North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) have merged as of 1st July 2026 to become Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. This creates an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people.
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.
Our job adverts may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Considering this, if you are interested in this role, please do apply as soon as you can.
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Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity to provide Trust-wide leadership for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) across Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. As Director of Infection Prevention Services and Deputy Director of Infection Prevention and Control, you will lead the strategic direction, professional standards, governance and assurance of IPC services across our hospital sites.
We are looking for an experienced senior IPC leader who can combine professional credibility with strategic thinking, strong influencing skills and the ability to lead improvement across a large and complex organisation. Working closely with clinical teams, senior leaders and system partners, you will play a pivotal role in reducing avoidable harm, improving outcomes and creating consistent, evidence-based standards across the Trust.
Advert
You will provide senior Trust-wide leadership for Infection Prevention and Control, acting as Deputy DIPC and providing expert advice, assurance and challenge to the Chief Nursing & Improvement Officer, Executive Team and Board. You will lead the development and implementation of Trust-wide strategies, standards and improvement programmes.
You will oversee the Trust response to outbreaks and significant IPC risks, strengthen surveillance and assurance systems, and work across clinical services, estates, facilities and system partners to ensure consistently high standards across all sites. You will provide professional leadership to the IPC workforce, including direct line management of the Heads of IPC, and will lead service development, workforce planning, education, research and innovation.
We are looking for a credible and experienced senior IPC leader with excellent judgement, strong analytical skills and the confidence to influence and challenge at executive and system level. You will need to be able to navigate complexity, lead through ambiguity, build effective partnerships and combine supportive professional leadership with robust governance and assurance.
Working for our organisation
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.
With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Director of Infection Prevention Services will provide Trust-wide strategic leadership, professional accountability and assurance for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) across Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. Acting as Deputy Director of Infection Prevention and Control, the postholder will exercise delegated authority on behalf of the Chief Nursing & Improvement Officer as DIPC and will ensure that the Trust meets its statutory, regulatory and professional responsibilities for infection prevention and control.
The postholder will lead the development, implementation and evaluation of Trust-wide IPC strategies, standards and policies, supporting the harmonisation of practice across hospital sites and reducing unwarranted variation. They will provide senior leadership for programmes including healthcare-associated infection reduction, antimicrobial resistance and stewardship, surveillance, audit and continuous improvement.
They will provide formal assurance to the Chief Nursing & Improvement Officer, Executive Team and Board committees regarding IPC performance, risk, compliance and outcomes, and will ensure that significant infection prevention risks are identified, escalated and effectively managed. The role includes senior oversight of outbreaks, serious incidents and high-risk IPC events, together with professional leadership into emergency preparedness, pandemic response and organisational resilience arrangements.
The Director will provide senior professional leadership to the Trust’s IPC workforce, including direct line management of the Heads of IPC. They will oversee professional standards, competency frameworks, education, workforce planning, clinical supervision, research and innovation, ensuring that services have the capacity and capability required to meet organisational priorities.
The postholder will hold strategic oversight of IPC resources, budgets, digital surveillance and reporting systems, and will contribute to decisions regarding service development, workforce, estates and infrastructure. They will provide assurance in areas including cleaning and decontamination, water safety, ventilation, equipment and surfaces, and procurement where infection risk is present.
This is a highly collaborative role. The postholder will work closely with clinical and operational leaders across the Trust, the Chief Nursing & Improvement Officer, the Director of Communities & Inclusion, Heads of IPC, microbiology, antimicrobial stewardship, estates, facilities, quality and improvement colleagues. Externally, they will represent the Trust and develop effective relationships with organisations including CQC, NHS England, UKHSA, ICBs, local authorities, higher education institutions and other system and regional partners.
The role is professionally accountable to the Chief Nursing & Improvement Officer as DIPC and managerially accountable to the Director of Communities & Inclusion. Cross-site working across Bristol NHS Foundation Trust will be required, alongside participation in organisational emergency, incident response and business continuity arrangements as appropriate.
We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.
· As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
· The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
· BFT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
· To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
· If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
· The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
· By applying for this post, you are agreeing to Bristol NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
· Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.
IMPORTANT:
Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.
Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore, please apply for this post as soon as you can, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification
Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.
As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.
When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.
Director of Infection Prevention Services in Bristol employer: BFT
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