Consultant Medical Microbiologist

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., As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.
If you are having difficulty completing an online application, or require any disability reasonable adjustments, to the application process, please contact [email protected]
We also commit to offering an interview to all armed forces veterans who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.
The Trust operates anonymous shortlisting where no personal information about you, including your name or personal details are shared with the recruiting manager. No equality information is shared at any time during the recruitment process with the recruiting manager or other people involved in the decision-making process.
The equality monitoring information you provide is used in the following situations: to review our recruitment practices; where a job is limited to a specific person to verify their eligibility to apply; and to offer disability reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click here to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorship.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
If this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 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.
Please note if applicable, applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment.
If you have not already done so, you are therefore encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service to which a small annual fee of £13 per year applies.
Flexible Working
We actively support flexible working patterns throughout MWL. Changes made to the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook mean that:
· All employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment.
· There is no limit on the number of requests they can make.
· Employees have the right to make requests, have them considered, regardless of the reason.
At Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, we will consider requests for flexible working. We would also encourage you to also discuss flexible working options at interview stage.
Working for Team MWL
Staff recognition is especially important to us; as well as performance reviews and appraisals, we recognise staff through Employee of the month. Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.
The Trust is a non-smoking across all our sites. Failure to follow this rule could lead to disciplinary action. For more information, see the Smoke Free NHS website
You must ensure that your application, including personal statements and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
The Trust will not accept applications which are found to be AI generated.
Additional Information
Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trusts Values and Behaviours which are We are KIND, We are OPEN, We are INCLUSIVE, which can be found here.
An applicant guide to help and support you with your application and what to expect during your recruitment journey can be accessed in the supporting documents.
Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team MWL very soon.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust are looking to appoint an enthusiastic, clinically focused Medical Microbiologist to join the Microbiology team of three Consultants working cross site at all Trust sites .
The post is based at Whiston Hospital, whole time - 10 PAs, with a 'Category A' on call requirement - which is currently 1 in 6. Less than full time and agile working will be considered.
Candidates must be registered medical practitioners and on the Full and Specialist Register and hold a current license to practice of the General Medical Council (GMC) or be eligible within six months of the date of the Advisory Appointments Committee (AAC). The appointee will also hold the FRCPath or show evidence of equivalent training and experience.
Applicants that are UK trained, 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.
Applicants that are non-UK trained, will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT.
The interview will take place on Wednesday 19th February, 2025

The Secretary of State has approved the partnership between St Helens & Knowsley and Southport & Ormskirk Hospitals.
From 1^st 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, 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
Thank you for considering an application to work for Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust. You are part of an exciting and forward-thinking NHS Trust who are one of the best places to work for in England.
Given sometimes we receive a high volume of applications to work for us, please be aware, that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated should a sufficient number of applications be received from which a shortlist can be confirmed. Therefore, you are advised to apply at your earliest convenience.
The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience. We always aim for continuous improvement in our practice.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce. We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.