Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services. Guy’s is home to the largest dental school in Europe and a £160 million Cancer Centre opened in 2016. As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, in 2017 we also opened a cancer centre and a kidney treatment centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup. St Thomas’ has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Children’s Hospital. Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it. Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions. Our adult community services teams deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with GPs, local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for local patients. In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research. We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King’s Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King’s College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit. Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of ‘good’. Our adult community services achieved a rating of ‘outstanding’. The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care. The 2019 NHS staff survey results show that we have one of the most engaged and motivated workforces in the NHS. We know this has a positive impact on the care provided to our patients. We have one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes anywhere in the NHS. Job overview We are looking for a motivated individual with an interest in working in laboratory diagnostic genetics and we invite applications from individuals educated to HND or NVQ level 4 in Biological Science, with a strong interest in genetics, to work as a junior genetic technologist. This role will mainly involve sample reception, DNA extraction and the use of some genetic laboratory techniques to provide technical support to our diagnostic work. This will include basic laboratory housekeeping tasks and administration tasks. Some practical laboratory experience is essential; however, full competence-based training will be given. We are very much committed to continuous development and provide opportunities for participation in service research and development, training courses and journal clubs/seminars. Applicants should have good interpersonal and computing skills, be capable of working under pressure to tight deadlines, and be able to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team. They should have good organisational skills, be able to work methodically with great attention to detail and have a strong interest in driving and improving the quality of diagnostic services. Applicants will be expected to take part in various quality management tasks. The CGGL currently performs over 7000 tests per annum employing scientific, technical and bioinformatics staff in service delivery and research. The laboratory is a UKAS accredited medical laboratory. Main duties of the job To perform the role following documented laboratory protocols To deal with telephone enquiries To maintain accurate records To participate in an annual appraisal To provide routine testing and support activities following standard To receive and book-in a range of pathological specimens for genetic testing To process specimens to an appropriate point Extraction of DNA and RNA from a range of sample types Preparation of DNA and RNA for a range of testing procedures Maintenance and management of a blood and DNA bank Performing a range of molecular techniques To prepare reagents and media To participate in internal and external quality procedures To participate in any out of hours cover as required by the service To participate in clinical audit projects To maintain the laboratory inventory To be responsible for general laboratory housekeeping To work with the lab team to ensure adherence to the standards required of ISO15189:2012 accreditation for medical laboratories To follow a technical training programme for this grade To maintain a portfolio of continuing professional development activities. To safely handle contained or controlled biological materials To safely handle hazardous chemicals To comply with the visual display regulations Working for our organisation The Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals are part of Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, with the Heart and Lung Clinical Care Group forming the largest heart and lung centre in the UK and among the largest in Europe. We are a partnership of specialist hospitals which are known throughout the world for our expertise, standard of care and research success. The Clinical Genetics and Genomics Laboratory is also part of the NHSE South East Genomic Laboratory hub and is one of four cardiac and one of three respiratory laboratories, delivering the specialist testing nationally. The Clinical Genetics and Genomics Laboratory in the Royal Brompton has generated deep expertise in cardiovascular (CV) and respiratory genetics through a large programme of work over the last 7 years and has established infrastructure, expertise and variant repositories on site. The CGGL has developed sophisticated bioinformatic tools and pipelines for the analysis and reporting of different types of sequence data and is actively involved in research to develop new technologies. The diagnostic service collaborates closely with the National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI), Imperial College London. Organisational Values: Our values help us to define and develop our culture, what we do and how we do it. It is important that you understand and reflect these values throughout your employment with the Trust. Detailed job description and main responsibilities Applications are invited for a Junior Genetic Technologist based in the Clinical Genetics and Genomics Laboratory in the Royal Brompton Hospital. To undertake the technical duties of a Junior Genetic Technologist to support the scientific teams in the provision of an effective and high-quality genetics diagnostic service to patients. The main duties are to undertake sample reception, sample booking-in, basic laboratory housekeeping tasks and some administration tasks where necessary. To maintain a high level of accuracy and reliability in defined routine, preparative, processing, analytical and associated procedures, following documented laboratory protocols. Specific duties will depend on the area in which the post holder is working. To train other staff in tasks where necessary. To collaborate with other members of the laboratory and department in all matters necessary to achieve the maximum efficiency of the service. To be responsible for the continuing professional development and overall performance of all staff in the Clinical Genetics and Genomics Laboratory. To play a role in the continuous development of the Trust as a member of the Clinical Genetics and Genomics Laboratory. Person specification EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS Essential criteria HND or NVQ level 4 qualification (or equivalent) in Biological Science Desirable criteria Genetics component included in course Bachelor degree in biological science EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE Essential criteria Practical laboratory experience Basic knowledge of theoretical and practical aspects of molecular genetics Good computer skills Methodical and organised approach to work with attention to detail Able to follow protocols accurately SKILLS & ABILITIES Essential criteria Experience of some molecular biology techniques Basic knowledge of technical and scientific biological aspects Basic knowledge of laboratory health and safety Desirable criteria Experience of aseptic technique Experience of dealing with telephone enquiries Experience of laboratory Quality Management systems PERSONAL QUALITIES Essential criteria Willingness to work within and as a team Able to deal with routine work Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity , gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership. Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. Equality of opportunity is our policy. As an organisation we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients. This means that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern so that we can offer services in the evenings or at weekends. Flexible working We are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work life balance and to work in a way that is best for them and our patients. We will consider all requests to work flexibly, taking in to account the individual’s personal circumstances as well the needs of the service. We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the recruiting manager as part of the on-boarding process. Your e-mail address is important to us - We communicate to all job applicants via the e-mail address which has been provided on the application form. Please ensure that you check your e-mail on a regular basis. Please apply for this post by clicking "Apply Online Now." Further details / informal visits contact Name Deborah Morris-Rosendahl Job title Laboratory Director Email address [email protected]