Resident Clinical Fellow in Microbiology

This post is for a 12-month fixed term Resident Clinical Fellow post against a Specialist Trainee Vacancy employed by Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (MWL). The successful candidate will join the microbiology team working across two sites Whiston and Southport Hospital.

If the person appointed elects to undertake a maximum part-time contract, they will be required to devote substantially the whole of their professional time to the duties of the post.

Any candidate who is unable for personal reasons to work full-time will be considered for the post. If such a person is appointed, modification of the job content will be discussed on a personal basis with the Trust in consultation with colleagues.

The successful candidate must hold full registration with the GMC, at the time of application. Candidates who are not GMC registered, at the time of application will not progress through the shortlisting stage.

Main duties of the job

Duties of the post

The post holder will be expected to share responsibility for the following after initial induction and training:

1. Day-to-day supervision of diagnostic methods and examination of specimens.
2. Authorisation and interpretation of results.
3. Liaison in a timely manner with clinical hospital staff, Medical Microbiologists, General Practitioners, Health Work and Wellbeing and Health Protection Consultants concerning the diagnosis and management of patients and control and prevention of infection, including provision of telephone advice.
4. Ensuring that records of infection, telephoned advice and infection control are kept as per departmental policy.
5. Participation in the Microbiology/Infection Control on call rota with other specialist trainees which will be 1:5.
6. Fulfil all the general conditions applying to employees of Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, including observation of the Trust's policies and procedures and to follow standing orders and financial arrangements of the Trust. You must ensure that there are adequate arrangements for hospital and other staff to be able to contact you when necessary.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

About us

Our Services

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Job description
Job responsibilities

Professional

The appointee will be expected to participate in the Trust's system of governance and audit. The appointee is also expected to be registered for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) with the Royal College of Pathologists and to fulfil requirements for annual certification and appropriate revalidation. Time, facilities and financial support for study leave and CPD will be made available as required.

Administration

The appointee will act as custodian of data under the Data Protection Act, and custodian of stored samples.

Information technology

The laboratory uses the iSOFT Telepath laboratory information management system. All computers have internet access. The department receives electronic requests using Sunquest ICE and Medway. Both STHK and SOHT Trusts use the Baxter ICNet infection prevention and control surveillance and case management system.

Accreditation & Quality Assurance

The laboratory is fully accredited by UKAS accreditation against ISO 15189. The department participates in all relevant EQA schemes (General Microbiology, Mycology, AAFB microscopy, Faecal Parasitology, Andrology, C. difficile, Chlamydia, H. pylori, Legionella, MRSA, Pneumococcal Urine Antigen and Serology). Internal quality assessment (IQA) is also undertaken as well as a regular programmed cycle of audits. Mrs Rita Mistry is Quality Manager for the Pathology Directorate.

Clinical

The Microbiology Department provides a proactive, clinically orientated service with daily Intensive Care Unit ward rounds and individual patient reviews as well as providing specialist input into MDTs. A Consultant Microbiologist is always available to advise hospital staff and local general practitioners on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infection. The Microbiology Medical Staff also participate in antibiotic stewardship ward rounds jointly with the Antimicrobial Management Pharmacist.

There is a significant teaching workload, both within and outside the department. There are medical student tutorials, link nurse teaching, sessions on infection prevention and control for doctors, teaching of microbiology for junior doctors of other disciplines, in addition to occasional teaching for general practice.

The laboratory operates a 24/7 shift system.

Infection Prevention & Control

Mrs Sue Redfern, Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Governance is the Trust's Director of Infection Prevention and Control.

Teaching and Training

The Microbiology department at Whiston is a training centre for Medical Microbiology on behalf of the Mersey Deanery and is approved by the Royal College of Pathologists for Specialty Registrar trainee (StR) training in Medical Microbiology. Currently, there are 3 Speciality Registrars, including one non-rotational post which feeds into the rotational scheme.

The department is also accredited for the training of Biomedical Scientists and Clinical Scientists. All staff within the department participate in CPD, qualifications such as BSc and MSc, STP, HSST are supported where appropriate.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Applicants must hold full registration with the GMC at the time of appointment.
• MB ChB or equivalent medical qualification.

Desirable

• FRCP or equivalent medical qualification.

Knowledge & Experience
Essential

• At least two years post registration experience of a broad range of medical specialties, with experience of managing patients during core medical training or equivalent.
• Evidence of achievement of foundation competencies from a UKFPO affiliated foundation programme or equivalent by time of appointment in line with GMC standards/good medical practice.
• Evidence of achievement of CT/ST1 competencies in medicine (as defined by the curricula relating to core medical training), supported by evidence form work-based assessments of clinical performance (DOPS, MINI-CEX, CBD, ACAT) and multi-source feedback, or equivalent.
• Competent to work without direct clinical supervision where appropriate.
• Knowledge, interest, and commitment to clinical audit.

Desirable

• Experience in medical microbiology.

Skills
Essential

• Ability to communicate effectively in written and spoken English about medical topics to patients and colleagues.

Other
Essential

• Commitment to continuing medical education.
• IT literate.

409-6923039