Service polices

Our pathology department is part of the collaborative East Coast Pathology Network (see attached document)

Person specification

Qualifications

• State registration with Health Professions Council (HPC)
• Specialised Diploma from the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) or equivalent

Skills

• In depth knowledge of the assays performed within their service
• Understands clinical analyser performance evaluation to include very complex instrumentation
• Able to effectively work within a complex multi-disciplinary team
• Comprehensive knowledge, understanding and the ability to use current laboratory software
• Effective role model, demonstrating NNUH’s PRIDE values of People focussed, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence
• Demonstrates understanding and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Job Description, which includes a Person Specification, provides a full outline of responsibilities and requirements for this role. Please use your supporting statement to demonstrate how you meet the person specification.

Visa and Immigration

If you are wishing to apply for this role and would require sponsorship (this includes if you are already in a sponsored post and looking to change employer), you can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for this post by assessing your circumstances against criteria specified on the gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-job.

Travelling to work

Staff parking is available onsite; however, this is limited during core working hours. We have more capacity in the evening and at weekends and can usually provide spaces during those hours.

We look to allocate these spaces fairly. Our Travel Office have a set of criteria that staff must meet in order to qualify. If you qualify for a space, you may be placed on a waiting list if we are at full capacity.

The NNUH is served by a number of public buses, and we offer generously discounted monthly passes with First Bus & Konect.

The Costessey Park and Ride runs regularly each day from 06:30 (from P&R) to 20:45 (from NNUH) and this service is free for NHS staff. There is a regular Thickthorn P&R service as well which is free. Applications to the Travel Office are required for this service. We also have a discounted service from the airport P&R if you purchase a bundle. Please see Konect website for further details.

The NNUH host multiple bicycle racks and a salary sacrifice scheme. We also benefit from a Beryl station onsite.

If you work at another Trust site, please discuss travel and parking arrangements at interview.

DBS

If this post involves working with children or adults the application form will ask for information regarding previous convictions as you will be required to undertake a Criminal Record and Barring Check known as a DBS check.

If you are a new employee or registering with the Staff Bank you will need to meet the cost of this unless your salary is less than point 9 of Afc

NHS Service

Should you be appointed to the post we will need to establish any previous NHS service via the ESR IAT and we will accept the submission of your application as your agreement to this.

UK Registration

You will need to have current UK professional registration where this is a requirement of the role.

Application

Following candidate feedback and to reduce our dependency on paper, all our communication with you regarding your application will be by email so could you please check your e-mails (and Spam) regularly.

We value equality in our team and recruit from all sections of the community. We recognise there is a wealth of talent among people who have a disability and if you meet the minimum criteria detailed in the person specification and have a disability, you may wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme by indicating this in the relevant section on your application.

We look forward to receiving your application and if you do not hear within the next four weeks this will usually mean that you have not been short-listed. However, if you wish to confirm this please contact the person indicated on the advert.

Flexibility

Whilst every effort will be made to recruit to the post as it is advertised, there may be occasions where we consider alternative working patterns, such as part time working, or contract types, such as secondments, depending on circumstances. Should you wish to work in a different working pattern to that stated in our advertisement, please indicate this in the supporting statement to your application.

Useful Information

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Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.