Consultant in Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases

NHS; Swindon; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare institution is seeking a Consultant in Medical Microbiology to join its team. The role involves providing leadership in infection management and delivering a comprehensive infection service. Applicants should be fully registered with the GMC, ideally with a Certificate of Completion of Training. This position offers full-time, part-time, or flexible working options and requires collaboration with various medical professionals to improve patient care and service delivery.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Collaborative environment with academic opportunities

Qualifications

• Full and specialist registration with the GMC or eligible for registration.
• CCT holder or within six months of CCT award by interview date.
• Broad training and experience in Medical Microbiology required.

Responsibilities

• Leadership in infection management.
• Provide comprehensive infection service including direct clinical care.
• Oversee quality assurance performance within the department.

Skills

Leadership in infection management

Knowledge of evidence based practice

Experience in infection prevention and control

Ability to deliver service without supervision

Special interest complementary to the department's needs

Education

Full and specialist registration with GMC

Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT)

FRCPath by examination

IPC Qualification

Job description

Consultant in Medical Microbiology/ Infectious Diseases

The closing date is 26 January 2026

We are looking for Medical Microbiologists to join our existing team of 4 consultants in the department of Microbiology at Great Western Hospitals.

The appointees will cover a total of 13 PAs over one/two posts, with flexibility over how this is divided depending on individual requirements. Over the next year, we are aiming to broaden the scope of microbiology services offered at Great Western and are therefore particularly interested to hear from infectious diseases/medical microbiology jointly trained candidates who would be interested in helping us to drive transformation and service improvements for our patients. GWH is part of the South 4 Pathology Partnership and works in close collaboration with Oxford University Hospitals, Buckinghamshire Healthcare, and Milton Keynes in the delivery and development of microbiology services. The appointees will be encouraged to develop strong working relationships with the medical microbiology team at OUH, and to take advantage of academic research and ongoing CPD opportunities offered. More formal support or mentoring could also be explored if desired for early career consultants.

Main duties of the job

• Taking a leadership role within the Trust/ hospital / Health Board in matters relating to infection management.
• Provision of a comprehensive infection service. This includes direct clinical care and proactive liaison in a timely manner with consultant colleagues, other hospital staff, medical microbiology colleagues, Genito-Urinary Medicine physicians and lead respiratory physicians for tuberculosis management, general practitioners, antibiotic pharmacists, IPC nurses, health protection consultants and CCDCs concerning the diagnosis and management of patients, and control and prevention of infection.
• Regular departmental visits and commitments to specific units including Intensive Care, Haematology/Oncology, Medical/Surgical admission units, regular and ad hoc visits to wards, and departmental commitment to IPC.
• Regular departmental commitments to committees such as IPC meetings, Medicines Management Committee, Antibiotic Working Group, Sepsis Working group, Pathology Directorate meetings, Microbiology Management Committee
• Regular commitments to Orthopedic multidisciplinary team (MDT), Diabetic/ High Risk Foot MDT, Cardiology and antibiotic pharmacy rounds.
• Development of sub-specialty interests that fit in with Division needs and the strategic direction of the Trust.
• Responsibilities for teaching, examination and accreditation duties are required, and for contributing to undergraduate and post-graduate and continuing medical education.

About us

Our STAR values are at the heart of everything we do. You can expect to see them in the way we act and the way we treat each other. Our values make us who we are. We will expect your values and behaviour to reflect the STAR Values of the organisation:

Service We will put our patients first Teamwork We will work together Ambition We will aspire to provide the best service Respect We will act with integrity

The hospital is conveniently placed on the outskirts of Swindon with excellent travel links, it is just 5 minutes from junction 15 of the M4, 75 miles from London and 35 miles from Bristol. It is in the midst of beautiful countryside, sitting at the foot of the Marlborough Downs and just south of the Cotswolds.

Job responsibilities

All consultants will be expected to contribute to the following: Day-to-day supervision of diagnostic methods and examination of specimens. Authorisation and interpretation of results. Involvement in Policy and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) preparation. Responsibility for quality assurance performance within the department, including taking part in all relevant External Quality Assurance programmes. Responsibility for achieving and maintaining full accreditation with United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) ISO15189 or equivalent. This also includes accreditation of Infection During Pregnancy Screening (IDPS) services by UKAS. Business planning, including the assessment and introduction of new methods, and forward planning for staff and equipment requirements.

Please find attached a full job description and person specification

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Full and specialist registration (and a licence to practise) with the General Medical Council (GMC) (or eligible for registration within six months of interview)
• Applicants that are UK trained, must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview
• Applicants that are non-UK trained, will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT
• FRCPath (UK) by examination or evidence of equivalent qualification
• MRCP (UK) or evidence of equivalent qualification
• A relevant higher qualification would be desirable
• IPC Qualification

Clinical Experience

• Evidence of thorough and broad training and experience in Medical Microbiology
• Able to take responsibility for delivering the service without direct supervision
• Knowledge and expertise in Medical Microbiology
• Knowledge of evidence based practice in Medical Microbiology
• Knowledge and experience of infection prevention and control.
• Evidence of a specialist interest that complements those of other Consultants in the department
• Experience in the rationalisation and control of antimicrobial prescribing
• Interest and experience of OPAT

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.

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working, Home or remote working