Job Advert
Scottish Ambulance Service
Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner
Hours: 36 hours per week
Base: National Headquarters, Edinburgh
The Scottish Ambulance Service is a vital component of NHS Scotland, delivering urgent medical care and support to more than five million people across the country. Our commitment is to provide the highest standard of care, protect lives, and facilitate recovery, with a dedicated team renowned for compassion and expertise.
We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Practitioner to join our IPC Team. In this key role, you will support the day‑to‑day delivery of the IPC service across the Scottish Ambulance Service, providing specialist advice to a wide range of departments and staff groups.
You will contribute to the achievement of NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) IPC Standards (2022) and play an active role in the prevention, surveillance, investigation and control of infection. The post also includes supporting and delivering IPC education, supervision and mentorship to improve compliance with best practice and include administering vaccination to patients as part of routine programmes.
If you are passionate about infection prevention, enjoy working collaboratively, and want to make a meaningful impact on patient and staff safety, we would be delighted to receive your application.
This position sits within the Clinical Quality & Professional Development Directorate, under the Infection Prevention & Control Service, and will report directly to the Lead Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner.
We’re looking for someone who can bring clinical credibility, excellent communication skills and genuine enthusiasm for infection prevention. You should have:
- Healthcare Professional with a valid NMC or HCPC registration.
- Demonstrated interest or experience in infection prevention and control or communicable diseases.
- Ability to apply evidence‑based practice and sound professional judgement.
- Confidence in teaching, influencing behaviours and supporting staff development.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise, problem‑solve and work both autonomously and as part of a team.
- Willingness to undertake further IPC‑related education.
- Full UK driving licence (essential), as travel across Scotland is required.
For an informal discussion about this role, please contact:
Karen Burnett, Head of Infection Prevention and Control – 07385038848 or Karen.burnett2@nhs.scot
Hayden Donaldson, Lead Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner – 07833483864 or hayden.donaldson@nhs.scot
Closing date for applications is 13th March 2026. Interviews will be Thursday 2nd April.
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.
As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here.
Please note that SAS is NOT licensed to issue certificates of sponsorship under current UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) regulations. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship to work with us.
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.