Medical Laboratory Assistant

Job overview

This advert is for a Medical Laboratory Assistant in the Biochemical Sciences Department at St Thomas’ Hospital. Biochemical Sciences consists of four specialist laboratories; these include Reference Biochemistry, Inherited Metabolic Diseases, Purines Research and New born Screening for South East Thames. This post will be primarily based in the Inherited Metabolic Diseases and New born Screening Laboratories. In the future this post may involve working alongside other Medical Laboratory Assistants within the department.

The successful candidate will be a key member of the team providing results used to screen, diagnosis and monitor a variety of diseases. They will provide a high quality, proactive and dynamic support service to Biomedical Scientists and Clinical Scientists. This includes a wide range of duties: receipt and sending of patient specimens as well as many other laboratory-based tasks. The post-holder will maintain confidential files relating to patients and will also be expected to work in accordance with laboratory quality and health and safety policies. The successful candidate will work closely with Clinical Scientists, Biomedical Scientists and Laboratory Assistants and must be able to reliably and efficiently communicate with all grades of staff in Pathology and other departments within the Trust involved in the provision of the clinical service.

The post-holder will be expected to work as part of a team and work accurately under pressure. They will also be expected to manage and priorities their workload, act on their own initiative, work without supervision, and to suggest changes in their day-to-day working practice that could impact favourably on their productivity and contribution to the department.

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As a Medical Laboratory Assistant the post holder is responsible for receiving and sorting patient specimens, logging patient data onto the laboratory computer system, tracking specimens between hospital sites, operating under supervision analytical equipment, preparing reagents, stock management and patient samples following prescribed protocols, giving validated laboratory results by telephone. The post holder will undertake scientific techniques such as pipetting and will use analytical equipment such as centrifuges, plate shakers and semi-automated platforms.

The post holder will initially work in the Inherited Metabolic Disease and New born Screening Laboratories and will work closely with other MLAs in the other sections of the Biochemical Sciences Department.

The post holder will be a key staff member in the laboratory team assisting the Biomedical Scientists with day to day management of patient samples and reagents as well as involvement in quality audits and other quality management based activities.

Working for our organisation

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.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital Foundation Trust is a major emergency and specialist teaching Trust which has all the specialties associated with a fascinating and career defining case load including: Women’s Services, Fetal Medicine, Haematology, Oncology, Transplantation, and is also home to the Evelina Children’s Hospital and the Cancer Centre on the Guy’s site.

You will be close to the vibrant Borough Market and the South Bank, which are exceptional London locations; perfect places to work and relax next to such iconic venues as Big Ben, The London Eye and The Shard!

This post is based in the Biochemical Sciences Department within Viapath, at St Thomas’ Hospital. The Department comprises four sections: Newborn Screening Laboratory for South East Thames region, Inherited Metabolic Diseases Laboratory, Purine Research Laboratory and Reference Chemistry. 

The Biochemical Sciences Department is an ISO 15189 accredited laboratory comprised of a team of 60 Scientists and Support Staff. Our laboratories are split between several rooms across two floors within St Thomas Hospital. Although the department is comprised of four laboratories the teams work closely together to ensure the highest quality of patient care.

Your development and learning

You will have a suite of learning opportunities available through The Synnovis Way Development 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.