Assistant Healthcare Scientist in Blood Sciences

Job summary

We are looking for applicants to work as an Assistant Health Care Scientist (AHCS) in the Pathology Blood Sciences Laboratory and Sample Reception at Kent and Canterbury Hospital (KCH). One full-time position is available, 37.5 hours per week, based at KCH in Canterbury, Kent. The role is Band 2, permanent and substantive.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Pathology team at the Trust and to help shape future strategy and services for our local population.

The post holder will possess good keyboard skills, a high level of accuracy, and must be a good team player with a very flexible approach to working. The ideal candidate would have some laboratory experience and an aptitude for science. They should be highly motivated and an enthusiastic individual, educated to at least GCSE level or equivalent.

A keen eye for detail and excellent customer service skills are essential.

PLEASE NOTE - WE CANNOT OFFER VISA SPONSORSHIP FOR THIS ROLE. If you hold a Graduate/Post Study work visa, you will only be able to work this role fixed term until the expiry date of your visa.

Main duties of the job

Duties include specimen reception and sorting, data entry, reagent preparation, monitoring of temperature, general maintenance of laboratory equipment, stock control and supporting the Biomedical Scientist teams.

The successful applicant will be required to participate in the '7-day working' pattern including weekends, nights and bank holidays.

We currently hold UKAS Accreditation, an HTA Licence and are an IBMS training laboratory.

About us

We are one of the largest hospital trusts in England, with five hospitals and community clinics serving a local population of around 800,000 people. Our vision is 'great healthcare from great people'. Everything we do is guided by our values: 'People feel cared for, safe, respected and confident that we are making a difference'. We have a new way of working at East Kent Hospitals, called 'We care'. It's about empowering frontline staff to lead improvements day-to-day. We're looking for compassionate people to be part of our improvement journey for the patients, families and carers we care for every day.

KMPN: Kent and Medway Pathology Network is a formal partnership of seven laboratories across three pathology services in four acute Trusts. Our 1000 colleagues provide services across the health and care sector to a population of nearly 2 million.

We are at an exciting point of our network development with a recommendation to form a joint venture across the four Trusts leading transformation. Our projects including single IT solutions, procurement and digital projects, to ensure our services are able to meet growing demand for our service users, patients and communities.

Job responsibilities

Please scroll down to access the full Job Description and Person Specification located in 'supporting documents.

If you have further queries please dont hesitate to contact the line manager using the contact details below.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• A good standard of education e.g. Mathematics, English and Science GCSE or equivalent

Personal & Professional Attributes

Essential

• Provides specific examples demonstrating clear written and verbal communication from work, education or voluntary experience.
• Provides evidence of active listening skills and responding appropriately to others.
• Provides examples of remaining calm and professional when dealing with challenging circumstances.
• Provides evidence of understanding and applying confidentiality and information governance principles.
• Provides evidence of positive team working and managing challenging situations constructively

Desirable

• Some knowledge of Biology and / or General Science
• Ability to track information

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Provides examples of effective communication with colleagues, patients and service users.
• Demonstrates the ability to manage multiple tasks and work to agreed deadlines through relevant examples.
• Provides evidence of working effectively as part of a team.
• Demonstrates attention to detail and accuracy when undertaking routine tasks.
• Provides evidence of using computer systems and keyboard skills for data entry and record management.

Desirable

• Previous Laboratory experience

Other Requirements

Essential

• To be aware of and adhere to the Trust's Vision, Mission and Values