Consultant Epidemiologist
Job Description
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.
Main duties of the job
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
About us
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 responsibilities
Key Duties:
- 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 organisations 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
External : Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the CivilService (including internal applicants).
Stage 1: Application & Sift
This vacancy is using Competency
At sift stage you will be assessed ...
