Locum Consultant Microbiologist/Infection Control Doctor

Wye Valley NHS Trust; Hereford; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Part time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider is seeking a part-time Consultant Microbiologist to join their team in Hereford. The role involves managing clinical microbiology services, collaborating with medical colleagues, and overseeing infection prevention efforts. Applicants must hold an MBBS degree, relevant qualifications, and possess extensive experience in microbiology or infectious diseases. This position offers an excellent opportunity to contribute to high-quality patient care in a supportive environment.

Benefits

Supportive work environment

Opportunities for professional development

Work-life balance

Qualifications

• Full registration with a licence to practise with the General Medical Council (GMC).
• MRCPath or evidence of equivalent qualification.
• CCT or equivalence in Infectious Diseases.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive clinical microbiology and virology services.
• Manage infection prevention and control responsibilities.
• Liaise with consultant colleagues and lead physicians.

Skills

Medical microbiology experience

Infectious diseases knowledge

Effective communication

Broad range of IT skills

Education

MBBS or equivalent qualification

MRCPath or equivalent qualification

Full registration with GMC

Job description

An opportunity has arisen to join our friendly, patient-focused and forward-thinking team in a beautiful part of the Country.

The appointee, together with existing colleagues, will be responsible for providing a comprehensive, efficient, and cost-effective clinical microbiology, virology and infection prevention and control service to Wye Valley NHS Trust and other users of the service.

This post is a part time (6 programmed activities) Consultant Microbiologist for Wye Valley NHS Trust (WVT). It is a new post increasing the consultant establishment to 3.6 WTE. WVT is part of a programme board with Worcestershire that is exploring the benefits of a network. Currently, there is a microbiology laboratory on site at WVT. The ICD role is for WVT only.

Main duties of the job

Responsibilities of the post include direct clinical care (DCC) and proactive liaison in a timely manner with consultant colleagues, other hospital staff, medical microbiology colleagues and lead respiratory physicians for tuberculosis management, GPs, and the antimicrobial pharmacist. The sexual health service is outsourced to a private provider. There is a 0.5 WTE antimicrobial pharmacist. An antimicrobial pharmacist technician supports this post.

The consultant microbiologists share clinical duties. There is an ITU ward round daily.

The consultant microbiologists attend three MDTs:

• TB and NTM with respiratory physicians (3 monthly)
• Prosthetic joint infection/revision meeting with orthopaedic department (monthly)
• OPAT meeting with podiatry, community nursing and pharmacy (weekly). The consultant in charge of the patient retains clinical responsibility.
• Diabetic foot infection clinical with podiatry, orthopaedic foot surgeons, diabetes specialist and vascular team (fortnightly)
• Clostrididioides difficile round (weekly)

The consultant microbiologist who leads on antimicrobial stewardship attends the Medicines Safety Committee, chairs the 6 monthly Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee and meets monthly with the antimicrobial stewardship team.

The head of department attends pathology board.

The appointee will take an appropriate share of responsibility for departmental commitments according to interests and expertise.

About us

Wye Valley NHS Trust is a member of an NHS Foundation Group with South Warwickshire NHS FT, the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

Located on the border with Wales in the shadow of the Black Mountains, we provide acute and community services across Herefordshire and into parts of Powys and run Hereford County Hospital and the community hospitals in Bromyard, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye.

Worcestershire is our neighbouring county. The post holder will be required to travel between sites.

We are a progressive and forward looking trust with ambitious plans to improve quality and integrate patient pathways through close collaborative working with our partners to deliver the quality of care we'd want for our family and friends.

More than 3,500 people work for the Trust – they tell us it's a great place to work, blending the busyness of a DGH with the benefits of working in a beautiful rural and unspoilt county like Herefordshire.

We can offer a great work‑life balance and have a fine tradition of working with staff to help them achieve their full potential.

Our values - Care, Accountability, Respect and Excellence - are at the heart of all we do. We believe in providing the right care in the right place at the right time…all the time.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to attachments and summary below.

Clinical practice and liaison

Timely clinical liaison in response to blood cultures/critical specimen results and/or clinician requests is expected. GUM is outsourced to a private provider with no clinical input from WVT. The consultants in infection share clinical duties. There is an ITU ward round daily. A Clinical Scientist/Higher Specialist Scientist trainee also supports the department.

There is a 0.5 WTE antimicrobial pharmacist. This post is supported by an antimicrobial pharmacist technician. The AMS program is under continuous development, including development of new antibiotic/infection guidelines, enhanced AMS activities and a new penicillin allergy de‑labelling initiative.

• TB and NTM with respiratory physicians (3 monthly)
• Prosthetic joint infection/revision meeting with orthopaedic department (monthly)
• OPAT meeting with podiatry, community nursing and pharmacy (weekly). The consultant in charge of the patient retains clinical responsibility.
• Diabetic foot infection clinical with podiatry, orthopaedic foot surgeons, diabetes specialist and vascular team (fortnightly)
• Clostrididioides difficile round (weekly)

The appointee will take equal (or an appropriate share of) responsibility for departmental commitments. The consultant in infection who leads on antimicrobial stewardship attends the Medicines Safety Committee, chairs the 6 monthly Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee and meets monthly with the antimicrobial stewardship team. The head of department attends pathology board.

Infection prevention and control

There is an infection prevention team consisting of a Band 8a 1.0 WTE lead nurse, two band 7 0.8 WTE deputies and 3 WTE band 6 infection prevention nurses who work closely with the ICD. The DIPC is the Director of Nursing. There are two band 4 0.4 WTE administrators who support the team. The budget holder is the lead infection prevention nurse. The ICD is the deputy chair of the infection prevention committee.

There are four PAs for the ICD role which is provided only for WVT.

The ICD attends the decontamination committee, the infection prevention committee, the cleanliness and food safety committee, the water management group, the PFI performance management group and the Herefordshire and Worcestershire‑wide HCAI forum.

The apportionment and possible rotation of roles will be decided between the appointee and the existing medical staff. There are additional opportunities for teaching (including for junior medical staff, students and our Higher Specialist Scientist trainee) and a weekly hospital Grand Round which our department participates in.

Our team would be delighted to have a discussion with/take queries from any potential candidates.

Applicants must have:

• Full registration with a licence to practise with the General Medical Council (GMC)
• MBBS, MB ChB or evidence of equivalent qualification
• MRCPath or evidence of equivalent qualification or Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• MRCPath or evidence of equivalent qualification or MRCP or evidence of equivalent qualification
• (CCT or equivalence in Infectious Diseases)

Person Specification

Experience & Knowledge

Essential

• Evidence of thorough and broad training and experience in medical microbiology and/or infectious diseases.
• Able to take responsibility for delivering service without direct supervision.
• Knowledge and experience of medical microbiology and/or infectious diseases.
• Broad range of IT skills.
• Knowledge of evidence‑based practice.

Communication and Language Skills

Essential

• Ability to communicate effectively with clinical colleagues, colleagues in pathology and support staff.
• Good knowledge of, and ability to use, spoken and written English.
• Ability to present effectively to an audience, using a variety of methods, and to respond to questions and queries.

Education & Qualifications

Essential

• Full registration with a licence to practise with the General Medical Council (GMC).
• MBBS, MB ChB or evidence of equivalent qualification.
• FRCPath or evidence of equivalent qualification.

Desirable

• Other relevant higher qualification.
• M/FRCP or evidence of equivalent qualification.

Commitment to Trust Values & Behaviours

Essential

• Must be able to demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Trust's Values and Behaviours.