JOB SUMMARY

The Rare & Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL) provides frontline clinical diagnostics, specialist diagnostics, and clinical advice for rare, imported or hazardous infections. The RIPL clinical/science team has 19 staff (16 whole time equivalent) including medical consultants, a clinical scientist, senior scientists, and registrars/clinical fellows. Operational management and a dedicated diagnostic development unit are provided by associated units on the Porton site. A key programme is the National Imported Fever Service, a joint venture between RIPL and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (part of UCLH) and the Royal Liverpool Hospital’s Tropical and Infectious Diseases Unit. RIPL is also the National Laboratory for Lyme disease and provides a specialist clinical advice service.
RIPL provides reference diagnostic services for a wide range of zoonotic, imported, and dangerous pathogens including viral haemorrhagic fevers, the arbovirus group, hantaviruses, rickettsia and coxiella, anthrax, leptospirosis, tularaemia and other biothreat agents. RIPL is a WHO collaborating laboratory for special pathogens.
RIPL team members are highly research-active and also work closely with the wider research teams across UKHSA, including on biosafety and containment, diagnostics, vaccine and therapeutic development, and public health research studies.
UKHSA Porton hosts an environmental laboratory testing samples for a range of pathogens from potentially contaminated sites. The site also includes facilities for studies on disease pathogenesis, and testing vaccines and therapeutics against dangerous infectious diseases, and there is a small vaccine production unit. The post-holder is also expected to work closely with the relevant teams at Porton and at other UKHSA sites.

JOB DESCRIPTION

In addition to supporting the clinical work of the Imported Fever Service, the consultant will gain experience in working with dangerous infectious organisms, in risk assessment and management for infectious agents, and aspects of preventing contamination, environmental sampling and decontamination. This knowledge is used to advise hospital staff on how to apply these principles rationally in their setting to allow both safe and effective working in the interests of patients and carers.
The Consultant in Infection will provide expert consultant support for RIPL and the Imported Fever Service. The work covers a wide range of imported bacterial and viral agents and zoonoses and vector borne diseases in the UK, and the consultant will be a key part of the team offering advice on diagnosis, management, and infection control for these agents. As an expert in control of infection and antimicrobial resistance the consultant will bring this expertise to RIPL and UKHSA as required.

COMMUNICATION AND KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The post holder will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal, and external to UKHSA.
This will include:

Internal

• UKHSA medical, scientific, biomedical scientists.
• Other units within TARZET, particularly EIZ and Travel Health.
• Other divisions within the Agency, particularly Health Protection Services.
• The Imported Fever Service partners (the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, and the Tropical Infectious Diseases Unit, Liverpool)

External

• Consultant Microbiologists and ID physicians within the UK and internationally
• GPs and hospital consultants for Lyme disease queries
• National and international experts for relevant pathogens
• Other government departments, including APHA, and the relevant public health authorities in the Devolved Administrations

The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. Please refer to the Job Description.
You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by your line manager.
The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of UKHSA

SELECTION PROCESS DETAILS

This position is open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
Applicants are strongly advised to use the criteria in the Person Specification of the Job Description as sub-headings in their application to make it clear how they meet each of the selection criteria.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

TYPE OF ROLE

Health Adviser
Health Professionals
Medical
Senior leadership

OTHER DUTIES

• It is the responsibility of the postholder to ensure that all duties are carried out to the highest possible standard, and in accordance with current quality initiatives within the area of work.
• All staff who have access to or transfer data are responsible for that data and must respect confidentiality and comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998, in line with the UKHSA policies.
• The postholder is responsible for data quality and complying with the policies, procedures, and accountability arrangements throughout the Trust for maintaining accuracy and probity in the recording of UKHSA’s activities.
• Staff are required to comply with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in line with UKHSA Policy.
• The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by your line manager.
• The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of UKHSA Centers and Regions.
• Each year’s Job Plan will be agreed annually in advance between the postholder and the Head of RIPL normally between January and March.
• The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation.