Operations Assistant (Clinical Trials)

Job id: 086625. Salary: £32,979 – £35,487 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 22 March 2024. Closing date: 14 April 2024.

Business unit: Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine. Department: Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

Contact details:Thanussuyah Alaguthurai. [email protected]

Location: Guys Campus. Category: Professional & Support Services.

Job description

Acting as patient and participant advocate at all times, the post holder will be expected to co-ordinate research clinics and organise study related care for patients taking part in the KCL Sponsored BTBC Study at its various study research sites ( Chief Investigator Professor Andrew Tutt). They will identify strategies to find and assist in the enrolment of research participants. The post-holder will consent patients and perform a range of clinical assessments, and where appropriate study related procedures such as phlebotomy for which they are appropriately trained, in line with accepted standards of practice. They will communicate effectively with the study and clinical teams to ensure good participant experience and adherence to study protocols. The post holder will be responsible for case report form completion, site file management and maintenance of databases. They will be responsible for ordering study supplies. The post holder will ensure the well-being of participants by adhering to relevant regulations and local Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) including Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations, Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care and the Human Tissue Act.

This post will be offered on a fixed-term contract for 2 years.

This is a full-time  post – 100% full time equivalent.

Key responsibilities

• Provide excellent customer care skills to ensure patients and participants come first.  
• Work within relevant regulations and ICH GCP (International Conference on Harmonisation and Good Clinical Practice) ensuring that the study protocol is adhered to at all times. 
• Establish strategies for recruiting participants into clinical studies and identify individuals potentially eligible for research studies. Gain permissions for research contacts.
• Co-ordinate research clinics and co-ordinate the activity in Professor Tutt’s translational research studies in conjunction with Ms Thanussuyah Alaguthurai (Senior clinical Research Practitioner) and other team members.
• For specific studies post holder may be delegated to obtain consent from participants in line with Trust policy and research protocol. 
• Organise appointments and conduct telephone follow-up calls as required. 
• Report any adverse events or health concerns which occur whilst the participant is taking part in the study, to an appropriate doctor or nurse in a timely manner and to the appropriate principal or co-investigator.  
• Perform and record a range of clinical assessments in line with personal competencies and as stipulated in approved study protocols including blood pressure, temperature, respirations, questionnaires, urinalysis, weight and height, and report abnormalities or changes appropriately. 
• Perform tasks requiring clinical and laboratory skills, including phlebotomy, venepuncture, biological sample preparation within clinical area and laboratories as stipulated in approved protocols and laboratory manuals.  
• Responsible for ensuring safe and appropriate storage, shipment and documentation of specimens. 
• Keep up to date with current practice for phlebotomy and venepuncture. 
• Provide ongoing support to the participant and carer whilst participating in the clinical study. 
• Communicate on a regular basis with senior medical staff, nursing, pharmacy, radiology, and pathology and laboratory staff.  
• Liaise with other departments and wards at the site/s, in order to promote a good working environment, integration of research and open channels of communication. 
• Take responsibility for ensuring own knowledge of amendments and updates to studies you work on and assist the research team in ensuring that information relating to updates in the study protocols and guidelines are disseminated to key areas and personnel. 
• Communicate study related information effectively with the research team and study participants and their family members. This information may be complex or sensitive, and there may be barriers to understanding.  
• Communicate with external study coordinators and sponsor representatives, nationally and internationally. 
• Send GP letters or other trial related material to relevant parties. 
• Arrange, attend and record minutes for research and other relevant departmental meeting. 
• Assist with the organisation and set up of selection and initiation and investigator meetings for studies. 
• Attend national and international study specific meetings and disseminate information to members of the multi-disciplinary team as required. 
• Update participant study and medical records to accurately document study related activity and procedures. 
• Administration and maintenance of trial site files in coordination with sponsor representatives. 
• Ensure the confidentiality of verbal, written and computerised information.  
• Complete case report forms in a precise and timely manner, ensuring that all the relevant clinical data in the patient’s medical notes and study file is transcribed accurately. 
• Responsible for the maintenance of Investigator Site Files.  
• Create databases, validate and maintain them and ensure their security and compliance with the data protection act. 
• Update and maintain centralised patient database. 
• Deal effectively with queries relating to data and information in a timely and efficient manner. 
• Assist in the creation and maintenance of good office systems for the smooth running of the service. 
• Organise and prepare documentation for monitoring visits. 
• Provide timely information and reports to reflect recruitment of patients including timely entry to EDGE according to team processes. 
• Escalate any issues regarding data collection to the appropriate personnel.  
• Assist sponsor and/or R&D with relevant essential documents at set up of a study. 
• Assist in archiving processes for closed studies within the team. 
• Provide advice and training to colleagues as relevant to your role. 
• Supervise, train or mentor new or more junior staff as required. 
• Take responsibility for identifying personal training and educational needs within the context of the service and those identified during the appraisal process. 
• Act in accordance with the Health Education England (HEE) Care Certificate framework standards at all times. 
• Undertake an Individual Performance Review annually with your Line Manager. 
• Assist other members of the multidisciplinary team as required with all aspects of study delivery. 
• Act always in a manner which, promotes positive working relationships and maintains the professional image of the Trust.  
• Co-ordinate and supervise housekeeping duties and ordering of study supplies as requested. 
• Responsibly assist in the management the control of equipment, resources and stock through the adherence of research policies and study budgets. 
• Ensure own actions help to maintain quality.
• To work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team 
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across R&D, NIHR Guy’s and St Thomas’ BRC and wider Trust to facilitate the achievement of objectives and shared learning.

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria  

Desirable criteria

This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service and Occupational Health clearance.