Consultant Virologist

NHS Jobs; Norwich; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Consultant Virologist to provide critical virology services across the EPA network, advising clinically, interpreting complex laboratory results, and contributing to clinical ward rounds, governance, audit and education.

The post supports rapid turnaround for antenatal screening and urgent ED testing across three acute hospitals in Norfolk, with on-call rotation for out-of-hours advice and infection prevention.

Job description

The Consultant Virologist post provides critical virology services across the EPA network, including specialist clinical advice, interpretation of complex laboratory results, and participation in clinical ward rounds at NNUHFT. The role underpins safe clinical decision-making and contributes to clinical governance, audit, service development, education, and research collaboration. In 2025, NNUH implemented opt-out bloodborne virus testing in the Emergency Department, generating an additional ~200 blood samples per day across three pathogen targets. This has resulted in a sustained increase in diagnostic activity and demand for timely specialist interpretation. Without sufficient consultant capacity, there is a risk of delayed result validation, slower clinical advice, and downstream impacts on patient management, particularly in acute and emergency care settings. In parallel, the antenatal screening programme requires rapid turnaround of samples and consistent consultant-level clinical input across all three acute hospitals in Norfolk. Delays or capacity constraints in this pathway carry direct patient safety risks, including delayed identification and management of maternal infection and increased risk of vertical transmission. Additional consultant capacity is therefore essential to maintain agreed turnaround times, ensure timely clinical advice, and mitigate clinical risk arising from increased service demand. The post also strengthens service resilience, supports safe delivery of a 1 in 4 on-call rota for out-of-hours clinical advice and infection prevention and control emergencies, and reduces the risk of burnout and single-point-of-failure within the virology consultant workforce. Interview date - 2nd December 2026.

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust