Specialist Biomedical Scientist

Job Overview

Welcome to Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust and thank you for considering us as your choice of employer.

We take great pride in our staff and we believe that investing in ‘You’ is key in our ability and capacity to deliver high quality services and patient care across Frimley Park, Wexham Park and Heatherwood Hospitals.

We are looking for energetic, enthusiastic and well-motivated Registered Biomedical Scientist (Band 6) who is looking for full-time (Fixed term) post to complement the Bacteriology Department within Berkshire and Surrey Pathology Services particularly Frimley Park Hospital site.

The laboratory is currently developed with a Kiestra system, MALDITOF and PCR techniques.

Applications are invited from HCPC registered BMS staff who have completed the IBMS Specialist Portfolio.

You will work in rotation with other staff in all sections of the laboratory. You must be keen to embrace new ways of working and develop your knowledge and skills.

You will be expected to participate in the full shift rota, covering early and late shifts, weekends and on call duties during the week.

Our busy laboratory is fully accredited with UKAS 151089 and HCPC training status.

You will be expected to work according to our working time compliant shift system and may be required to work at other network sites such as Wexham Park to maintain quality, training and service requirements.

Main duties of the job

• To perform the diagnostic microbiology examination and reporting of specimens received in order to aid patient treatment and care.
• To use interpretive skills on culture plates and complex analysers combined with the Laboratory Information Management Computer System in order to deliver the diagnostic microbiology service to our users.
• The diagnostic work of the department includes processing, for example, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, faeces, sputum, tissues and diverse secretions.
• Processed samples are then interpreted for the presence of pathogens, these could be bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic.

Working for our organisation

Why Join Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust?

At Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, our people are at the heart of everything we do.

As a Disability Confident Employer and recipient of the Gold Award in the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme, we actively champion equality, diversity and inclusion, creating opportunities for people from all backgrounds to build rewarding careers within the NHS.

We also recognise the importance of a healthy work-life balance. By supporting flexible working arrangements wherever possible, we enable our colleagues to balance their professional and personal commitments while continuing to deliver outstanding care to our patients.

Whether flexibility means adjusted hours, part-time working, hybrid arrangements or alternative working patterns, we work in partnership with our staff to meet both individual and service needs.

Join Us

Whether you're at the start of your career or looking for your next challenge, Frimley Health offers the opportunity to be part of an inclusive, forward-thinking organisation that is committed to excellence, innovation and compassionate care.

Together, we can shape the future of healthcare and make a real difference to the lives of the communities we serve.

Frimley Health Trust benefits on Vimeo

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• To participate in the analytical work of all aspects of the microbiology department to ensure that the most efficient microbiology service is provided for the users of the department.
• To work as part of the team, or independently, processing specimens and producing accurate relevant diagnostic results, by the interpretation of clinical information and specimen type against the organisms isolated or detected.
• To initiate and interpret microscopy examinations, complex biochemical profiles, agglutination patterns and antibiotic sensitivity patterns as necessary.
• To make judgements and initiate follow up tests as required.
• To authorise diagnostic results using judgement and departmental guidelines ensuring they are correct, complete and clear and are within the departmental guidelines.
• To refer to more senior Scientific/ Medical staff as required.
• To be responsible to the Lead BMS for maintaining good standards of discipline, dress, timekeeping and behaviour of subordinate staff.
• To discuss with staff the expected outcomes of training and development activities prior to training events and afterwards to discuss actual outcomes.
• To assist staff to transfer, develop and use the new skills acquired.
• To ensure the departments quality standards are maintained.

Refer to attached JD & PS for details

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Registered BMS, registered with HCPC
• Has completed either the IBMS Specialist Portfolio or the IBMS Specialist Diploma in Microbiology
• Willing to undergo relevant training to ensure sound relevant knowledge

Desirable criteria

• Higher degree or Post Graduate Diploma
• IBMS member at member level
• Evidence of CPD

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of most areas of diagnostic microbiology
• Laboratory experience and advanced knowledge of all areas of medical microbiology including bacteriology, parasitology and mycology
• Able to perform technically advanced procedures where applicable
• Able to provide judgment on a range of complex problems

Desirable criteria

• Experience of serological techniques
• Molecular biology technical expertise
• Able of organize workload of less qualified staff

Skills and knowledge

Essential criteria

• Technically proficient
• Able to communicate complex information to clinicians and other users to advise on tests performed and results obtained
• Good hand eye coordination for technically demanding procedures
• Ability to work effectively under pressure.
• Well organised

Desirable criteria

• Lateral thinking
• Committed to working in healthcare environment
• IT literate

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust (FHFT) is proud of its strong reputation, record of achievement and ambition for the future. We serve a population of over 900,000 people across Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and South Buckinghamshire, and remain committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our communities.

Our new organisational strategy – FHFT 2030 – sets out our ambition to be the best place to receive care and the best place to work in the NHS. Underpinned by our Trust values – Committed to Excellence, Working Together, Facing the Future, and being a modern, compassionate, Healthcare Organisation – we are creating a culture where our people can thrive and patients always come first.

We continue to invest heavily in our services and facilities. This includes the development of a new hospital at Frimley Park, major expansion of diagnostics and inpatient capacity, and the continued transformation of services across our sites. We have already delivered a brand-new £100m state-of-the-art Heatherwood Hospital, a £49m Emergency Assessment Centre at Wexham Park, and a £10m upgrade to maternity services.

We are also committed to sustainability and the NHS Net Zero ambition. Our new hospital and estate developments are being designed to be environmentally responsible, energy efficient, and future-proofed, featuring on-site renewables energy and intelligent energy systems. Through our green plan, we are embedding sustainable practices across all areas of care and operations, ensuring we reduce our environmental impact while improving population health and wellbeing. Our staff are key to helps us deliver on our ambition and to ensure sustainability is a core component of care delivery and our operations.

Alongside estates’ investments, we are embedding a strong focus on digital innovation and quality improvement. Our electronic patient record (Epic), launched in 2024, is already enabling safer, more connected, and more effective care for patients, while giving staff the tools they need to do their best work. Our electronic patient record also supports safe and effective digitised care pathways, savings time and carbon, whilst delivering excellent quality of care.

Everything we do is guided by our values, shaping how we care for patients, support colleagues, and build a sustainable future for healthcare together.

Apply online now