Developing Associate Practitioners Synopsis
The structure of Pathology over the last 20 years has created a 2 tiered system that has led to inefficiencies in job tasks. The MLAs were created as a grade of staff with limited education to proceed with task orientated duties. BMS staff were being asked to up skill and cover more complex roles (such as Warfarin dosing) but also finding themselves having to cover lower duties that they found tedious. Cash crises and staff shortages left some departments with either MLAs working way beyond their pay-grade or BMS staff below theirs.
Poor career prospects for the MLAs and lower grade tasks for the BMS staff created departments where motivation was poor. Good MLAs would leave for professions where there was some progression and BMS were unable to develop their own roles as they were mired in all tasks across their department.
Looking at the Job roles, there was a huge gap between the MLA “good secondary education” and the BMS BSc and HPC registration. Progression was possible but difficult. There was a requirement for an intermediary role.
The Associate Practitioner is a technical role within the laboratory. Judgements are only as set out in protocols but they are required to understand reasonably high level scientific language. Their roles in Mid Yorkshire so far are mainly around the running of analysers; QC, loading samples, consumables & reagents, the production of technically accurate results along with basic maintenance & trouble shooting.
Developing a department where staff are striving to progress leads to staff actively seeking to extend their roles. This contrasts with the negative affect of staff working without suitable support staff where the same task will be performed by someone on a far higher pay grade and stops them doing their own job fully. Even higher grades then have to help.
Getting the skill mix right is important for the future of the department and in particular, having jobs to aspire to creates a more motivated workforce. A highly motivated workforce, working appropriately, combined with process redesign will make the laboratory a competitive and this over the next few years this will be the difference between the successful and the unsuccessful laboratory