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Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

About

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides a full range of acute clinical services for a catchment area of up over 1 million people from Norfolk, neighbouring counties and further afield. The vision for our 10,000 colleagues is “The best care for every patient”, reflecting the utmost importance that we attach to the quality of care and experience that each and every one of our patients receives.

We provide a full range of acute clinical services, including more specialist services such as oncology and radiotherapy (including brachytherapy), neonatology, trauma and orthopaedics, plastic surgery, vascular surgery, robotic surgery, bone marrow transplants, interventional radiology, specialist cardiology, paediatric medicine and surgery. Many of our services are amongst the largest in the country (for example, the 5th busiest NHS cancer service in England). Our patients are referred to us by around 100 local GP surgeries and other acute hospitals and primary care Trusts around the country.

We work closely with the University of East Anglia’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences to train health professionals and undertake clinical research. We have world class facilities, highly skilled staff and low infection rates. Our patients rate us highly on quality of care and having friendly, approachable staff.

Contact

Address: 20 Rouen road; Norwich; Norfolk; NR1 1QQ
Contact Number: 01603 286286

Find out more

Jobs Website

Open

Ref: 234-MS2483A Vacancy ID: 8369591

Consultant Virologist

Accepting applications until: 08-Nov-2026 23:59

Vacancy status: Open

Accepting applications until: 08-Nov-2026 23:59

Location

Gwefan: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
Cyfeiriad: Colney Lane
Tref: Norwich
Cod post: NR4 7UY
Major / Minor Region: Norfolk

Contract type & working pattern

Contract: Permanent
Oriau: Part time - 4 sessions per week (Out of hours)

Salary

Cyflog: £113,565 - £150,569 Per annum
Cyfnod cyflog: Yearly
Gradd: (NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant)

Specialty

Prif leoliad: Virology

Dyddiad y cyfweliad: 02/12/2026

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) is a 1,200-bedded teaching hospital with state-of-the-art facilities for modern patient care: 1100 beds in the PFI and 100 in Cromer Community Hospital.

The NNUH is part of Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group which includes the James Paget Hospital, in Great Yarmouth and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King Lynn.

We carry out nearly one million outpatient appointments, day case procedures and inpatient admissions annually. The population we serve is predominantly the people of Norfolk and north Suffolk, although some patients are referred from further afield especially to access specialist services available at this Trust.

Our staff of c10,000 care for and support patients who are referred to us by around 100 local GP practices and from other acute hospitals. We run more than 60 specialist services as a tertiary centre, including more than a dozen specialist cancer and radiotherapy treatments, and we are one of the biggest cancer centres in the country.

We provide complex spinal surgery services, specialist Neonatal Intensive Care, neurosciences services and specialist cardiac services. Our Trust runs specialist dermatology, rheumatology, endocrinology, adult congenital heart disease services, treatment of complex liver and pancreatic diseases in adults, cystic fibrosis services and intestinal failure services. We are enhancing our urgent and emergency care specialist services for patients with significant injuries as a result of trauma and have an ambition to become a Major Trauma Centre. NNUH is currently the busiest Trauma Unit in the East of England caring for almost 850 trauma patients annually many with complex care needs.

At NNUH it is our privilege to provide healthcare, and our vision is to ‘provide the best care for every patient’. If this inspires you and you share our values, we really want you to join our team.

Our values support our vision and guide the behaviour of everything we do, these are:

People-focused

We look after the needs of our patients, carers and colleagues, to provide a safe and caring experience for all.

Respect

We act with care, compassion and kindness and value others’ diverse needs.

Integrity

We take an honest, open and ethical approach to everything we do.

Dedication

We work as one team and support each other to maintain the highest professional standards.

Excellence

We continuously learn and improve to achieve the best outcomes for our patients and our hospital.

Wish you were here? So do we.

We want all our staff to achieve a balance between work and personal life and understand how important flexible working can be. We welcome applications on a full or part time basis, various shift patterns and hybrid working, where roles allow.

At the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH), we know the benefits diversity can bring to our organisation such as creativity, innovation and compassion. All of which have a direct impact towards our staff and patient experience. We are committed to being a Hospital for All – being equitable and inclusive, and a place where all feel a sense of belonging. We therefore particularly encourage and welcome applications from candidates who are underrepresented in NNUH’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities and long term conditions and people within the LGBT+ community.

Swydd-ddisgrifiad a phrif gyfrifoldebau manwl

The Consultant Virologist post provides critical virology services across the EPA network, including specialist clinical advice, interpretation of complex laboratory results, and participation in clinical ward rounds at NNUHFT. The role underpins safe clinical decision-making and contributes to clinical governance, audit, service development, education, and research collaboration.

In 2025, NNUH implemented opt-out bloodborne virus testing in the Emergency Department, generating an additional ~200 blood samples per day across three pathogen targets. This has resulted in a sustained increase in diagnostic activity and demand for timely specialist interpretation. Without sufficient consultant capacity, there is a risk of delayed result validation, slower clinical advice, and downstream impacts on patient management, particularly in acute and emergency care settings.

In parallel, the antenatal screening programme requires rapid turnaround of samples and consistent consultant-level clinical input across all three acute hospitals in Norfolk. Delays or capacity constraints in this pathway carry direct patient safety risks, including delayed identification and management of maternal infection and increased risk of vertical transmission.

Additional consultant capacity is therefore essential to maintain agreed turnaround times, ensure timely clinical advice, and mitigate clinical risk arising from increased service demand. The post also strengthens service resilience, supports safe delivery of a 1 in 4 on-call rota for out-of-hours clinical advice and infection prevention and control emergencies, and reduces the risk of burnout and single-point-of-failure within the virology consultant workforce.

Interview date - 2nd December 2026.

The Job Description, which includes a Person Specification, provides a full outline of responsibilities and requirements for this role. Please use your supporting statement to demonstrate how you meet the person specification.

Visa and Immigration

If you are wishing to apply for this role and would require sponsorship (this includes if you are already in a sponsored post and looking to change employer), you can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for this post by assessing your circumstances against criteria specified on the gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-job.

Travelling to work

Staff parking is available onsite; however, this is limited during core working hours. We have more capacity in the evening and at weekends and can usually provide spaces during those hours.

We look to allocate these spaces fairly. Our Travel Office have a set of criteria that staff must meet in order to qualify. If you qualify for a space, you may be placed on a waiting list if we are at full capacity.

The NNUH is served by a number of public buses, and we offer generously discounted monthly passes with First Bus & Konect.

The Costessey Park and Ride runs regularly each day from 06:30 (from P&R) to 20:45 (from NNUH) and this service is free for NHS staff. Applications to the Travel Office for a Trust ID badge are required for this service. We also have a discounted service from the airport P&R if you purchase a bundle. Please see Konect website for further details.

The NNUH host multiple bicycle racks and a salary sacrifice scheme. We also benefit from a Beryl station onsite.

If you work at another Trust site, please discuss travel and parking arrangements at interview.

DBS

If this post involves working with children or adults the application form will ask for information regarding previous convictions as you will be required to undertake a Criminal Record and Barring Check known as a DBS check.

If you are a new employee or registering with the Staff Bank you will need to meet the cost of this unless your salary is below Band 4 (AfC).

NHS Service

Should you be appointed to the post we will need to establish any previous NHS service via the ESR IAT and we will accept the submission of your application as your agreement to this.

UK Professional Registration

You will need to have current UK professional registration where this is a requirement of the role. When you submit an application which includes professional registration details, you are providing consent to the checking and verification of this information.

Application

Following candidate feedback and to reduce our dependency on paper, all our communication with you regarding your application will be by email so could you please check your e-mails (and Spam) regularly.

We value equality in our team and recruit from all sections of the community. We recognise there is a wealth of talent among people who have a disability and if you meet the minimum criteria detailed in the person specification and have a disability, you may wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme by indicating this in the relevant section on your application.

We look forward to receiving your application and if you do not hear within the next four weeks this will usually mean that you have not been short-listed. However, if you wish to confirm this please contact the person indicated on the advert.

Flexibility

Whilst every effort will be made to recruit to the post as it is advertised, there may be occasions where we consider alternative working patterns, such as part time working, or contract types, such as secondments, depending on circumstances. Should you wish to work in a different working pattern to that stated in our advertisement, please indicate this in the supporting statement to your application.

Notice: the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH) will never ask candidates to make any payment during the recruitment process, offer employment without a formal recruitment process, or contact applicants via WhatsApp, social media, or free email accounts. Please only apply for vacancies advertised through official NHS recruitment channels and be cautious of any unsolicited job offers. If you receive suspicious recruitment communications claiming to represent NNUH, do not share personal information or make any payments.

Useful Information

Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates about the exciting career opportunities available at NNUH - @NNUHjobs

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Website

Pre-Employment Checks

Advice for Overseas Candidates

Making Successful Applications

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Person specification

Qualifications

Meini prawf hanfodol

Full GMC Registration
Entry on the GMC Specialist Register Via; •CCT (Proposed CCT date must be within 6 months of the interview) •CESR or •European Community Rights
Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists by examination in Virology.

Meini prawf dymunol

The appointee will hold the FRCPath part 2 in virology or evidence of equivalent qualification
Further qualifications such as: MRCP or evidence of equivalent qualification, MSc, MD, PhD, DipHIC
"Teaching the Teachers” or equivalent

Aptitudes

Meini prawf hanfodol

Good communicator
Capable of working in a multi-disciplinary team
Enthusiasm for service development and teaching
Demonstrates understanding and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Meini prawf dymunol

Previous responsibility for service improvement
Management skills

Experience

Meini prawf hanfodol

Applicants who are Nationals from another European country or elsewhere overseas would have to show equivalence to the 5 years training period in the National Health Service required for the specialty

Meini prawf dymunol

Experience in research or published papers in area of special interest

Interests

Meini prawf hanfodol

Commitment to develop an appropriate special interest

Circumstances

Meini prawf hanfodol

Flexible outlook on working hours
Must live within a 15-mile radius of the base Trust or 30 minutes travelling time
Ability to travel across multi-sites whilst public transport may not be available

Communications

Meini prawf hanfodol

Ability to communicate effectively with clinical colleagues, colleagues in pathology and support staff
Ability to present effectively to an audience, using a variety of methods, and to respond to questions and queries