A Vacancy at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
Fixed Term/Secondment – Maternity Cover (Minimum 12 Months)
We are seeking an enthusiastic and proactive team member to lead the SSI programme for the Trust during the current post holder’s maternity leave.
This role is ideal for nurses or operating department practitioners, with essential experience in surgical wards and processes.
The post holder will be part of the multidisciplinary Infection Prevention and Control Team (IPCT), working closely with Infection Prevention and Control Nurses, Microbiologists, and the Antimicrobial Pharmacist. Our team is passionate about quality improvement and actively incorporates the Patient Safety Incident Reporting Framework into our practice.
This role involves close collaboration with divisions to conduct essential SSI surveillance across orthopaedics, spinal procedures, and caesarean sections. You will work closely with theatre teams, pre-operative assessment, wards, surgeons, and governance leads to ensure best practices are upheld.
The role requires travel between hospital sites, with working hours Monday to Friday, 8 am–4 pm.
The post holder will be responsible for the efficient and effective running of the surgical site infection surveillance (SSIS) service within the Infection Prevention and Control Team, keeping the Trust Deputy Director of Infection Prevention Control briefed on the program activity and meeting discussions. The post holder will also oversee other members of the team undertaking surveillance activity as required.
It is essential that data is collected in a timely and efficient manner and that this data is accurate and of high quality. This will be achieved through excellent human resources, performance management, effective communication and leadership to achieve improvements in process and the development of a robust surveillance program.
The post holder will be required to establish effective relationships with the Trust directorate’s multidisciplinary team in order to access the necessary data and agree issues related to confirming infections but also to ensure that patients receive high standards of care pre/peri and post operatively.
The post holder will be required to undertake primary analysis of the results, and to write reports and give presentations based on the surveillance data collated, ensuring the Trust Lead is kept informed of information and variations.
With a new hospital planned for Watford and work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital, this is an exciting time to join us.
We are building on the success of our award-winning virtual hospital and re-imagining models of care, working ever more closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare.
Staff wellbeing and development are a priority at our Trust, as is the role of innovation in improving clinical care, outcomes and patient experience.
Our vision is Excellent patient care, together and our values are to be empowered, compassionate, professional and inclusive. They capture an important balance across what we must all do as individuals and to support others.
At West Herts we offer a variety of flexible working options as we recognise the importance of a good work life balance and the ability to work flexibly.
We kindly invite you to consider submitting an application.
If you have a disability or long-term health condition and should you require support or guidance please contact westherts.recruitment@nhs.net
If you are a Service Leaver, Veteran, Military Reserve, Cadet Force Adult Volunteer, or partner/spouse of those serving please tick "Member of the Armed Forces Community" on the application form.
If you do not hear back within 3 weeks of your application, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for a full list of duties and details about the role.
This advert closes on Thursday 20 Feb 2025