Pathology Digital Specialist Biomedical Scientist
Job summary
The Pathology IT Team at CHFT is seeking an enthusiastic and experienced individual to join our small team, based at both Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. If you possess a solid understanding and experience in IT, particularly its application in healthcare and diagnostic laboratories, this opportunity could be ideal for you. In addition to handling routine tasks, the team is actively involved in deploying new digital solutions aimed at enhancing the efficiency and quality of diagnostic services for CHFT patients.
These initiatives encompass the introduction of a new Laboratory Information System, state-of-the-art analytical equipment, and the advancement of digital solutions in Histopathology and Transfusion.
The post holder will support the Pathology Digital Team by applying specialist knowledge in both Biomedical Science and IT. They will contribute to the development, implementation, and maintenance of digital information management systems within Pathology. Additionally, they will work within the Pathology Quality Management System to ensure and demonstrate the laboratory's compliance with ISO 15189 standards.
Main duties of the job
Act as the digital systems specialist within the Pathology department, providing expert user support, guidance, and problem-solving for digital platforms.
Take a key role in maintaining, supporting, and developing the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and other digital tools used in pathology workflows.
Take a lead role in further developing the Pathology Quality Management System (QMS) within Pathology IT to ensure compliance with ISO 15189 standards and support laboratory accreditation.
Support digital change management within the laboratory, including upgrades, configuration changes, and new system implementations.
Assist in managing Pathology IT workload to meet Key Performance Indicators
Collaborate with Biomedical Scientist colleagues and IT services to ensure clinical, scientific, and digital needs are aligned.
Provide digital training and mentorship to Biomedical Scientists and support staff, enhancing digital capabilities within the department.
Assist in the extraction, analysis, and validation of pathology data for internal performance monitoring, national reporting, and audits.
Maintain a high standard of data quality and information governance compliance within Pathology systems.
Liaise with third-party system providers and Trust IT services (e.g., THIS) to log issues, assist in troubleshooting, and contribute to resolution planning.
About us
We employ more than 6,500 staffwho deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals,Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, healthcentres and in patients' homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.
We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children's and young people's services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.
We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza.
We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation.Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS- yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boardslisten to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members - patients, staff andthe local community.
Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in thechanges to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.
Job description
Job responsibilities
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES - for full details please see JD & Person Specification.
Provide specialist support for digital systems such as:
o iLab Apex or Clinisys WinPath Enterprise (LIMS)
o ICE Order Communication
o Cerner Millennium Electronic Patient Record
o POCT systems (e.g. COBAS IT1000, Centralink)
o ICNET, DAWN, and other department-specific software
Lead on testing and validation of new software releases and updates to digital systems.
Work closely with IT and Biomedical Science teams to define, develop, and refine digital workflows.
Act as a Clinical Safety Administrator to develop Clinical Safety Cases in line with DSB0160
Participate in digital project groups, acting as the technical and scientific voice for system users.
Support the maintenance and continual improvement of the digital aspects of the departments Quality Management System, ensuring that systems, processes, and documentation meet the requirements of ISO 15189 and are audit-ready.
Work collaboratively with the Quality Manager and IT team to ensure audit trails, digital SOPs, document control, and system validations are properly managed and recorded.
Ensure system SOPs and user guides are developed, maintained, and followed.
Contribute to internal audits and inspections.
Take a lead role in investigating and managing incidents relating to IT systems in the lab
Take a lead role in maintenance of Data Quality within Pathology
Take a lead role in developing and maintaining new and existing data extracts for reporting to National bodies, Trusts Informatics manager, lab managers and finance team as required e.g. Siemens MSC activity monitoring, Cancer Outcome and Services Data set.
Develop and deliver Pathology IT training programs.
Liaise with third party suppliers for advice, training and troubleshooting
queries.
To take a lead role in developing and implementing new and ongoing IT projects
Manage departmental IT hardware in conjunction with the Trust IT provider (THIS)
Act as a point of reference for Pathology staff and Trust Pathology users.
Manage and maintain interfaces to and from Pathology IT systems.
Manage and maintain Pathology Messaging Services such as HL7 and PMEP report feeds between Pathology IT system to Pathology users.
Liaise with wards/departments and GP users.
Maintain Pathology Intranet and Internet sites.
Attend national users groups for Pathology IT systems.
Ensure compliance with Information Governance in Pathology
Person Specification
Qualifications / Training
- Accredited degree in Biomedical Science with honours
- IBMS Specialist postgraduate portfolio or equivalent experience
- State registration with the HCPC
- Relevant qualification in Information Technology or equivalent experience
Knowledge / Experience / Expertise
- Experience working as a BMS in a pathology department
- Experience of investigating and resolving issues affecting Pathology IT systems
- Knowledge of issues surrounding patient level data quality in Information systems.
- Experience of working with large datasets
- Experience working with and resolving issues with iLab Apex, WinPath Enterprise or other LIMS
- High level of computer literacy, knowledge of networked PC's
- A comprehensive knowledge of general IT within a hospital setting
- Appreciation of the principles of Information Governance
- Knowledge and understanding of issues relating to data quality within a healthcare setting
- Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word, Access and Outlook.
- Evidence of analytical ability and problem solving
- Ability to undertake self-guided learning
- Experience in writing and updating SOP's and other documentation
- Experience working within a quality-managed laboratory environment
- Awareness of ISO 15189 requirements for digital and data systems in pathology
- Experience in change management within a laboratory environment
- Experience in extracting and manipulating data from digital healthcare systems
- Experience of managing and maintaining patient level data quality in Information systems.
- Knowledge of messaging standards used to communicate between Health Information Systems
- Experience in working with systems communicating via HL7 messaging
- Experience contributing to UKAS or ISO 15189 inspections and compliance activities
- Practical experience in writing scripts, macros and code to automate basic procedure.
- Experience of UKAS accreditation and working to evidence compliance with ISO 15189
- Active participation in service development
- Knowledge of digital document control systems or QMS platforms (particularly Q-Pulse)
Communication
- Experience of supervising and leading other members of staff
- Excellent verbal and written communication
- Confident in communicating with all levels and grades of staff within the NHS or partner organizations.
- Able to understand complex information and convey to less knowledgeable staff with varying levels of expertise
- Able to work well in a team
- Able to work well without direct supervision
- Ability to work to challenging deadlines
- Time management skills
- Personal integrity
- Friendly and approachable
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details
Employer name
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Pathology - Huddersfield Royal Infirmary
Acre Street, Lindley
Huddersfield
HD3 3EA
Employer's website
https://www.cht.nhs.uk
- Company
- Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
- Location
- Huddersfield, United Kingdom HD3 3EA
- Employment Type
- Permanent
- Salary
- £38682.00 - £46580.00 a year
- Posted
- Company
- Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
- Location
- Huddersfield, United Kingdom HD3 3EA
- Employment Type
- Permanent
- Salary
- £38682.00 - £46580.00 a year
- Posted