Skip to main content

This site is independent of the NHS and the Department of Health.

Please wait, loading

Job summary

Main area
Microbiology
Grade
NHS Medical & Dental: Locum Consultant
Contract
Fixed term: 12 months (12 months)
Hours
Full time - 10 sessions per week (Plus 1 additional PA for on call)
Job ref
409-7410272
Employer
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Whiston Hospital
Town
Merseyside
Salary
£109,725 - £145,478 per annum (Plus 1 additional PA for on call)
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
04/09/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust logo

Locum Consultant Medical Microbiologist

NHS Medical & Dental: Locum Consultant

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third-party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. By applying for this post you are agreeing to "name of trust" transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Job overview

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust  are looking to appoint  a 12 month fixed term NHS Locum Consultant to join the Microbiology team of three Consultants working cross site at all Trust sites . 

The post is  whole time - 10 PAs ( less than full time will be considered)  and is based at Southport Hospital.   Agile working will be considered.

There is an Category A on call requirement - Currently 1 in 6 

Applicants are required  to be fully registered with a licence to practice with the General Medical Council at the time of application.

Interview date to be confirmed

 

Main duties of the job

There are opportunities to build the clinical service through Antimicrobial Stewardship taking on the lead role with contributions towards Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) Service, Multi-Disciplinary Team meetings and additional ward presence.

Our Pathology Service provides Pathology for Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals (NHS) Trust as well as the surrounding community.

Each year the laboratory performs over 6.5 million tests which are dealt with by medical, scientific, clerical and support staff in a range of departments

  • Haematology and Transfusion
  • Biochemistry and Immunology
  • Microbiology
  • Cellular Pathology
  • Phlebotomy (Blood Taking)
  • Bereavement

The Trust's Pathology department is accredited to ISO15189: Please follow this link  to access the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) website and type the department's UKAS ID to access the schedule of accreditation for each of the department.

The UKAS ID codes are as follows Biochemistry and Immunology 8871, Cellular Pathology 8908, Haematology and Transfusion 8864 and Microbiology 8857.

A formal job plan will be agreed between the appointee, the existing Consultant Microbiologists, and the Clinical Director, within 3 months after the commencement date of the appointment.

Depending on the demands of the service, as with the flexible work patterns of most Medical Microbiologists, sometimes a greater or lesser proportion of time may be spent between infection control and clinical microbiology.

Working for our organisation

The Secretary of State has approved the partnership between St Helens & Knowsley and Southport & Ormskirk Hospitals.

From 1st July we have come together as a single organisation under the name Mersey & West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

The Trust delivers acute hospital care, intermediate care, community, and primary care services to a population of over 600,000 people with a combined workforce of around 9000 dedicated and skilled staff from 17 locations including Whiston, Southport & Formby, St Helens, Ormskirk and Newton hospitals.

The Trust provides regional services for burns, plastic surgery and spinal injuries to more than 4 million people across Mersey and West Lancashire, Cheshire, the Isle of Man and North Wales.

Our Vision is to deliver 5 Star Patient Care:

  • CARE that is evidence based, high quality and compassionate
  • ​​​​​​SAFETY that is of the highest standards
  • COMMUNICATION that is open, inclusive and respectful
  • SYSTEMS that are efficient, patient centred and reliable
  • PATHWAYS that are best practice and embedded, but also respect the individual needs of patients

Our achievements include:

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

Please see our Wellbeing & Benefits booklet for more information on our staff benefits. Accessible version available upon request.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For more information regarding the main responsibilities and requirements essential for this role please refer to the ‘supporting documents’ heading  and review the job description and person specification which will outline the duties of the role including a proposed job plan.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

£338 million (PFI) investment has re-built and modernised both Whiston and St Helens Hospitals, resulting in modern state of the art health care facilities for the treatment and care of patients. St Helens Hospital was completed in 2008 and Whiston Hospital in 2010. The hospitals include 887 inpatient beds with state-of-the-art CT and MRI facilities existing on both hospital sites. CT and MRI scanners at St Helens have also recently been upgraded including installation of a high field 3 Tesla MRI scanner. The DEXA scanner is also located at St Helens Hospital.

The Trust delivers acute hospital care, intermediate care, community, and primary care services to a population of over 600,000 people with a combined workforce of around 9000 dedicated and skilled staff from 17 locations including Whiston, Southport & Formby, St Helens, Ormskirk, and Newton hospitals.

The Trust provides regional services for burns, plastic surgery, and spinal injuries to more than 4 million people across Mersey and West Lancashire, Cheshire, the Isle of Man and North Wales.

As a Trust, our aim is to provide a high-quality service to all patients. We strive to meet the best standards for professional care whilst being sensitive and responsive to the needs of individual patients. Our valued workforce is recognised for their unique skills and talents with our teams of experts winning national awards on a regular basis.

Whiston Hospital

Whiston Hospital a busy teaching hospital which provides a comprehensive range of acute Medical and Surgical Services, Emergency Services, Maternity Services, Paediatrics and Medicine for Older People. The Regional Burns and Plastic Surgery Units are also based on this site. There is a Critical Care Unit consisting of ICU, HDU, CCU and an onsite Cardiac Catheter Laboratory. The stroke consultants deliver 24/7 thrombolysis to eligible patients presenting with acute stroke. There is a 30-bed Stroke Unit which accommodates both acute stroke patients and those with rehabilitation needs.

St Helens Hospital

St Helens Hospital is an Ambulatory Care Centre providing Intermediate Care and Day Surgery. Rheumatology, Dermatology and Diabetes services are based on this site and within easy reach of other acute specialties at Whiston Hospital.

Southport Hospital

Southport Hospital is a General Hospital that includes adults’ accident and emergency services, intensive care, and a range of medical and surgical specialities. There is also an outpatients’ service. The North West Regional Spinal Injuries Centre at Southport hospital provides specialist care for spinal patients from across the North West, North Wales, and the Isle of Man.

The hospital, which replaced the Southport General Infirmary and the Southport Promenade Hospital, opened in September 1988.

Ormskirk Hospital

Ormskirk Hospital is a General Hospital and provides women’s and children’s services, including accident and emergency services, surgery, and maternity care.

The hospital provides these services for patients living across West Lancashire, Southport, and Formby.

Life in Merseyside and West Lancashire

Merseyside, which includes the great city of Liverpool, is within easy reach of North Wales, the Lake District and the Peak District and provides an interesting mix of rural and urban life. 

Liverpool is a vibrant, music city which has undergone a renaissance in recent years and has recently been named European City of Culture. 

High quality schools are available in and around Merseyside and West Lancashire. The area has many sports facilities including championship golf courses, several sailing clubs and one of the finest windsurfing venues in Britain.

People from Merseyside and West Lancashire are renowned for their friendliness and quick-witted humour and the region sports two of the finest football teams in the Premier League. 

The town of St Helens is renowned for its glassworks and rugby. The district has a population of around 340,000 and is of mixed residential, industrial, and rural character. It is situated on the edge of Merseyside, between the open countryside of Cheshire to the south and Lancashire to the north.

Southport is a seaside town and has a population of around 90,000. Southport lies on the Irish Sea Coast and is fringed to the north by the Ribble estuary. Town attractions include Southport Pier, the second longest seaside pleasure pier in the British Isles and Lord Street, an elegant tree-lined shopping street. Southport today is still one of the most popular seaside resorts in the UK and hosts various events including an annual air show on and over the beach, the largest independent flower show in the UK and the British Musical Fireworks Championship.

Ormskirk is an historic Market town surrounded by beautiful countryside, reserves, and wildlife. Ormskirk has quaint village streets, winning restaurants and farm shops and is also home to the award-winning Edgehill University.

Distance to Liverpool City Centre:

From Whiston Hospital – 13.3 miles

From St Helens Hospital – 15 miles

From Southport Hospital – 19.9 miles

From Ormskirk Hospital – 18.1 miles

 

Distance to Manchester City Centre:

From Whiston Hospital - 26.6 miles

From St Helens Hospital – 27.7 miles

From Southport Hospital – 42.4 miles

From Ormskirk Hospital – 35.4 miles

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Full GMC registration at the time of application
  • FRCPath or equivalent medical qualification
Desirable criteria
  • MBBS or equivalent medical qualification
  • MRCP or equivalent medical qualification
  • MD/PhD or equivalent medical qualification

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria
  • Evidence of thorough and broad training and experience in relevant specialty
  • Able to take responsibility for delivering service without direct supervision.
  • Understanding of clinical governance and the individual responsibilities it implies
  • Knowledge of the principles of clinical audit and evidence of participation
  • Experience of teaching
  • Knowledge of the principles of research
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of teaching undergraduates
  • Experience of supervising trainee pathologists
  • Evidence of involvement in research

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Broad range of IT skills.
  • Knowledge of evidence-based practice
  • Good knowledge of, and ability to use, spoken and written English
  • Ability to communicate effectively with clinical colleagues, colleagues in pathology and support staff
  • Ability to present effectively to an audience, using a variety of methods, and to respond to questions and queries
  • Ability to develop effective working relationships on an individual and multi-disciplinary basis with all levels of staff
  • Ability to cope with and effectively organise the workload of a Consultant
  • Ability to practise independently as a Consultant
  • Ability to take responsibility and show evidence of leadership
  • Ability to adapt and respond to changing circumstances
  • Ability to work under pressure and cope with setbacks
  • Awareness of personal limitations

Other

Essential criteria
  • Ability to be a flexible team member
  • Participation in continuing professional development (CPD) scheme and, where relevant, evidence of participation
  • Meets professional health requirements
  • Willingness to travel to and work in other sites necessitated by the role
Desirable criteria
  • Full driving licence.
  • Ability to organise and manage people and resources

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Nursing TimesApprenticeships logoDisability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardNavajo - Merseyside and CheshireCare quality commission - OutstandingDying to Work CharterStep into healthHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingNHS Rainbow Badge - BronzeDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - GoldPeople Promise

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Dr Madhur Vardhan
Job title
Consultant Microbiologist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0151 430 1831
Additional information

All applicants are invited to visit the Trust prior to short-listing or interview.

Apply online nowAlert me to similar vacancies