Healthcare Associate Practitioner, Band 4 - Clinical Biochemistry

Healthcare Associate Practitioner, Band 4 – Clinical Biochemistry

Closing date
: 28 July 2026

Applications are invited for a full‑time Band 4 Associate Practitioner from persons who have a BTEC Diploma in Healthcare Science Level 4 or an appropriate level of education or experience of working in a busy NHS pathology department. Anyone studying towards this qualification may apply. Experience of working in an NHS Pathology Laboratory with automated equipment is essential as one of the key roles will be the maintenance, preparation and in some instances the running of instruments for the next 24‑hour period.

You will be joining a busy blood sciences department where you will be supporting the state‑registered Healthcare Scientists in the provision of an effective, high quality service delivered to healthcare professionals across the county. There will be some management roles involved in coordinating Medical Laboratory Assistants and other key personnel in the department.

Working patterns will generally involve working several weeks of core days (08:30‑17:00) with at least one week of twilight shifts (16:00‑24:00) every month. However, cover for annual leave, sickness etc. will be required for the twilight shift on a reasonably regular basis. Other shifts including weekend and overnight periods are not expected as routine but may be required on an occasional basis.

Cross‑site working in both Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospital locations will be required as part of the role.

The role supports our state‑registered Healthcare Scientists in the provision of an effective, 24/7 high‑quality ISO 15189:2022 accredited service, processing over 1,200,000 patient requests (13.2 million tests) per annum to enable the department to play a key role in supporting allied healthcare professionals who are reliant on our service. Work focus is mainly on supporting the state‑registered Healthcare Scientists by undertaking a range of laboratory tests which are complementary to their roles but doesn’t include validation or interpretation.

Maintenance of pre‑analytical equipment, laboratory consumables are key elements of the role as is the support for the laboratory sample referral service.

• To develop and maintain a good working knowledge and competency in certain designated test procedures in the laboratory.
• To check that the correct sample type has been received, correct sample labelling and suitability for diagnostic investigations, in accordance with Pathology laboratory policies and standard operating procedures.
• To recognise, prioritise and fast‑track urgent samples to ensure minimal delay to patient treatment and waiting times and to enter sample details onto the TCLE system.
• To prepare samples for analysis, including barcode labelling, centrifugation and preparation of aliquots, and distribution of samples to the appropriate sections for analysis.
• To prepare samples for dispatch to other laboratories in accordance with postal regulations including samples requiring special transport conditions.
• To liaise with portering services staff and drivers (internal and external) to arrange appropriate transportation.
• To use complex and expensive analysers, pre‑ and post‑analytical equipment under the supervision of HCPC‑registered Healthcare Scientists.
• To process internal quality control (IQC) material and evaluate results, drawing attention of BMS staff to any results that fall outside the IQC preset limits.
• To process external quality assurance (EQA) material and return the results to the scheme organiser, after review by a senior BMS.
• To perform regular maintenance of analysers and other equipment, including instrument set‑up and shut‑down, weekly/monthly maintenance and keeping accurate maintenance records.
• To perform decontamination procedures on centrifuges, water baths, fridges and other equipment as required.
• To carry out initial stages of instrument troubleshooting as agreed with Healthcare Scientist staff.
• To prepare and make up reagents, quality control and quality assurance material, under the indirect supervision of Healthcare Scientist staff.
• To monitor stock levels of laboratory consumables and…