Field Epidemiology Team - Health Protection Nurse

NHS National Services Scotland; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job description

About the Organisation:

Public Health Scotland launched 1st April 2020 as a national health board, employing around 1200 people, and with an annual budget of around £101 million. Public Health Scotland wants to see a Scotland where everybody thrives, a Scotland where life expectancy improves and the difference in life expectancy between our poorest and wealthiest areas gets smaller.

As Scotland’s lead national agency for improving and protecting the health and wellbeing of all of Scotland’s people, our focus is on increasing healthy life expectancy and reducing premature mortality. To do this, we use data, intelligence and a place-based approach to lead and deliver Scotland’s public health priorities.

The role of the Clinical and Protecting Health Directorate is to protect the people of Scotland from infectious and environmental hazards; enable high-quality clinical and public health knowledge, research and innovation; and support improvement of clinical and public health practice by using audits at a national and local level.

The Post:

This exciting and valued post will provide expert health protection nurse input to the Field Epidemiology Team (FET) within the Clinical and Protecting Health Directorate of PHS. FET aims to provide a national service in support of NHS health boards, other partners and the PHS national response to new health protection incidents, involving cases and outbreaks of infectious diseases and threats or incidents of environmental exposures. FET is part of the Environment and Emergency Response Division at PHS. This post is offered on a permanent basis, expressions of interest as secondments up to two years are welcome.

The Candidate:

You will be a member of the FET Team reporting to the FET Team lead and the lead Consultant in Public Health. You will play a key role in the public health preparedness, training and management of health protection issues.

You must be on the NMC register, have a relevant first level nursing degree, with evidence of further professional development in a relevant area; master’s level is desirable.

You must have substantial post-registration nursing experience, including significant experience in Health Protection. You will be self-motivated and pro-active with the ability to work independently under direction but also to function well within a team setting.

You must have good analytical, judgemental, communication and computer skills.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo a PVG Scheme/Disclosure Scotland check. Any candidate who has lived/worked overseas for more than 12 months in the preceding 5 years will also be required to provide a criminal record check from the appropriate overseas agency. Details of how to apply for, or to update, PVG Scheme membership/Disclosure will be supplied to successful candidates.

Location and Working Pattern:

The post will be based in Gyle Square, Edinburgh or Central Quay, Glasgow. Please note that PHS is currently in the process of relocating from Central Quay to Bothwell Street, Glasgow from summer 2025.

PHS operate a hybrid working model with a mixture of working at home and days in the office each week.

There will be an expectation to travel to local areas for some meetings and events.

Work pattern - Monday to Friday, 37 hours per week.

This post will be included in the out-of-hours rota, recompensed under Agenda for Change terms and conditions. The frequency of this is currently approximately one week in every eight.

During times of public health emergency, or other urgent business need, you may be required on a temporary basis to work your normal contracted working hours over 7 days including weekends, in order to meet the needs of the service.

It is a condition of this employment that you must live and remain a resident within the UK for the post in which you will be employed with PHS.

PHS is a flexible employer, and we are happy to discuss requests for alternative working patterns.

Benefits:

Our benefits package includes pension scheme, comprehensive range of work life balance policies, occupational health services, learning resource centres and discounted leisure, financial and shopping benefits. Click here to view the full range of the PHS Employee Benefits.

Further Information:

For an informal discussion on the post, please contact Maria Rossi on [e-mail] or Caoimhe McKerr on [e-mail].

Closing date for completed applications is 05^th May 2025.

Interview dates are planned for 20^th and 21st May 2025.

Further information on PHS is available from: www.publichealthscotland.scot.

Please note that the majority of correspondence is sent by e-mail only, so please check your e-mail regularly (including junk folders).

Public Health Scotland is an equal opportunities employer and as such guarantees to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for our vacancies.