Administrator Assistant

• Life Assurance
• Discount platform (supermarkets, high street, cinema & travel)
• 25 days annual leave (28 days after 3 years of service)
• Enhanced absences (sickness and parental)
• Learning & Development opportunities
• Dog friendly offices

• To support the laboratory delivering its overall service through administrative and ‘supply chain’ duties.
• To assist the laboratory pathology team by fielding telephone calls, emails and post to the highest standard.
• Ensure the smooth day to day running of the pathology support of the VPG and implementation of strategic decisions concerning pathology support from the Directors Board.
• Plan and organise the Pathologist resource and workload at VPG Leeds including monitoring of holiday and study leave where required and ensuring the right resource is in the right location to complete the caseload.
• Organise case load, determining which cases can be sent out for remote analysis.
• Being an ambassador for the company, providing the highest level of customer care as first point of contact for clients and contractors whilst securing patient confidentiality.

• Be able to provide administrative support to all areas of the laboratory (dependent on experience and training) performing all designated duties in accordance with local working practices whilst maintaining high personal standards and conforming to Health and Safety regulations.
• Receiving, checking and booking in samples and patient demographics into the LIMS/DTE that have arrived in the laboratory from courier drivers or post.
• Checking that the correct samples have been submitted, that all the patient’s details have filled in on the submission form and that a clinical history has been provided.
• Monitoring and actively managing the online ordering platform PATHPORT
• Communicate efficiently, courteously and with clarity at all times, whether face to face, telephone or electronic methods referring enquiries to senior staff where appropriate. Matters being communicated may include test results.
• Dealing with telephone calls, emails (VPG admin account), answerphone messages and post in a timely and appropriate manner Screening phone calls and dealing with client requests for report reissues, sample progress, courier collections, supplier requests and general (non-pathology) enquiries.
• As directed by senior laboratory staff, plan and prioritise work allocations, responding appropriately to the needs of routine and urgent activities.
• Inputting referral results prior to pathology team reporting.
• Ensuring “incomplete” assays are located and if necessary, chasing up outstanding results with external suppliers.
• Coordinating the smooth running of the post mortem service. Booking the external courier to pick up the animal from the practice, making sure they have all the required information, and within time limits. Informing the hospital in Edinburgh with all essential details. Sending across all the correct paperwork for the practice to fill in and return to us. Making sure it is clear whether the owner wants an individual cremation and charging correctly.
• Recording Rabies results when certificates are returned and allocating them to the Pathologists to report. Scanning and saving a copy for our records and then posting or leaving the original copy of the certificate for the couriers, to be delivered to the practice.
• Informing practices when we receive notification from VPG| Histology that samples need further fixing as there will be a delay in reporting.
• Supporting the laboratory director and laboratory manager in daily tasks.
• Organise the sending of post, particularly samples to external laboratories, from all departments.
• Ensuring practice supplies orders have been packed up, recorded, booked in and labelled up correctly for couriers to pick up later that evening.
• Booking DHL for samples needing to be sent abroad. Packing up samples appropriately and with the correct submission forms. Ensuring the essential paperwork for customs is included within the package. Occasionally booking a 3rd party pick up for packages sent directly from a practice.
• Managing stock levels and ordering laboratory consumables (e.g. stamps, paper, pens etc.)
• Providing admin support to the wider team as required
• Maintain excellent working relationships with both new and existing clients with regular contact and addressing any feedback or issues.
• Liaise with other Management Board members of pathology support frequently to monitor the distribution of pathologist work around the group and to optimise the match between case numbers and pathology staffing to ensure appropriate quality and the fastest turnaround time i.e. maximum efficiency where required.
• Manage the Pathologist Rota for VPG Leeds with awareness of Pathologist availability elsewhere in the group to optimise efficient use of Pathologists where required.
• Manage the remote pathologists to ensure that they receive the correct numbers of cases at the appropriate time every day and act as their point of contact (Personal Assistant) with the VPG laboratories and administration where required.
• Within your individual laboratories triage the cytology every day and make clarification phone calls to practices always ensuring that the experience for the client is positive rather than negative.
• Manage slide storage, slide recovery and allocation of slides for further molecular testing immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry
• Work with pathologists at VPG Leeds on their individual productivity to make productivity as uniform as possible within the grouping of pathologist (i.e.., residents, newly qualified and experienced pathologists) and feed-back sensitively on your findings to the Laboratory Director.
• Liaise with the Business Development Assistant and the Laboratory Directors to make sure you know about developments in the client base and are aware of new clients requiring special treatment or client relationships which have become sensitive.
• Ensuring data protection and GDPR are adhered to within all work.
• To undertake any other reasonable duty, when requested to do so by an appropriate manager.
• Continuously improve through feedback or forwarding them to the appropriate person.

• The duties and responsibilities in this job description are neither exclusive nor exhaustive and will be updated on a regular basis as part of the appraisal review process and may be amended in the light of changing circumstances.

• Assist with general administrative duties within the team.
• Always comply with SOPs; inform your manager and quality department immediately should there be an error in an SOP or if it needs updating.
• Sustain and promote the aims, ethics and aspirations of the company and participate enthusiastically in the growth and prosperity of the company.
• Maintain confidentiality of the department and use discretion where necessary.

• You must be willing to comply with all VPG policies and complete annual mandatory training; observe safety regulations and attend mandatory fire, manual handling and other courses as required. This also includes updates and have knowledge of COSHH and Lifting and Handling Policies.
• We want our working environment to be safe for all; it is every VPG employee’s duty to report all incidents and adverse events to managers and assist in the investigations of any incidents.
• Ensure that the equipment within area of work is maintained and operated as per SOP’s, you must also always comply with SOPs. Inform your manager and quality department immediately should there be an error in an SOP or if it needs updating.

Veterinary Pathology Group