Consultant in Public Health Infection in Manchester

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our supporting hub at Rivergate, Bristol. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, averaged over a month). Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport links and benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Job Summary

Health Protection in Regions

This role is within the Health Protection in Regions Directorate, which forms part of the Chief Medical Advisor’s Group of UKHSA. Health Protection in Regions deliver expert, trusted, and resilient health protection services, protecting society from harm from infectious diseases and environmental hazards locally, nationally, and across the globe. This becomes reality with collaboration and coordination of data, information, and support from across the Group, Agency, and wider health family.

Field Services Division

The Field Services Division was established to provide a national comprehensive service which is geographically dispersed and integrates epidemiological, microbiological, data science and other public health capacity and skills to consistently deliver high-quality disease surveillance, public health intelligence and outbreak response. Field Services provides an effective arm for UKHSA, supporting the translation of evidence into practice as well as having a role in strengthening disease surveillance and outbreak response through closer links with the NHS and other partners. It also maintains valuable links to academic centres to support the advancement of the evidence base for health protection and provides effective leadership and coordination of the UKHSA field epidemiology training function.

Job Description

In each UKHSA region, FSD and health protection teams work closely with the consultant in public health infection (CPHI) to deliver a high-quality health protection service. CPHIs in collaboration with FSD, HPTs and regional laboratories play an important role in supporting outbreak and incident responses, providing public health microbiology advice including interpretation of test results and overseeing public health microbiology laboratory regional services. This role requires maintaining active links and relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, both within UKHSA (e.g., Health Protections Teams, reference and specialist microbiology laboratories) and outside of UKHSA (e.g., NHS Trusts, Local Authorities, infection prevention and control (IPC) networks, and commissioners of healthcare services). Together the regional CPHIs form the national CPHI network. The CPHI network promotes positive collaboration and peer support to encourage enhanced working practices and ensure that public health microbiology has national consistency and resilience.

Person Specification

• Act as a key member of UKHSA’s multidisciplinary team delivering outbreak detection, prevention, and control across the region and, if required, to other regions and nationally.
• Provide strategic leadership for determining the requirements and priorities for the provision and commissioning of PHM and infection services from the budget allocated to the region.
• Act as the scientific and clinical interface between UKHSA and other providers of laboratory services in the region, including both the NHS and Independent Sector.
• Provide specialist and impartial advice on the prevention and control of a range of public health infections and other public health related topics as required across the Region.
• Support local health protection teams in delivering the HCAI/AMR agenda.
• Contribute to the training and supervision of scientific and medical trainees within UKHSA’s FS and wider laboratory network.
• Provide a focus for research and development in public health infection across the region.
• Work with colleagues in the FS, UKHSA and NHS laboratory network and in health protection teams to ensure appropriate surveillance systems are in place.
• Take a lead role with providers of NHS clinical microbiology services across the region to promote standards and outputs from existing and future surveillance schemes.
• Be prepared to take on wider national roles and represent the FS in discussion with government departments, agencies, and professional groups.
• Support the FS clinical governance structure and participate in clinical audit.

Learning and Development

Learning and development tailored to your role. An environment with flexible working options. A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you.

Selection Process Details

External - Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service.

Stage 1: Application & Sift - This vacancy is using the Civil Service Competency Framework.

Stage 2: Interview stage (competency based) - You will be invited to a face to face interview.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Nationality Requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups: UK nationals, nationals of the Republic of Ireland, nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK, nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS).

Contact Point for Applicants

Job Contact: Nick Young, Consultant Epidemiologist Email: nick.young@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team Email: scs.mdrecruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk