The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an enthusiastic and committed Consultant in Microbiology/Infection to join the Infection Directorate within the Oncology, Rare Diseases, and Liver and Digestive Health Division, based primarily at Barnet Hospital, with responsibilities across Chase Farm Hospital and opportunities for collaborative working with specialist infection services at the Royal Free Hospital.
This is a substantive 10 PA post offering an exciting opportunity to join a well-established and supportive multidisciplinary Infection team delivering high-quality clinical microbiology, infection prevention and control, antimicrobial stewardship, and OPAT services to a large North London population. Applicants who wish to work less than full time (LTFT) are welcome to apply.
The successful candidate will play a key role in providing specialist clinical advice, supporting patient safety initiatives, and contributing to service development across the Trust.
The post offers opportunities to develop specialist interests alongside leadership responsibilities in areas such as antimicrobial stewardship, infection prevention and control, laboratory liaison, chronic infection management, and outpatient antimicrobial therapy services. The successful applicant will work closely with acute medical, surgical, critical care, pharmacy, pathology, and public health teams within a collaborative and innovative environment.
Main duties of the job
* Provide a comprehensive clinical microbiology and infection service across Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals.
* Deliver expert clinical advice on the diagnosis, management, and prevention of infectious diseases to medical and surgical teams.
* Participate in antimicrobial stewardship ward rounds, infection multidisciplinary team meetings, OPAT services, and chronic infection reviews.
* Support Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) activities including outbreak management, surveillance, and healthcare-associated infection prevention.
* Authorise and interpret microbiology and virology laboratory results and provide specialist clinical guidance.
* Contribute to laboratory liaison activities with Health Services Laboratories (HSL) and support service development initiatives.
* Participate in the Consultant Microbiology/Infection on-call rota, providing out-of-hours infection and microbiology advice.
* Work collaboratively with pharmacy, critical care, surgical specialties, emergency medicine, and community teams to deliver patient‑centred care.
* Participate in teaching, training, clinical governance, audit, quality improvement, and research activities within the department.
* Support the ongoing development and harmonisation of infection services and clinical pathways across the Trust.
Education & professional Qualifications
* MBBS or equivalent medical qualification
* Full GMC registration with licence to practise
* Entry on the GMC Specialist Register in Medical Microbiology/Infection or within 6 months of CCT
* FRCPath or equivalent qualification in Medical Microbiology/Infection
* Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) and revalidation
* Higher degree (MD, PhD, MSc) relevant to Infection/Microbiology
* Formal qualification or training in Infection Prevention and Control
* Evidence of research publications or presentations
Experience
* Broad experience in Medical Microbiology and Infection in an NHS setting
* Experience in infection prevention and control
* Experience in antimicrobial stewardship programmes
* Ability to provide consultant-level clinical microbiology advice
* Participation in audit, clinical governance, and quality improvement
* Experience teaching undergraduate and postgraduate staff
* Experience working within multidisciplinary teams
* Experience in service development or leadership roles
* Experience managing complex infectious diseases cases
* Research experience or involvement in clinical trials
* Experience across multiple hospital sites
* Management or supervisory experience
Skills and aptitudes
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
* Strong clinical judgement and decision‑making skills
* Ability to prioritise workload and work under pressure
* Leadership and team‑working skills
* Commitment to patient‑centred and evidence‑based care
* IT literacy and familiarity with clinical/laboratory systems
* Ability to support and supervise junior colleagues
* Presentation and public speaking skills
* Experience contributing to research and publications
* Skills in data interpretation and service evaluation
Personal Qualities & attributes
* Professional and compassionate approach
* Reliable and responsible attitude
* Flexible and adaptable approach to service needs
* Commitment to high clinical standards
* Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues
* Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion
* Enthusiastic and innovative mindset
* Ability to lead change and service improvement
* Resilience in challenging clinical situations
* Interest in academic development and research
Others
* Eligible to work in the UK
* Willingness to participate in on‑call rotas
* Commitment to appraisal, mandatory training, and governance requirements
* Understanding of NHS values and principles
* Willingness to work across Trust sites
* Membership of relevant professional societies
* Involvement in regional or national professional networks
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
£113,565 to £150,569 a year per annum plus London weighting.
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