Locum Consultant Microbiologist/Infection Control Doctor

Job overview

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 the provision of 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). This 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. 

Candidates for the post must be either GMC registered medical practitioners or if applying as a consultant clinical scientist to be registered with the HCPC. It is expected that the appointee will hold the FRCPath or MRCP or show evidence of equivalent training and experience.

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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 0.5wte 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 three monthly: prosthetic joint infections monthly and OPAT weekly. This latter consists of pharmacy and the community nurses. The consultant in charge of the patient retains clinical responsibility. The consultants in infection also alternate attendance at a multi-disciplinary clinic for patients with infected diabetic foot ulcers that occurs every fortnight.

The consultant microbiologist who leads on antimicrobial stewardship attends the Medicines Safety Committee; chairs the six 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.

Working for our organisation

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.

Russell Hardy, Trust Chairman: “The strength of the Trust is its amazing staff; a great place to work, a great place to develop your career and a great place to reach your 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.

Detailed job description and main 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.

The consultants in infection attend several 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 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 2 band 4 0.4 wte administrator who supports the team. The budget holder is the lead infection prevention nurse. The ICD is the deputy chair of the infection prevention committee.

There are 4 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)