GESH Lead Nurse for Infection Prevention & Control (ESTH)

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Sutton; On-site; GBP 73,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Lead Nurse for Infection Prevention & Control (ESTH) to drive strategic development and operational delivery of IPC across the Trust and community partners. The role requires a strong leadership presence to support safe, high-quality patient care and to guide the Infection Prevention and Control Team and Vascular Access Service.

The post holder will provide expert advice, governance oversight and assurance to senior leaders, with

Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience in Infection Prevention and Control within an acute healthcare setting, including responsibility for strategic oversight, governance, assurance and outbreak management.
• Demonstrable experience of providing expert advice and assurance to senior leaders, governance committees and multidisciplinary teams on infection prevention, patient safety and quality issues.
• Experience of leading service improvement, change management and quality initiatives that delivered measurable improvements in patient safety or organisational performance.
• Knowledge of current Infection Prevention and Control legislation, national guidance, regulatory requirements and healthcare-associated infection prevention strategies.
• Ability to lead and influence across organisational boundaries and develop effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience of working across acute and community healthcare settings.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the strategic direction, development and delivery of infection prevention and control services across the Trust and wider health economy.
• Facilitate the effective management of infection risks throughout the organisation through communication relating to infection prevention, surveillance and performance data.
• Provide assurance reports to Site Leadership team regarding infection prevention and control performance, risks and compliance with statutory requirements.
• Lead and coordinate the investigation and management of outbreaks, incidents and healthcare-associated infection risks, with other stakeholders to implement control measures and learning.

Skills

Infection prevention leadership

Strategic governance

Outbreak management

Job description

GESH Lead Nurse for Infection Prevention & Control (ESTH)

NHS AfC: Band 8b

Main area Infection Control Grade NHS AfC: Band 8b Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 200-8294986-GO-ND

Site Trustwide Town Sutton Salary £72,719 - £83,505 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 05/10/2026 23:59

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced, dynamic and highly motivated nurse leader to join George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group as Head of Nursing for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) for Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust and our community partners, Surrey Downs Health and Care and Sutton Health and Care.

This senior leadership role has responsibility for the strategic and operational delivery of infection prevention and control services across Epsom and St Helier and community services, providing expert leadership, assurance and advice to support the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality patient care. The post holder will lead a well-established Infection Prevention and Control Team and Vascular Access Service, driving innovation, quality improvement and excellence in infection prevention practice

Main duties of the job

• Contribute to the strategic direction, development and delivery of infection prevention and control services across the Trust and wider health economy.
• Facilitate the effective management of infection risks throughout the organisation through:
• Co-ordination of an effective system of communication relating to infection prevention, surveillance and performance data.
• Provision of specialist infection prevention and control advice to divisions, departments, teams and individuals, both proactively and in response to identified risks or incidents
• Provide assurance reports to Site Leadership team regarding infection prevention and control performance, risks and compliance with statutory requirements
• Lead and co-ordinate the investigation and management of outbreaks, incidents and healthcare-associated infection risks, working collaboratively with the Lead IPC Doctor and other stakeholders to implement control measures and organisational learning.
• Contribute to the identification, assessment and management of clinical and organisational risks by providing expert analysis, assurance and specialist advice to the organisation.
• Ensure effective systems are in place to provide ongoing assurance of compliance with CQC requirements, the Health and Social Care Act (Hygiene Code), national guidance and other relevant regulatory standards.

Working for our organisation

St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey.Our sites include St George’s Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC).

After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.

At gesh we are committed to supporting flexible working arrangements. Applicants are encouraged to discuss any flexibility they may need during the recruitment process.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Candidates are strongly advised to refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for this post to to review the details and main responsibilities for this role before application.

application and interview

• achieved grade and experience
• acheived grade/experience

application and interview

• Significant senior leadership experience in Infection Prevention and Control within an acute healthcare setting, including responsibility for strategic oversight, governance, assurance and outbreak management.
• Demonstrable experience of providing expert advice and assurance to senior leaders, governance committees and multidisciplinary teams on infection prevention, patient safety and quality issues.
• Experience of leading service improvement, change management and quality initiatives that have delivered measurable improvements in patient safety or organisational performance.
• Knowledge of current Infection Prevention and Control legislation, national guidance, regulatory requirements and healthcare-associated infection prevention strategies.
• Ability to lead and influence across organisational boundaries and develop effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
• achieved/experience
• Experience of working across acute and community healthcare settings.

Please refer to the latest UKVI guidance and ensure you have the appropriate right to work before applying for this role.

Safeguarding and DBS Checks

We are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. For roles with direct access to these groups, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be required. All staff are expected to understand and uphold their safeguarding responsibilities as part of their role.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.