Job overview
AAC Interview Date: 6th March 2026 We are pleased to announce a vacancy as a Consultant Medical Microbiologist/Infection Specialist at Epsom & St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust. We are looking for a friendly and enthusiastic person to join our team of existing consultants to provide microbiology, clinical infection, infection control advice and guidance to primary and secondary care. This is a full time post but candidates seeking part time working are also welcome to apply. The successful applicant will join an established team of 5 consultants (including this post) and 2 middle grade doctors as part of a friendly department. The on-call duties are 1:4 with prospective cover & category A (8%) availability supplement. The Laboratory is located at the South West London Pathology Hub which is situated at St Georges Hospital in Tooting, South London. We welcome any enquires from candidates about the post and thank you for showing an interest, please see the Job Description for further details.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will share the responsibility for providing a comprehensive clinical microbiology service to the Trust, local GPs and other organisations who hold a contract with the Trust. The appointee is expected to be broadly skilled and to take part in all the clinical and laboratory work of the Department. These duties are shared between the 5 consultants. All applicants must have:
1. FRCPath or equivalent or show evidence of equivalent qualification.
2. Full and specialist registration (and a license to practice) with the General Medical Council (GMC) (or eligible for registration within six months of interview).
3. Applicants that are UK trained, 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.
4. Applicants that are non-UK trained, will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT
Working for our organisation
St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey. Our sites include St George’s Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC).
After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Consultant Medical Microbiologist Duties:
The appointee will, together with the other Consultant Microbiologists, be responsible for the provision of a comprehensive, efficient, and cost-effective clinical microbiology, and virology service to the Trust and other users of the service. This includes visits to the wards to see patients as appropriate. Whilst the post is based on the St Helier site there is an office available for use on the Epsom site and this post has time allocated on the Epsom Hospital site to undertake clinical rounds to provide antimicrobial stewardship, clinical management advice and liaison.
In addition this post comes with 1 PA (in the first instance) allocated to undertake specialist clinical infection work dependent upon the particular area of interest. Of note, the Trust currently does not have a formal OPAT service and it would be an area of potential development for a suitable candidate to lead on working to develop this service in the future.
The Consultants maintain close links with all clinical staff in the Trust and also local General Practitioners.
All microbiology consultants will be expected to contribute to the following:
·day-to-day supervision of diagnostic methods and examination of specimens
·authorisation and interpretation of results
·involvement in policy and SOP preparation
·responsibility for quality assurance performance within the department, including taking part in all relevant National External Quality Assurance (NEQAS) programmes.
·responsibility for achieving and maintaining full accreditation with UKAS, or an equivalent agency
·business planning, including the assessment and introduction of new methods, and forward planning for staff and equipment requirements.
·antibiotic stewardship liaison with clinical teams
·clinical liaison with medical teams (primarily Same Day Emergency Care) to manage complex infections requiring prolonged courses of antibiotics and give advice and guidance on management
Teaching and Training
5. To share responsibility with other Consultants for the recruitment, appointment, and supervision of junior medical staff in accordance with Trust policies.
6. To devote time on a regular basis for teaching and training of junior medical staff and other Trust staff, contributing as appropriate to post-graduate and continuing medical education.
7. To devote time, through agreement on a regular basis for teaching and training of medical students as part of agreed teaching arrangements with the Undergraduate School.
8. Teaching and participating in professional education at regional and national level is also encouraged and supported.
Management & Governance
1.To be responsible for the management, appraisal and discipline of junior doctors who are attached to you, after taking appropriate advice, where appropriate.
2.To maintain personal and professional development. The post holder will be expected to register with their respective Royal College for the purpose of CME/CPD and to fulfil the requirements of that registration.
3.To provide advice, as required to the Executive and Trust board, General Practitioners, and other interested parties, on the provision of planning of clinical services locally, regionally and nationally in keeping with confidentiality agreements relating to Trust business.
4.To co-operate in the present framework agreement of management arrangements.
5.To fully participate in Clinical Governance arrangements across the Trust including participation in clinical audit, research (where appropriate), pursuing an agreed agenda with colleagues and the Trust Board and fully co-operating in implementing the results in order to achieve best practice.
6.To participate, on at least an annual basis in consultant appraisal and job planning reviews.
7.To comply with Trust policies and procedures where appropriate.
8.To ensure that all intellectual property rights of the Trust are observed.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
9. Hold a medical qualification or qualification registered with the GMC
10. Full and specialist registration (and with a licence to practise) with the General Medical Council (GMC) (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview)
11. Applicants that are UK trained, 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.
12. Appropriate higher medical qualification i.e. FRCPath or equivalent
Desirable criteria
13. MRCP or equivalent
14. CCT in Infectious Diseases
15. MD or equivalent higher degree or evidence of relevant research
Clinical Experience
Essential criteria
16. Broad expertise with high standard of clinical skill and expertise in the specialty
17. Able to contribute to the full range of skills required for the on-call rota for the specialty.
18. Able to take responsibility for delivering service without direct supervision.
Management & Administrative Experience
Essential criteria
19. Evidence of participation in Audit and understanding of underlying principles
20. Broad range of IT skills. Has attended a recognised management training event or will have such training on completion of CCT.
21. Supervision of post graduate trainees
22. Ability to organise in-patient and out-patient waiting lists.
23. Understanding of Clinical Governance and the individual responsibilities it implies
Desirable criteria
24. Familiarity with issues of service organisation and development
Teaching Experience
Essential criteria
25. Experience of teaching undergraduate and postgraduate trainees
26. Ability to teach clinical skills
Desirable criteria
27. Experience of supervising junior doctors
28. Experience of teaching basic clinical skills to undergraduates and postgraduates
29. Ability to supervise postgraduate research.
Research Experience
Essential criteria
30. Experience of clinical trials
31. Ability to contribute to change management.
32. Ability to apply research findings to clinical problems.
Desirable criteria
33. Publications in peer review journals
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
34. Ability to work under pressure and cope with setbacks.
35. Ability to take responsibility and show evidence of leadership.
36. Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team.
37. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
38. Willingness to work with Consultant colleagues and management to maintain and develop a comprehensive service.
Our mission: ‘to put the patient first by delivering great care to every patient, every day.’
There’s never been a better time to join the Epsom and St Helier team. Our hospitals are facing a bright and busy future, and our staff have a proven track record in providing high quality, compassionate care for our patients.
Boasting incredible staff benefits and dedicated training schemes, working for us will not only take your career forward, but could help to transform the lives of our patients and visitors.
We offer all employees some fantastic staff benefits, and are the only hospitals in Surrey to offer staff the London high cost area supplement. Our hospitals also benefit from great locations, so whether you're attracted to the bright lights of the city or the countryside of Epsom Downs, both are within easy reach.
FURTHER INFORMATION
**PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS POSITION MAY CLOSE EARLIER THAN THE STATED CLOSING DATE IF A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED. IF YOU WISH TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION, YOU ARE ADVISED TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE**
**PLEASE NOTE THAT WE CONTACT ALL APPLICANTS VIA EMAIL AND NOT BY POST. YOU ARE ADVISED TO CHECK YOUR RECRUITMENT SYSTEM ACCOUNT ON A REGULAR BASIS. YOU CAN ACCESS THIS ACCOUNT VIA OUR WEB SITE> Work for Us > Current Vacancies > My Job Account**
For new entrants into the NHS, your pay under the Agenda for Change or Medical & Dental Pay Bands, will normally be set at the minimum of the pay band as advertised.
If you apply for this position and do not hear from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been short-listed for interview on this occasion.
ESTH values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.
As a Disability Confident Employer we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.
Internal applicants from underrepresented minority groups are encouraged to seek development support such as work shadowing and interview skills coaching.