Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities

Professional Knowledge and Expertise

• First or second class honours degree in chemistry, biochemistry or allied subject.
• Post-graduate Masters degree (or assessed equivalent level of knowledge) in the specialty of Clinical Biochemistry.
• State Registration with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Clinical Scientist (Biochemistry).
• Detailed understanding of the basic science that underpins the specialty of Clinical Biochemistry and its application to clinical practice.
• Ability to assimilate a wide range of normal and abnormal clinical biochemistry results and advise on interpretation taking into account the clinical presentation of the patient and where necessary the findings from other disciplines (e.g.: haematology, radiology).
• Detailed understanding of the causes and mechanisms of disease and how biochemical results are affected by disease to allow interpretation of complex test results in the field of biochemistry.
• Detailed understanding of clinical and coronial toxicology to be able to interpret complex analytical data, compile toxicology reports and participate in the clinical advisory service within toxicology.
• Ability to review the scientific literature critically and to incorporate this information into best practice for the benefit of patients.
• Extensive IT experience and knowledge of laboratory computer information systems and common software packages (Word, Excel, Teams, Sharepoint etc).

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, in order to maintain good working relationships and networks with clinical and professional colleagues within and outside the Trust.
• Ability to communicate complex results back to requestors, many of whom do not have specialist knowledge of Clinical Biochemistry. There is often a need to interpret the significance of the results, giving relevant background information and the requirement for further investigations within the clinical context of the patient.
• Good presentation skills, as required for the presentation of scientific concepts and research findings at local, regional or national meetings or in the literature using written and audiovisual aids.
• Ability to teach at undergraduate level in formal and informal settings.
• Ability to teach laboratory colleagues and other medical professionals.
• Ability to prepare written reports for fellow scientists and for grant awarding bodies and research ethics committees.

Problem-solving and Decision-making

• Highly developed problem-solving skills and the ability to apply these to a broad range of circumstances; the post holder will be expected to solve problems that might arise during the routine use of techniques or equipment within the department of Clinical Biochemistry sections the post-holder inputs into.
• Trouble-shooting poor analytical performance across the department of clinical biochemistry, taking into account a wide range of factors, to ensure that analytically valid results are obtained.
• To play an active role in the quality assurance of assays and services offered within the clinical biochemistry areas – this would include review, and where appropriate troubleshooting, of internal quality control (IQC) trends and external quality assurance (EQA) reports. Additionally being able to participate in review of non-conformities that arise in the department.
• Decision to communicate clinically significant results to medical and other healthcare staff.
• Contribute to the development of the service on an ongoing basis by supporting the evaluation and introduction of appropriate new technologies, under the supervision of the Consultant Clinical Scientists.

Planning and Coordination

• Ability to plan and undertake research and publish findings.
• Planning of method verification and validation.
• Ability to plan own workload in conjunction with the Consultant Clinical Scientists.
• Planning as required by services needs e.g. organisation of CPD rotas, laboratory visits.

Practical and Technical Skills

• The postholder should possess good manual dexterity, hand eye coordination and cognitive skills, as applied to the use of specialist scientific equipment, with the ability to perform specialist techniques used within the Specialist Biochemistry section with a high degree of accuracy.

Patient Care and Support

• To liaise with other laboratories providing specialist services and Coroners Officers and Pathologists involved in postmortem cases.
• To provide analysis and interpretation of highly complex clinical biochemistry tests and reporting of findings.
• To provide a clinical advisory service on routine biochemistry as a registered practitioner, to hospital and primary care clinicians, nursing staff and other health professionals. This will include guidance in the selection of tests, the interpretation of results and the selection of further tests to aid the diagnosis and treatment of the patient.
• The post holder will be working alongside other Senior, Principal and Consultant Clinical Scientists and can seek advice prior to making any final decisions or providing advice relating to patient care.

Service Development and Improvement

• To evaluate new tests and technologies prior to introduction into the laboratory.
• The ability to critically appraise new information, as published in the literature, and apply this to the development of Clinical Biochemistry.
• The ability to scientifically appraise research findings and present the conclusions to a wider audience.
• Any final decisions on service improvement would be made in consultation with senior colleagues including Consultant Clinical Scientists and Blood Sciences Manager.
• To contribute to implementing process changes in own designated work areas.

Finance and Resource Management

• Responsible for the safe use of complex laboratory equipment.

Leadership and Team Management

• Participate in teaching and training of laboratory staff within Clinical Biochemistry.
• Contribute to provision of CPD opportunities for all levels of staff within Clinical Biochemistry, both technical and clinical.
• Participate in teaching and training of trainee biomedical and clinical scientists employed by the Trust or on placement from external Trusts.

Information and Data Management

• Work in accordance with Trust policy on information governance and data handling.
• Use of clinical systems to review patient data to inform interpretation of results and decision making, such as adding on of further tests and communication of results requiring clinical action. This may include, but is not limited to: Winpath, ICE, Connecting Care and antenatal screening software (Viewpoint).
• Addition of appropriate interpretative comments to Biochemistry results on Winpath that may be viewed by primary or secondary care colleagues via ICE and GP systems and in some instances released directly to patients via the NHS App.
• Maintain accurate digital and paper records relating to patient care e.g. discussions with clinical colleagues.
• Use of computer software statistical packages to assimilate data which is then interpreted in the context of verification of biochemical assays and