Consultant in Public Health / Consultant Epidemiologist

This is a challenging and rewarding role providing public health and epidemiological leadership for the Healthcare Associated Infection, Fungal, Antimicrobial Resistance, Antimicrobial Utilisation & Sepsis Division that sits within the Clinical and Emerging Infections Directorate. The role will involve leading and managing teams and projects within the Division, contributing to UKHSA actions on HCAI’s and Antimicrobial Resistant Infection (AMRI’s) in the population of England.

This Consultant post will be based at the UKHSA Colindale in Colindale, North London or Home Based but travel required to other regional UKHSA sites, external organisations and/ or NHS Trusts may be required intermittently.   

The post holder will provide specialist epidemiological and public health leadership while managing new surveillance and evaluation activities and world-class research. They will provide specialist advice and support nationally, locally and internationally on standards in diagnosis and patient management, infection control and interventions, and outbreak and incident management.

Working for your organisation

At the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) our mission is to provide health security for the nation by protecting from infectious disease and external hazards.  We are a trusted source of advice to government and to the public, focusing on reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

Our mission is challenging, innovative and in the spotlight.  We will work to ensure our people have the diverse skills, experiences and backgrounds we need to thrive, that our employees are representative of the communities we serve and feel valued and enabled to play their part in delivering our work.

Creating our working culture is an ongoing process which we are developing by listening and learning together, hearing and acting upon diverse voices and opinions to develop a common sense of identity and effective ways of working.

The post holder will provide specialist epidemiological and public health leadership while managing new surveillance and evaluation activities and world-class research. They will provide specialist advice and support nationally, locally and internationally on standards in diagnosis and patient management, infection control and interventions, and outbreak and incident management.

The post-holder will be responsible for

• Providing leadership and management to the Division (1 PA)
• The surveillance, policy evaluation and prevention monitoring of HCAI’s & AMRI’s (focusing on Gram-positive and negative bacteria and related infections, incidents and outbreaks) (4PAs)
• The development and application of prevention policies for HCAI & AMRI’s (2PAs) including, particularly, but not exclusively in relation to bacterial infections, including carbapenem resistant Gram-negative bacteria, urinary tract infections and hospital acquired pneumonia
• Providing expert advice on HCAI & AMRI related incidents and outbreaks, including developing incident director skills and leadership
• The co-ordination of national expert assessment of HCAI & AMRI risk following infection control breakdowns (1PA).
• Professional development, training, administration and research (2 PAs).

For medical practitioners: in line with legislation, inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice

The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority or if from a background other than medicine to NHS Agenda for Change Band 8d.

Education / Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or Inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview)
• If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/dental public health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice
• Public health specialty registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in dental public health/UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC/GDC/UKPHR specialist registers [see shortlisting notes below for additional guidance]
• If an applicant is UK trained in Public Health, they 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
• If an applicant is non-UK trained, they will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT [see shortlisting notes below for additional guidance]
• Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements (i.e. be up to date) in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements or other recognised body
• MFPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment

Desirable Criteria

• Masters in Public Health or equivalent

Experience

Essential criteria

• Delivery of successful change management programmes across organizational boundaries
• Experience of using complex information to explain public health issues to a range of audiences
• Experience or placement in hospital infectious diseases and/or infection control
• Experience in management of surveillance for HCAI and AMR

Desirable criteria

• Media experience demonstrating delivery of effective health behaviour or health promotion messages

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

• Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills, including management of change.
• Able to demonstrate and motivate organisations to contribute to improving the public’s health and wellbeing through mainstream activities and within resources
• Ability to lead and manage the response successfully in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances
• Analytical skills able to utilize both qualitative (including health economics) and quantitative information
• Ability to design, develop, interpret and implement strategies and policies
• In depth understanding of the health and care system and the relationships with both local national government
• In depth knowledge of methods of developing clinical quality assurance, quality improvement, evaluation and evidence based public health practice
• Strong and demonstrable understanding of interfaces between health, social care and key partners (dealing with wider determinants of health)
• Understanding of the public-sector duty and the inequality duty and their application to public health practice

Desirable criteria

• Media experience demonstrating delivery of effective health behaviour or health promotion messages

Equality and Diversity

Essential criteria

• Proven appreciation and acknowledgment of the range and complexities of diversity in the UK
• Self-awareness in terms of emotional intelligence, biases and personal triggers
• Cultural competence including cultural sensitivity and awareness

Values and Behaviours

• Able to influence senior members including directors and CEOs
• Able to both lead teams and to able to contribute effectively in teams led by junior colleagues
• Commitment to work within a political system irrespective of personal political affiliations

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

Job contact :

• Name : Colin Brown
• Email : colin.brown@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : SCS.MDrecruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk