Job description
An exciting opportunity has arisen for two Consultants in Medical Microbiology or dual accredited candidates in Medical Microbiology & Infectious disease to join our team in providing high-quality infection services at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) & South Sites of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
The successful applicants will join a team of 2 other consultants, one specialist grade doctor/Associate specialist (to be advertised soon) and 2 Clinical Fellows. The appointees will be part of a dynamic team of consultants at PRUH and Denmark Hill (DH) sites with expertise across a broad range of areas including microbiology, infectious diseases, mycology, infection control, antimicrobial stewardship and virology, with the London South Specialist Virology Centre at DH. There are a number of cross-site clinical and educational meetings including “complex cases” and Journal Club. Our team has a clinically driven focus on infection management that incorporates innovative diagnostic approaches and encourages contribution to teaching, audit and research, with the overall objective to improve patient outcomes.
The posts suits candidates who are accredited or due to be accredited within six months in Microbiology or Microbiology & Infectious Diseases. The remit of the post holders will be to deliver Infection services for inpatients and the local CCG with the current infection service team.
All employees are expected to undertake work on any of the Trusts sites as required by the service. As a senior employee of the Trust you will work in close co-operation with, and support other clinical, medical professional and managerial colleagues in providing high quality healthcare to the Trust’s patients. Integral to these responsibilities is the following: -
- Comply with the GMC’s guidance on “Good Medical Practice”
- The provision of a first class clinical service
- Effective leadership to all staff engaged in the specialty
- Sustaining and developing teaching and research in conjunction with King’s College London/ KHP
- Undertaking all work in accordance with the Trust’s procedures and operating policies
- Conducting clinical practice in accordance with contractual requirements and within the parameters of the Trust’s service plans
- Maintaining the confidence of business plans and development strategies formulated for the specialty, the Care Group or Trust
We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.
King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for all via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets by 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. The provision of a comprehensive infection service including advice regarding appropriate specimens, involvement in specimen analysis, validation and interpretation of results for transmission to clinicians and communication of urgent significant results to the clinicians providing relevant management advice.
2. Involvement in the management of patients with infection/infectious diseases through direct clinical liaison, infection and antimicrobial stewardship rounds
3. Take up a lead role in either in Infection Control, laboratory or antimicrobial stewardship at the PRUH site in turn with the other microbiology/ID consultant colleagues at the PRUH site.
4. Work with consultant and pharmacist colleagues to develop, promote and monitor an antimicrobial stewardship programme for the Trust
5. Together with the other colleagues to provide a service for the Care Group. This includes all aspects of treatment and relevant management duties for the proper functioning of the Care Group.
6. Shared responsibility with the other colleagues for providing 24 hours, 7 days a week cover for the Unit on a rota basis. Responsible also for covering colleagues’ periods of annual leave and short-term sickness.
7. Provide clinical and educational supervision of junior medical staff as a shared responsibility with other consultant colleagues.
8. Responsible for carrying out teaching, examination and accreditation duties as required and contributing to CPD and clinical governance initiatives.
9. Responsible for outpatient clinic commitments in peripheral hospitals as agreed with the Care Group’s management team.
10. Contribute to Care Group’s research interests in accordance with the Trust’s R&D framework.
11. Contribute to the audit programmes, Morbidity and Mortality, clinical governance programs and learning from Deaths.
12. Take an active role in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of the Care Group’s Business Plan. This may include assisting with discussions regarding service plans and developments with internal and external agencies.
13. Conduct all activities within the contracted level of service and operating plan for service(s).
14. Exercise professional leadership for all staff working in the specialty. This will include fostering and developing projects focused towards these ends and ensuring that the momentum of post-qualification professional education and other appropriate training is maintained.
15. Work in conjunction with clinical and other professional colleagues to ensure that the productivity of staff within the specialty is maintained and their job satisfaction is enhanced. This may include involvement in the appraisal process for peers and/or junior colleagues.
16. Undertake Care Group management duties as agreed with the Care Group/Departmental Manager/Clinical Director.
17. Be aware of, and comply with, all Trust infection prevention and control policies, to include hand hygiene, personal hygiene, environmental and food hygiene.
18. Prepare for and undertake the protective interventions that you are responsible for in a manner that is consistent with evidence-based practice and maintaining patient safety.
19. The Trust is implementing new electronic patient repository with EPIC and a new Pathology LIMS with Beaker by end of 2023. All Trust staff are expected to attend training and familiarise with the Trust IT systems.
GENERAL INFORMATION
1. You have a general duty of care for the health, safety and well-being of yourself, work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance responsibilities associated with this post.
2. You are required to observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations, including complying with statutory and Trust core training.
3. You are required to observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
4. You are required to be responsible, with management support, for your own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
5. The post-holder has an important responsibility for, and contribution to make to, infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene requirements of this role. These requirements are set out in the National Code of Practice on Infection Control and in local policies and procedures, which will be made clear during your induction and subsequent refresher training. These standards must be strictly complied with at all times.
6. All employees must hold an 'nhs.net' email account, which will be the Trust's formal route for email communication. You are therefore required to check this regularly and to deal with such communication promptly.
7. This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post-holder.
OFFICE ACCOMMODATION
A private office is available with a personal computer linked to the laboratory network (APEX) and the internet with IT support.