HIV Health Adviser | St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

st georges nhs trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Greater London seeks a Health Adviser to deliver counselling, health education, and safeguarding to individuals living with HIV. The successful candidate will work closely within a multidisciplinary team to coordinate comprehensive care. Candidates must have significant experience in HIV or sexual health settings. The role offers an opportunity to contribute to patient support and service development in a valued healthcare environment.

Qualifications

• Experience working in a HIV or sexual health setting.
• Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide counselling support and health education to patients.
• Play a key role in monthly MDT meetings.
• Maintain accurate patient records and undertake clinical audits.

Skills

Counselling

Health education

Advocacy

Safeguarding

Crisis intervention

Education

Significant experience as Health Adviser in HIV or sexual health

Job description

The main components of the role of the Health Adviser are counselling, health education, partner notification, advocacy and safeguarding. The Health Adviser team work closely as part of the wider MDT and with other agencies to help co-ordinate the care for our cohort of people living with HIV. The role encompasses the out-patient based service, the in-patient ward, and other departments within the hospital. The post holder will need to have had significant experience working as a Health Adviser in either a HIV or sexual health setting. The Health Advisers work as part of a small, supportive, and effective team, and are a highly valued part of the service.

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.

Emotional Support

• To provide counselling support and health education to patients attending the HIV clinic and to those who are in‑patient on the ward in relation to any aspect of their HIV care. This will include attending ward rounds.
• To provide crisis intervention and on‑going support as appropriate.
• To assess and refer appropriate patients to our in‑house psychology service.
• To identify patient risk, working with patients in promoting a healthier lifestyles approach, using evidence‑based motivational and risk reduction techniques.
• To work with local services to support patients facing challenges around their alcohol/drug use.
• To provide support, where appropriate, to partners, significant others and family members.
• To provide emotional support to in‑patients under the Infection Care Group.

Patient Safeguarding

• To play a key role in our monthly MDT meeting and attend relevant internal and external safeguarding meetings as required by the service.
• To complete safeguarding referrals to adult and children services and other organisations as necessary.
• To ensure all potential vertical HIV transmission cases are handled according to national guidelines.

Administration

• To action positive results received in the HIV service, including those from the Emergency Department.
• To co‑coordinate the follow up and recall of patients needing treatment, care or advice by letter, telephone or home visits as appropriate.
• To maintain accurate computerised and patient records on all patients with whom interventions take place including the management of the Health Adviser recall and partner notification systems.
• To undertake clinical audit and research in order to develop the Health Adviser role.
• To maintain an up‑to‑date information system on relevant statutory and voluntary sector services.

Health Education

• To co‑coordinate enquiries from other health professionals and the general public about issues related to HIV.
• To co‑coordinate the production, supply and display of HIV and relevant health promotion materials.
• To undertake training of other health care professional and any new members of staff, for example doctors, medical students and healthcare assistants.

Professional Responsibilities

• To attend regular managerial, supervision, reflective practice and appraisal meetings.
• To develop and maintain effective communication and liaison with the MDT, working in close co‑operation for the benefit of patients in order to improve services at the clinic.
• To be fully conversant with related health, social, welfare, counselling and education services in the area and to liaise as necessary with statutory and voluntary agencies.
• To attend and contribute at the relevant HIV team meetings with other members of the multidisciplinary team.

Service Development

• To provide Health Adviser input into service developments as required.
• To initiate, develop and manage outreach services as appropriate.
• To provide and develop training with statutory, community and third sector agencies promoting HIV testing and awareness.
• To ensure that pathways to signpost patients needing sexual health services work efficiently and effectively.

Other Duties

• To take a lead within the clinic of managing challenging situations.
• To co‑coordinate referrals from, and offer specialist advice regarding HIV tests to other hospital departments and community agencies.
• To support the clinic run by the HIV Service within HMP Wandsworth.

Confidentiality

The post holder must at all times maintain complete confidentiality of the material and information that they handle. Any matters of a confidential nature, or in particular, information relating to diagnoses and treatment of patients must not, under any circumstances, be divulged or passed on to any unauthorised person.

Data Protection

The post holder must at all times respect the confidentiality of information in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act. This includes, if required to do so, obtain, process and/or use information held on a computer in a fair and lawful way, to hold data only for the specified registered purposes and to use or disclose data only to authorised persons or organisations as instructed.

Policies and Procedures

The post holder will be expected to comply with all statutory legislation, Trust Financial Framework Guidance and approved national and local policy. The post holder is also expected to be aware of the Trust’s Risk Management Strategy which includes the responsibilities placed on them by the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) and the Clinical Governance Framework. All employees are expected to comply with all Trust Policies and Procedures.

This advert closes on Tuesday 30 Dec 2025.