Consultant Epidemiologist

About the job

• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Scientific Campus in Colindale. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at our campus.

Based at our scientific campus, you will be required to have a minimum of a Counter Terrorism Check security vetting check as a minimum. For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) clearance. UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

About the job

Job summary

The Travel Health and International Health Regulations (IHR) section contributes to the health of British travellers through surveillance, information, teaching and research, and has a central role in supporting UKHSA’s role of National Focal Point under the International Health Regulations, and as EU Focal Point under the EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The Section sits within the Chief Medical Advisor’s group – Epidemic and Emerging Infection (EEI) Directorate at Colindale.

The main duties of the post are related to leading and developing surveillance for a range of travel associated infections and supporting the team’s function in providing the IHR NFP and EU focal point. The postholder will be part of the senior leadership of the Travel Health and IHR section.

The postholder will line manage some of the scientific staff within the section, undertaking annual appraisals and providing career development support as necessary.

Working for your organisation

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Job description

Key Job Specific Responsibilities

The post holder will contribute to delivering the following in collaboration with the Head of TH/IHR and other senior staff:

• Oversight of surveillance of illness in returning travellers through a variety of surveillance mechanisms and in collaboration with UKHSA disease expert colleagues
• Oversight of enhanced surveillance of enteric fevers which is managed by TH/IHR team and collaboration with the MRL with respect to enhanced surveillance of malaria
• Ensuring that surveillance data are provided for those who need this information in an accurate, timely and user-friendly manner
• Supporting the UK NFP role under IHR and the EU Focal Point under the TCA
• Collaboration with NaTHNaC in provision of evidence-based advice to health professionals advising the travelling public, including contributing to clinical updates for the NaTHNaC website
• Membership of the Advisory Committee on Malaria Prevention, the NaTHNaC technical advisory group and the JCVI travel vaccine subcommittee, as required
• In collaboration with NaTHNaC overseeing surveillance of international outbreaks/incidents of illness with relevance to public health in the UK and provide risk assessments as require
• Supporting response to international outbreaks and incidents (including natural disasters and international mass gathering events) with implications for public health in the UK through provision of evidence-based advice
• Provision of support and advice to local, regional and national colleagues in NHS, UKHSA, DHSC, non-health government departments, and non-governmental organizations re travel and international health regulations
• Policy and protocol development in relation to travel health
• Design and provision of teaching for a variety of individuals, institutions and stakeholders as required about travel health and international health regulations
• Liaison with UKHSA communications to develop media messages about travel health and imported infection
• Response to queries from a variety of stakeholders as required, including Parliamentary Questions
• Identification of research areas to improve the evidence base in guiding public health action to protect and improve the health of travellers
• Oversight of production of peer reviewed publications in travel health relevant topics
• Lead for maintenance and further development of travel health relevant content on the .GOV website
• Contribution to duty doctor rota in and out of hours, and IHR out of hours rota.

Additional Duties

The post holder may after agreement (which should not reasonably be withheld), be required to undertake other duties as required, which fall within the grading of this post, to meet the needs of the service.

The post holder will participate in Travel Health and IHR section quality improvement programmes including clinical audit plus training and support to junior staff.

Professional Development

• Identify, discuss and action own professional performance and training / development needs with your line manager through appraisal / individual development plan. Attending internal / external training events
• To participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e. fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training.

The Consultant will be expected to:

• Participate in the organisation’s appraisal scheme including the professional appraisal scheme and ensure appraisal and development of any staff for which s/he is responsible
• Contribute actively to the training programme for Foundation Year Doctors/Specialty Registrars in Public Health as appropriate, and to the training of practitioners and primary care professionals within the locality
• Pursue a programme of CPD, in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements, or other recognised body, and undertake revalidation, audit or other measures required to remain on the GMC/GDC Specialist Register or the UK Public Health (Specialist) Register or other specialist register as appropriate
• Complete all Civil Service mandatory training as required, e.g. fire safety, information governance, counter-fraud, bribery and corruption

These professional obligations will be reflected in the job plan. The post-holder may also have external professional responsibilities, e.g. in respect of training or work for the Faculty of Public Health. Time allocation for these additional responsibilities will need to be agreed with the Director of the Field Service.

Key Working Relationships

The job plan and the job description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder in the light of the needs of the employing organisation and the development of the speciality of public health and any wider developments in the field of public health.

The Consultant will:

• Be expected to take on the line management of some staff. Where line management responsibilities are agreed this will include recruitment, appraisals, disciplinary and grievance responsibilities.
• Manage budgets as agreed
• Manage Specialty Registrars in Public Health and FETP trainees

Medically qualified members of the Service are expected to play certain roles in medical leadership, in relationships with the medical profession and in bringing a medical perspective to public health advice. A medically qualified holder of this post would be expected to share these roles with other medically qualified members of the team.

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

• Deputy director, TARZET
• Senior TARZET Divisional staff
• Other UKHSA teams within CEI, CPH and across the agency as relevant to the work.
• Global Public Health team, UK Overseas Territories team, EU Exit team
• NFPs operational contact points, and nominated disease network members

External

• Devolved administrations
• UK Overseas territories and Crown Dependencies
• World Health Organisation (WHO)
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the European Commission and other international bodies
• IHR National Focal Points in other countries
• National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC)
• Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
• Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
• NHE England
• Key stakeholders in the Advisory Committee on Malaria Prevention (ACDP), and JCVI travel subcommittee
• Clinical, academic and professional organisations
• Local Authorities

Person specification

Qualifications

• The National Health Service (Appointment of Consultants) Regulations 1996 (legislation.gov.uk)

In line with legislation, inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List or inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists at the point of application.

• If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/dental public health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice
• Any public health speciality registrar applicants who are currently on the UK public health training programme and not yet on either the GMC, GDC or UKPHR specialist register must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry to a register at the date of interview
• Applicants going through the portfolio registration routes (GMC or UKPHR) are not eligible to be shortlisted for interview until they are included on the register. The six-month rule does not apply to these portfolio route applicants.
• If an applicant is UK trained in Public Health, they 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. If an applicant is non-UK trained, they will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT

Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements (i.e. be up to date) in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements or other recognised body

• MFPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment, or equivalent

Knowledge and experience

• Understanding of epidemiology, statistics, and public health practice.
• Understanding of key agencies involved in health protection and an understanding of laboratory microbiology and clinical infectious disease services
• Significant strategic experience of leadership for public health and working with other agencies
• Experience of staff management and training
• Experience of communicable disease control in a wide variety of settings including out of hours on call

Skills / Abilities / Behaviours

• Proven excellent oral and written communication skills (including dealing with the media)
• Proven and effective interpersonal, motivational and influencing skills
• Substantially numerate, with highly developed analytical skills using qualitative and quantitative