Practitioner in Point of Care Testing

An excellent opportunity has been risen for a Point of Care Testing (POCT) Practitioner to join a friendly and busy Point of Care Testing (POCT) Department at Wirral University Teaching Hospital (WUTH).

The WUTH Laboratory Medicine/Blood Sciences Point of Care Testing services is currently under preparation for accreditation using a wide range of POCT devices and procedures.

You will be an active member of WUTH POCT Team providing analytical and maintenance services to different sites to ensure all Trust POCT services including those at Arrowe Park Hospital, the Clatterbridge Hospital as well as the partner Trusts and the community are running smoothly all the time.

The WUTH POCT Services is using a wide range of IT-connected POCT analysers including blood gas analyses, blood glucose, ketone and INR testing, POCT Covid/Flu/RSV screening, blood gas/ co-oximetry analyses, pregnancy and urine analysis and POCT coagulation analysis.

The IT connectivity of POCT devices enables transmission of POCT obtained results onto electronic patients records (EPR) in real-time. All users have been trained and are competent to follow the relevant POCT SOPs to ensure POCT delivers high quality patients’ services by following recommended guidelines by the Government, professional bodies and the local policies.

All new colleagues can expect to receive a warm and friendly Wirral welcome from the very first time they make contact with us. We are described as “competent and caring staff” by our patients.

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is situated on The Wirral peninsula which has a stunning coastline and beautiful countryside surroundings, with great activities for its residents.

We are one of the largest and busiest acute Trusts in the North West of England, comprising of the Wirral’s only Emergency Department. We provide a high quality range of acute care services and employ over 6,000 staff, who serve a population of approximately 400,000 people across Wirral, Ellesmere Port, Neston, North Wales and the wider North West footprint.

We have approximately 855 beds trust-wide and our financial turnover is in excess of £337m.

The Wirral is easily accessible with excellent transport links including motorway, train, bus or ferry and within easy reach to the major cities of Liverpool, Chester and Manchester as well as neighbouring North Wales.

Applications are invited from suitably experienced, enthusiastic and self
- motivated individuals for this full-time position vacancy to join our friendly and dedicated Point of Care Testing team.

The role includes contributing to the provision of a continuous and comprehensive Point of Care Testing services on several sites at Primary and Secondary Care.

The postholder will use different POCT middleware in order to monitor and maintain the smooth running POCT services in all sites, performing stock checks, processing operators’ requests, answering the phone calls advising operators, dealing with analytical issues, technical and troubleshooting.

The postholder will require to be prepared for visiting different wards/sites for inspecting running POCT services, performing external quality assurance (EQA) and contribution in staff training, all of which will help clinical staff to manage patients in real-time hence facilitating patients’ flow.

The WUTH POCT Services is currently using a wide range of IT-connected Point of Care Testing analysers including blood gas/Coox analysis, blood glucose, ketone and PT-INR testing, POCT Covid/Flu/RSV screening, D-Dimer and CRP, blood coagulation analyses, POCT urine pregnancy and urine screening.

The IT connectivity of POCT devices enables transmission of POCT obtained results onto patients’ electronic records (EPR) in real-time. All users have been trained and are competent to follow the relevant POCT SOPs to ensure POCT delivers the high quality services to patients by following recommended guidelines by DoH and the local policies.

**Our laboratory is UKAS accredited to ISO**: 15189 and is approved for both pre-registration and specialist portfolio training by the IBMS.

Please see Job overview & attached Job description for further information about the Point of Care Testing (POCT) Practitioner position available with WUTH.

If successful in this role, there is a requirement for you to have a standard/enhanced DBS. This will be paid for by the Trust and then deducted from your salary over a period of 3 month.