Quality Improvement Practitioner & Antimicrobial Resistance

NHS; Plymouth; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A major healthcare provider in the United Kingdom is seeking a Quality Improvement Practitioner specializing in Antimicrobial Resistance. This 21-month fixed-term role involves collaborating with various clinical teams to implement improvements aimed at reducing infection rates and enhancing antimicrobial stewardship. Ideal candidates will have a background in healthcare or project management, with strong analytical and communication skills. This position offers significant professional development opportunities and a chance to impact public health positively.

Benefits

Career development opportunities

Supportive work environment

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Proven understanding of quality improvement principles and methodologies.
• Demonstrable experience coordinating projects across multiple teams.
• Proven knowledge of infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate project delivery and improvement activities across various settings.
• Collect, analyse, and report data to inform improvement cycles.
• Maintain accurate project records and ensure data protection compliance.

Skills

Quality improvement principles

Infection prevention and control

Project management

Data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Degree in Healthcare, Life Sciences, Public Health, or Quality Improvement

Tools

ePACT2

SPC charts

Job description

Quality Improvement Practitioner – Antimicrobial resistance

We are seeking a healthcare professional or project manager with an interest in infection prevention and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to contribute to a system wide improvement project.

This project is part of the NHS England ICB Antimicrobial Resistance Leadership and Governance Programme 2025/26 and will be hosted by University Hospitals Plymouth. The role is funded by NHSE and offered on a 21-month fixed-term basis, supporting system-wide improvements in AMR.

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to join our Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection team. Applicants may come from various backgrounds, including nurse, pharmacist, pharmacy technician, paramedic, or non-healthcare professionals with demonstrable project management experience.

As a Band 6 AMR Quality Improvement practitioner, you will work with clinical teams, commissioners, and public health partners across Devon and Cornwall to collate data and implement evidence-based interventions to reduce infection rates, inappropriate prescribing, and improve outcomes. You will help develop resources, toolkits, and guidance, and support education and engagement across care settings.

You will also have dedicated time within the Trust to deliver our local AMR programme, supporting safe, effective, and sustainable antimicrobial use.

Support and development opportunities will be provided to develop skills in quality improvement, antimicrobial stewardship, and infection prevention.

Main duties of the job

To support the delivery of a quality improvement project aimed at reducing antimicrobial resistance across NHS Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care System. This project forms part of the NHS England ICB Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Leadership and Governance Programme 2025/26 and will be hosted by University Hospitals Plymouth for a fixed term of 21months.

Working under the strategic oversight of the Consultant Antimicrobial Pharmacist, the post holder will exercise managed autonomy within agreed project plans. They will coordinate project delivery and improvement activities focused on Staphylococcus aureus (SA) infections across various settings. They will work closely with clinical teams, commissioners, public health, and community partners to reduce infection rates, improve antimicrobial prescribing, and address health inequalities.

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as 'Priority' and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

Available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity. (With current line manager's agreement). ***

About us

We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Job responsibilities

• Work under the direction and oversight of the Consultant Antimicrobial Pharmacist and the ICB to implement the NHSE-funded project in line with the national action plan for antimicrobial resistance.
• Support the Trusts antimicrobial stewardship annual plan, enabling the Consultant Pharmacist to focus on system-wide leadership activities.
• Have a proactive role in planning, supporting, and coordinating the delivery and evaluation of the ICS-wide Staph aureus bacteraemia reduction programme using recognised QI methods. Contribute to the development of project plans, report against Key performance indicators (KPIs), escalate risks appropriately, and work with colleagues to coordinate working groups under the guidance of the Consultant Antimicrobial Pharmacist and ICB leadership.
• Collect, analyse, and report data to inform PDSA cycles.
• Liaise with local teams and support communication. Facilitate meetings with various health and social care workers, communicate project progress. Act as an advocate for Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS), Antimicrobial stewardship (AMR) and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) priorities under consultant oversight.
• Identify disproportionately affected communities, work with voluntary sector and local authority partners, and support co-designed interventions. Contribute to outreach that improves equitable access to infection prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
• Support and deliver education on AMS, IPC, and Quality Improvement (QI). Develop resources, facilitate shared learning, and build QI capability with various clinical and operational teams to ensure sustainability beyond the project period.
• Maintain accurate project records, ensure information governance and data protection compliance, support business cases and evaluations, and contribute to service development. Undertake duties appropriate to the role and grade, under consultant pharmacist guidance.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

• Proven understanding of quality improvement principles and methodologies (e.g., PDSA, Model for Improvement, Lean).
• Proven knowledge of infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship
• Demonstrable experience coordinating projects or programmes across multiple teams or organisations.
• Demonstrable experience working with data sets and producing reports.
• Proven understanding of NHS structures, governance, and commissioning arrangements.
• Demonstrable experience in infection management, antimicrobial stewardship, or public health.
• Proven knowledge of health inequalities and approaches to address them.
• Familiarity with AMR National Action Plan and policy drivers.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level in a relevant field (Healthcare, Life Sciences, Public Health, Quality Improvement, Project Management) OR equivalent demonstrable experience at this level.
• Proven evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Professional registration (e.g., GPhC, NMC, HCPC)

Skills and Abilities

• Strong analytical skills and ability to interpret data.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including report writing and presentations.
• Ability to present complex information clearly to varied audiences.
• Effective stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.
• Demonstrable experience with statistical process control (SPC) charts.
• Facilitation skills for meetings and workshops.
• Demonstrable experience of co-design approaches with patients and communities.
• Proven knowledge of prescribing data systems (ePACT2, PrescQIPP).

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.