Specialist Biomedical Scientist – Healthcare Science – West of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre

Job Description

About the Role

Specialist Biomedical Scientists (BMS) in Virology provide specialist services and are responsible for the performance of scientific procedures used for screening purposes and in the investigation and diagnosis of viral infection. A variety of the most up-to-date scientific methods and technologies are used to examine various sample types, including highly specialised serological and molecular techniques, such as antigen, antibody detection, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and sequencing. The post is based at the Virology Laboratory at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary Hospital, Glasgow, a state of the art facility, processing around 500,000 specimens per annum. Many of the tests employed use highly complex analysers such as the Abbott Alinity i and Alinity M platforms, Roche extraction platforms and Roche Light Cyclers, Applied Biosystems real time PCR, Diasorin Liaison and BioMérieux analysers, and Sanger & Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) equipment. The laboratory holds UKAS accreditation for ISO 15189 standards.

Duration, Location, and Working Pattern

• Glasgow Royal Infirmary
• The Virology Department operates an out of hours 24/7 operational service, and the post holder will have a contractual requirement to participate in the rota for the out of hours service.
• This involves working 36 hours over 7 days, with hours worked at evenings, weekends, and public holidays.
• Participation in the emergency on call service working between 8pm and 8am, Monday to Sunday as part of the out of hours rota.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver an efficient and high quality Virology service that directly supports effective patient care.
• Perform routine and specialist virology investigations in line with departmental procedures and quality standards.
• Supervise, instruct, train and act as a mentor to less experienced biomedical scientists and support staff.
• Provide specialist advice and guidance to service users on available tests and analytical processes.
• Ensure accurate recording, validation and reporting of results using laboratory information systems.
• Contribute to service improvement, quality assurance and audit activity within the department.
• Maintain safe working practices and comply with all health, safety and infection control requirements.

Knowledge, Training, Qualifications and/or Experience Required

• IBMS accredited BSc Honours degree in Biomedical Sciences or equivalent.
• Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council as a Biomedical Scientist or near completion of HCPC registration.
• Knowledge and experience of working in a virology or diagnostic laboratory environment.
• Ability to train, support and mentor colleagues and contribute positively to team development.
• Strong analytical skills with excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Effective communication skills with the confidence to provide specialist advice and guidance.
• Commitment to continuous professional development and delivering high quality patient focused services.

What We Offer

We offer a wide range of supportive policies designed to enhance your employee journey, including a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme, Cycle to Work Scheme, bursary scheme and extensive learning and development opportunities.

• A minimum of 27 days annual leave, increasing with length of service, plus public holidays.
• Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme, including life insurance benefits.
• Salary Sacrifice Car Benefit Scheme.
• Development opportunities including study bursaries, e learning and classroom based courses.
• Enhanced pay for working public holidays.
• NHS discounts on a wide range of goods and services.
• Confidential employee support and assistance, including counselling and psychological therapies.

Diversity and Equality

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde encourages applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and are proud of the diverse workforce we employ.

We recognise military skills, experience and qualifications and encourage applications from across the Armed Forces community.

We encourage applications from people who require flexible working arrangements where the role can accommodate less than full time hours.

Recruitment Process and Contact

For information about the recruitment process, please visit the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde recruitment portal.