Consultant Microbiologist

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust; Dudley; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional NHS trust in Dudley is looking for two enthusiastic infection specialists to provide clinical and infection prevention advice. The role involves working with a multidisciplinary team and includes responsibilities such as patient care, antimicrobial stewardship, and training junior doctors. Applicants should have GMC registration and relevant qualifications in Clinical Microbiology. Flexibility in work hours is supported, ensuring a work-life balance.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Supportive working environment

Opportunities for training and research

Qualifications

• Evidence of ability to work well in a multidisciplinary team with good relations.
• Evidence of audit and implementation of change following audit.
• Knowledge of principles of antimicrobial stewardship.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical advisory service for care of patients with infections.
• Liaise with clinicians and hospital staff in diagnosis and management.
• Provide infection prevention and control advice.

Skills

GMC registration

FRCPath or equivalent qualification

Ability to work well in a multidisciplinary team

Knowledge of antimicrobial stewardship

Education

Higher Level training in Clinical Microbiology

CCT in Microbiology or a dual CCT in Microbiology & Infectious Diseases

Job description

We are looking for 2 friendly, enthusiastic infection specialists to join the existing consultant to provide infection and infection prevention advice to DGFT and the wider community. The posts will be based at Russells's Hall Hospital, Dudley. The posts are full time, but applications are welcome from individuals wishing to work part time.

The BCPS Microbiology service is of a significant size and provides opportunity for:

• Joint working on antimicrobial stewardship and IPC policies
• Case review (peer review) meetings
• Development of ID services (for a suitably qualified candidate)
• Research
• Excellent training for junior doctors (currently 1 ST grade at RWT and 2 ST grades at SWBH)
• Combined CPD meetings

The successful candidates will join the current BCPS Consultants as they work together to develop this agenda.

Microbiology medical staff at all sites have access to attend the Hub laboratory, to support troubleshooting, quality improvement, and innovation in the speciality. Each consultant has been allocated a laboratory section to lead. There is the option for consultants to have a regular attendance at the hub laboratory built into their job plan if desired.

Main duties of the job

The appointees will provide a clinical advisory service with continuing responsibility for care of patients with infections in liaison with clinical consultant colleagues. The clinical work will include ward liaison, ITU ward rounds and development of clinical guidelines. The post holder will attend MDT meetings as required and will support antimicrobial stewardship and OPAT.

The appointees will be expected to provide a comprehensive microbiology service including authorisation and interpretation of results and liaison with the hub laboratory. There is the opportunity to work one day alternate weeks at the hub laboratory enabling involvement with clinical governance and development of laboratory SOPs.

About us

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is one of the largest NHS trusts in the West Midlands providing primary, acute and community services and we are incredibly proud of the diversity of both our staff and the communities we serve. We are building a workforce that can help us to fulfil our values, improve the quality of care for patients, and solve the health care problems of tomorrow. We're passionate about the value that diversity of thinking and lived experience brings in enabling us to become a learning organisation and leader in delivering compassionate care for our patients.

We are delighted that we have been rated as Good by CQC. We have achieved numerous awards The Nursing Times Best Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Best UK Employer of the Year for Nursing Staff in 2020.

The Trust is a supportive working environment committed to creating flexible working arrangements that suit your needs and as such will consider all requests from applicants who wish to work flexibly.

Job description

Job responsibilities

It is anticipated that some of the activities listed below will evolve as BCPS develops.

• To liaise with clinicians, hospital staff and general practitioners in the diagnosis, management and prevention of infection in collaboration with the existing Consultant Microbiologist. This includes positive blood culture ward rounds including a regular critical care round to review the most unwell patients, ward rounds with the antimicrobial pharmacist to the acute admissions areas to provide support and review of key antimicrobial prescribing decisions based on alert antimicrobial usage and the review of individual complex patients by request from consultant colleagues.
• Together with all the BCPS Microbiology consultants ensure that professional standards are maintained in the laboratory. Safety, quality assurance and standards required to satisfy UKAS accreditation are the duty of all staff.
• Authorisation and interpretation of results issued by the laboratory.
• In conjunction with the Clinical Lead and the clinical governance committee and in co-operation with the Service lead (BMS) to ensure that the service is cost‑effective and that tests are clinically relevant.
• To provide, in conjunction with the Infection Control & Prevention Doctor, infection prevention and control advice to DGFT and the wider community and to assist in the implementation of infection & prevention policies.
• To co‑operate with the UK‑HSA West Midlands and Environmental Health Officers in management and prevention of communicable diseases within the community.
• To undertake on‑call consultative microbiology in co‑operation with the team of Consultant Microbiologists. This includes a commitment to undertake weeknight and weekend on‑call. It is expected that the post‑holder will do 6 hours of predictable DCC on Saturday when on‑call and Monday is given as time off in lieu for this. Cover for absence (study/annual leave or illness) will usually be arranged between the Consultants.
• To formulate and assist in implementation of policies for the use of antimicrobials in DGFT. Support of antimicrobial stewardship and where appropriate attendance at antimicrobial stewardship committee and medicines management committee meetings.
• To participate in the planning of pathology services in co‑operation with other Consultant Pathologists within BCPS.
• To participate in audit activities.
• To participate in the Trusts Undergraduate Medical Training Programme for students from Birmingham University Medical School. Also, to participate in postgraduate teaching programmes for medical, laboratory and nursing staff.
• To develop relevant research interests. Laboratory space is restricted however projects may be accommodated within the laboratory.
• To participate in the Royal College of Pathologists programme for Continuing Professional Development, as outlined in College guidelines published in January 1999 to include elements of Microbiology and Virology. Both financial support and time are available for study leave by agreement with the Clinical Director for BCPS.

Person Specification

Essential

• GMC registration
• FRCPath or equivalent qualification
• Evidence of higher Level (or equivalent) training in Clinical Microbiology including infection prevention (CCT in Microbiology or a dual CCT in Microbiology & Infectious Diseases)
• Evidence of ability to work well in a multidisciplinary team and maintain good relations with contacts
• Evidence of audit and the implementation of change following the audit
• Evidence of an understanding of and ability to demonstrate your ability to influence strategically, work collaboratively, drive for improvement
• Knowledge of principles of antimicrobial stewardship