Microbiology Consultant

Role: Microbiology Consultant

Rates: £111,430 to £148,064

Shifts: 40 hours per week

Location:Dumfries

As a consultant in medical microbiology, your skills, knowledge, and experience are critical in managing HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne infections such as hepatitis B and C and controlling the spread of infectious diseases. With a particular focus on reducing the spread of infections in hospitals (including hospital 'super bugs' such as MRSA and Clostridium Difficile) in addition to the current and newly emerging viruses around the globe such as SARS and avian flu.

Working shifts, you will enjoy close working relationships with your fellow healthcare professionals as you work to liaise between clinical colleagues in the hospital, GPs and laboratory staff while being a pillar of clinical and educational support for junior Microbiologists and Virologists.

Development and opportunities

As a Microbiology Consultant, you will be dedicated to imparting complex knowledge and championing skill enhancement throughout the laboratory and clinics. Leading by example, you will encourage uptake for the wide range of development and support packages available, supporting and mentoring your fellow healthcare professionals in their continuous professional development.

Patient focus

In your role as a Consultant, great reliance is placed upon your ability to demonstrate how critical specialist skills and communication combine to ensure effective clinical infection management. Your scientific curiosity and strong leadership skills combined with your wealth of knowledge and expertise will help demonstrate how research and teaching can be a priority without compromising essential day to day work.

General key skills

In addition to your qualifications, as a Microbiology Consultant, you will have:

• Quick thinking abilities
• Patience and the ability to teach, coach and mentor
• Excellent attention to detail
• A systematic approach to tasks and delegation
• Excellent timekeeping
• A pro-active approach to research and academia
• Empathy and understanding
• A flexible attitude
• A dedication to improving and developing knowledge and skills
• Active listening skills

Main Duties/Responsibilities

As a Microbiology Consultant you will:

• Provide highly complex advice to Consultants, Doctors, Nurses and other healthcare professionals on the guidance and management of patients with infectious diseases.
• Make clinical decisions involving the analysis, interpretation, and comparison of highly complex data, including antibiotic resistance analysis, analysis of tests, investigations and results.
• Take responsibility for regular visits to ITU and regular ward rounds.
• Undertake the day-to-day supervision of diagnostic methods, examination, and analysis of complex specimens.
• Participate in the out-of-hours advisory service on infection diagnosis and management as well as infection prevention issues.
• Work with the infection control teams and DIPCs on a local or regional basis, including liaison with the relevant health protection staff to investigate and prevent communicable diseases in the community.
• Assist in the investigation and control of community outbreaks.
• Provide advice in developing clinical guidelines, investigation protocols, laboratory SOPs and guidance on the appropriate use of antimicrobials.
• Communicating clinical information to explain findings, diagnosis and treatment options using various methods to ensure practical understanding.
• Communicate with patients and the wider multidisciplinary team on shared patient decision making.
• Work in and where appropriate, lead a multidisciplinary team.
• Assess and prioritise patient/client requirements, delegating effectively to others.
• Performing basic administrative and clerical tasks, such as keeping records of test results, providing information to patients, and monitoring treatment plans.
• Help teach and train other junior doctors and medical students and other members of the multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications/Licenses/Certifications

Essential

• MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) or equivalent.
• 6 months recent NHS experience within the last 3 years.