Consultant in Microbiology

Job responsibilities

This is a Consultant post in Microbiology (Medical microbiology or Medical Microbiology and infectious diseases)

There is also the opportunity to take on the clinical leadership of the department with a view to creating a centre of excellence for microbiology.

The service is delivered for 2 acute sites, the University Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial hospital, elective site which is Bishop Auckland general hospital, five community hospitals and the primary care . Based on service needs and in agreement with the appointing manager and applicant, the applicants base will be University Hospital of North Durham OR Darlington Memorial Hospital. The post holder will however be required to work at any location within the Trust.

The appointee will be expected to be involved in implementing the Trusts Clinical Governance programme. This includes active participation in clinical audit, quality, clinical guidelines, pathways, and professional development.

The post holder will provide, working with other colleagues, clinical advice on medical microbiology to clinical staff in hospitals and in the community, and within the area served by the laboratory and consultants in communicable disease control, environmental health and others. This will include participation in surveillance, hospital infection control and public health microbiology.

The appointee will be expected to work with local managers and professional colleagues in the efficient running of the services and will share with Consultant colleagues in providing a clinical microbiology service to the Trust and local CCGs. This post will predominantly cover clinical service but in addition may have the need for the appointee to attend RCA, MDT meetings where required.

Clinical

Provide appropriate advice and result interpretation on the tests performed within the department under the overall supervision of the Consultant Microbiologist.

Liaison with clinicians, hospital staff and GP`s concerning the diagnosis and management of patients and prevention of infection.

Liaison with Public Health England and Health Protection Unit to manage infections and notification of notifiable diseases.

Attend and contribute to multidisciplinary team meetings as required. Current opportunities include C. difficile MDT, OPAT MDT (Outpatient antimicrobial therapy), Ortho MDT, and Endocarditis MDT

To provide medical input and oversight of policies, procedures and guidelines produced with microbiology, or those produced by other departments that impact on microbiology.

Provide advice and interpretation of test results to clinicians, either directly, or via participation in the departments duty rota.

This post will predominantly cover clinical service but in addition may have the need for the appointee to attend RCA, MDT meetings where required.

Out of Hours Responsibilities

Once the post holder is established they would be expected to participate in the on call rota. There will be a compulsory on call commitment as part of this post

Infection Control

The substantive post will involve working with the Consultant colleagues and infection control nurses to deal with day to day infection control management across the Trust.

Active involvement in investigation of infection control incidents and in action planning and implementation to reduce hospital acquired infection is expected.

There will be a need to be involved in root cause analysis following infection control incidents.

There will also be a need to be involved in decontamination issues.

Laboratory

To be involved in all aspects of the day-to-day operation to UKAS standards of the Clinical Microbiology laboratory with appropriate technical support.

Regular daily liaison with the laboratory technical staff

Reporting of laboratory results, authorizing and providing medical interpretation as appropriate

The appointee will be a responsible for the provision of a comprehensive, efficient and cost-effective diagnostic and clinical microbiology service (including bacteriology, virology, mycology and parasitology).

To provide clinical input to the laboratory manager to enable effective management of the automated Clinical Microbiology activities in the Trust including: Advising the section senior on the clinical implications of quality issues (EQA and IQC) that can be used to help inform their action plan.

Participate in the introduction of new methods and preparations of business case plan. The service is embracing new ideas to enable us to support expanding and ever changing demands on microbiology.

Share responsibility for quality assurance performance within the department including taking part in all relevant NEQAS programmes.

Works with operational members of laboratory staff to implement the departmental policies. Where possible ensures guidelines issued by the MHRA and NICE are compiled with. Assesses the budgetary, clinical and logistical implications of new guidance, whether National, Regional or local and liaise with other departments in order to provide the required level of service.

Provide clinical input whilst the department is evaluating new methods or equipment and producing reports including statistical analysis and graphical representations of data.

Monitor and advice on budgets and resources in the service as required.

Provide clinical leadership and training of staff.

Managerial Roles

There is the opportunity to take an active role in developing one of the key roles supported by the microbiology clinical team. These include developing and leading:

The OPAT service.

Antimicrobial Stewardship team

Infection Prevention and Control, this may include being deputy DIPC

Orthopaedic Infection

Diabetic foot Infection service

Endocarditis MDT

Education and training: CDDFT has been approved as an HSST training site

There is also the opportunity for a suitably experienced candidate to include the Microbiology Clinical Leadership role as part of this post.

Additional activities would be considered through job planning and allocation of funding (PA) once in post where appropriate. These roles are managed on rotation and the candidate will be required to deliver one or more of these roles.

The appointee will be expected to cover colleagues in their absence, and will be expected to deputise in the absence of colleagues in cases of annual leave, study leave and sickness as far as is practicable and ensure continuous patient care

Liaison with other Consultant Microbiologists

Liaison with other consultants includes attending meetings of the Microbiology Speciality Group and the Northern Region Consultant Microbiology Group (NERMG).

MDT- Participation in MDTs is expected. Currently there are MDTs for C. difficile (which is trust wide), Arthroplasty infection and Endocarditis

Other roles

Teaching The Consultants will be expected to participate in teaching of other junior medical staff, medical students and other staff as appropriate.

Research Research activities are considered an inherent part of normal clinical duties and would therefore be encouraged. Research funding may be available for successful applications to the regional research committee.

Audit and Clinical Governance The Trust has established Clinical Audit and Governance Departments. Within Pathology there is an active combined research & audit group with representatives from each speciality. It is expected that the appointees will actively participate within departmental audit and support cross-specialty audits.

Qualifications

Essential

• MBBS or equivalent medical qualification
• Full registration with the General Medical Council
• Inclusion of the GMC Specialist Register or within 6 months of expected date of CCT or CSST in Medical Microbiology or Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
• AND
• Evidence of significant experience in a senior clinical role.
• MB ChB or equivalent
• FRCPath part 1 and 2 or evidence of equivalent.
• Eligibility to work in the UK.

Desirable

• Progression through further training with achievement of professional qualifications.
• Training expertise
• Virology expertise

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of of significant experience in a senior clinical role e.g. Experience of independent working at Specialist Registrar or Consultant level.
• Experience of a wide range of general diagnostic work in Microbiology and Virology; including expert clinical management of infection and advising on Infection Prevention.
• Relevant specialty clinical knowledge:
• Capacity to apply sound clinical knowledge relevant to the job, specialty knowledge exam.
• Clinical judgement: experience in making clinical decisions and managing risk. Knows when to seek help able to prioritise clinical need.
• Practical skills: shows aptitude for practical skills, required for the job.
• Proven ability to work effectively in different clinical settings required in the job.

Desirable

• Working as a Consultant now.
• Experience of Infectious Diseases.
• Experience of advising infection control for estates projects
• Proven publication record in an area of clinical microbiology.
• Demonstrate an interest in general microbiology and another specialty area
• Experience of team working and improving the effectiveness of the team.

Special Skills & Knowledge

Essential

• Previous experience in a Clinical Microbiology laboratory at Consultant level or equivalent, or working towards this.
• Up to date knowledge of Microbiology including Infection Prevention at consulant level. Full understanding of relevant guidance on the management of patients and outbreaks.
• Practical ability, with developed technical skills, in the laboratory using a wide range of techniques.
• Ability to perform research, development and audit activities.
• Able to use basic computer programmes such as Work, Excel and Powerpoint.
• Able to manage clinical authorisation and clinical decision making.

Desirable

• Excellent knowledge of resistance mechanisms and management of complex infections.
• Good understanding and knowledge of modern Laboratory techniques including molecular methods and automation.
• Expertise in management of Infection Prevention problems.

Statutory Registration

Essential

• GMC Specialist Register or within 6 months of expected date of CCT or CSST in Medical Microbiology or Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).