AJM; IPC Surveillance Practitioner

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NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

An opportunity has arisen for a full-time Infection Prevention and Control Surveillance Practitioner. The hospital base for this post is the Royal Infirmary Campus however, the post holder may be required to provide site-based support on all acute sites throughout NHS Lothian (Western General Hospital, St John’s Hospital, Royal Infirmary Campus and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People).

As a member of the Infection Prevention & Control Service, the Surveillance Practitioner will be responsible for the systematic collection, collation, submission, analysis and reporting of various data as part of local and national mandatory IPC surveillance programmes.

To report on incidence and prevalence of healthcare associated infections and maintain graphical statistical process control charts for a range of defined organisms to identify data exceedances and triggers for action.

To assist the Infection Prevention & Control Team with incident and outbreak investigation and management including hospital inpatient contact tracing.

The candidate must be willing to undertake additional specialist training e.g. Epidemiology and Surveillance. The successful candidate will be supported to gain specialist training as an essential part of the role.

One of the main qualities for this post is the ability to work as part of a team in a busy health care setting. Excellent interpersonal skills and computer literacy are essential for the role. Applicants should also be able to demonstrate continuing professional development.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service. Further information on what NHS Scotland Boards are required to do to check this as well as what your responsibilities include can be found in the further information for this vacancy.

Please note:

we anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early once a sufficient amount of applications are received. Therefore, please make sure you complete and submit your application at an early stage.

We will fully support disabled candidates, and candidates with long-term conditions or who are neurodivergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices.

This post requires the post holder to have a PVG Scheme membership/record. If the post holder is not a current PVG member for the required regulatory group (i.e. child and/or adult) then an application will need to be made to Disclosure Scotland and deemed satisfactory before they can begin in post.