Senior Clinical Fellow in Viral Hepatitis

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS healthcare provider in Greater London is seeking a Viral Hepatitis Senior Clinical Fellow to lead initiatives focused on patient engagement for chronic hepatitis treatments. The role is integral to the ODN and involves outpatient management and contributions to research. This is a two-year fixed-term position commencing in March 2026, providing opportunities for career advancement and flexible hours within a large and innovative healthcare setting.

Benefits

Flexible hours

Generous benefits

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Thorough understanding of viral hepatitis required.
• Ability to lead clinical engagement initiatives.
• Experience contributing to clinical management and research.

Responsibilities

• Lead multi-branched re-engagement and elimination initiatives.
• Contribute to outpatient clinical management at the Royal Free liver unit.
• Participate in hepatology on-call registrar rota.

Skills

Understanding of viral hepatitis

Leadership skills

Engagement strategies

Education

Post-MRCP core medical trainee

PhD or MD in relevant field

Job description

Overview

The availability of curative, well-tolerated treatments for chronic hepatitis C (HCV) comprising directly‑acting antivirals (DAAs) has presented a historically unprecedented opportunity to eliminate this major public health threat. Subsequent roll‑out of emergency department opt‑out testing is identifying unprecedented numbers of patients with chronic hepatitis B and C infection at all three ED sites within the trust (Barnet Hospital, North Middlesex Hospital, Royal Free Hospital). In addition novel treatments for hepatitis D (Hepcludex) are starting to address this unmet need. The landscape of viral hepatitis management is therefore an exciting and evolving area for both those involved in delivering care and for patients.

Operational Delivery Network

The North Central London Hepatitis C Operational Delivery Network (ODN), part of the national HCV elimination programme, covers one of the highest HCV prevalence areas in the country. This includes populations of patients at high risk of infection or onward transmission. We have treated >5000 patients to date with DAAs and now run a predominantly community‑based case‑finding and treatment service. The Royal Free Hospital is the hub of this ODN and is increasingly taking on coordination of hepatitis B and D services across the region.

Royal Free Viral Hepatitis Service

The Royal Free viral hepatitis service treats patients with all forms of viral hepatitis, runs a regional multidisciplinary meeting (MDM) and has close links with other hepatology services including liver transplantation and alcohol services. The viral hepatitis service and the ODN work together closely, with the shared aims of improving and widening care of patients with viral hepatitis.

Challenges

It is emerging that the key barrier to elimination of viral hepatitis is patient engagement. Patients with hepatitis B and C experience multiple barriers to engagement which prevent accessing diagnosis and treatment through standard pathways.

Key Responsibilities

The Viral Hepatitis Senior Clinical Fellow (SCF) will be responsible for developing new strategies to meet this challenge. The SCF will lead structured, multi‑branched re‑engagement and elimination initiatives. These will identify key bottlenecks in the assessment and treatment pathways, the key factors impeding progress and determine the best interventions to resolve these.

Reporting to the ODN and viral hepatitis service clinical leads for both educational and clinical supervision, the post holder will be expected to work predominantly at the Royal Free Hospital but make occasional trips to other partner ODN Trusts and community treatment sites. The post holder will share managerial responsibility over a data‑collection and coordinator team with the ODN manager and also clinical supervision of our clinician assistant outreach team.

A thorough understanding of viral hepatitis is required; thus, the successful applicant would contribute to outpatient clinical management of patients with viral hepatitis at the Royal Free liver unit and will attend the weekly viral hepatitis MDM.

The ODN and viral hepatitis service, in conjunction with the UCL Division of Medicine, has an active research interest with a good track record of presentations at national meetings. The post holder would be expected to contribute to this work.

Contract and Training

The post begins in March 2026 for a two‑year fixed‑term contract. It would thus provide an ideal opportunity for a specialist trainee, post‑MRCP core medical trainee or post‑CCT fellow to establish the basis for a PhD or MD in the field of public health, infectious diseases, virology, hepatology and/or health service delivery.

Training Programme

An individualised programme of outpatient clinical sessions, research and audit will be agreed with the successful candidates to meet sub‑specialist interests and training needs in a tertiary hepatology and liver transplant setting. Suitably experienced candidates will be able to participate in the hepatology on‑call registrar rota.

Benefits

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s biggest and most innovative trusts. Across three main hospitals, our dedicated army of staff care for over 1.6 million patients, treat more than 200,000 in A&E, deliver over 8,000 babies and carry out more than 17 million tests. Our size, scale and influence offer you unrivalled career opportunities and a forward‑thinking approach to working that works around your lifestyle. From flexible hours and generous benefits, to next level training, we make it easier to take your career to the top.

Application

For more information please follow link https://www.royalfreelondonjobs.co.uk/.

Closing Date

This advert closes on Tuesday 3 Feb 2026.