Working for DHSC
We offer a varied, exciting, challenging and rewarding working environment.
Previous experience in a government department is not essential: our staff have backgrounds in the voluntary, public and private sectors.
Jobs at the Department of Health and Social Care
We are currently recruiting to a variety of roles. Visit the Civil Service Jobs website for more details and to apply.
All Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) jobs are advertised on the Civil Service Jobs website. We also advertise in national and local media.
Vacancies on DHSC’s expert committees and other non-standard advisory roles are listed below. If there are no vacancies listed below, then we are not currently recruiting to any roles on our expert committees.
Vacancies on the boards of our arm’s length bodies are listed on the Public Appointments website.
DHSC values and promotes diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity for all.
Pay
We provide:
- a competitive salary that is reviewed annually
- the opportunity to earn performance awards
- an occupational pension when you join DHSC
Employee benefits and rewards
Employee benefits and rewards include:
- an employee discount scheme
- childcare vouchers or tax-free childcare scheme for eligible employees
- an employee assistance programme providing confidential advice, information and counselling
- the option to join a trade union
- an in-year award scheme for one-off exceptional personal or team achievements
- sick leave on full pay, followed by half pay, up to the maximum allowed by the relevant scheme
Flexibility
Flexibilities include:
- up to 30 days annual leave and 9 days public and privilege leave in a year (pro rata for part-time staff)
- time off to deal with emergencies, unexpected situations and certain other unplanned special circumstances
- paid time off for public service duties, for example if you are an armed forces reservist
- family-friendly policies, including flexible working patterns
- flexible working hours, subject to business needs
Family-friendly policies
Eligible employees are entitled to:
- maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid
- paternity leave of up to 2 weeks full pay
Development and career opportunities
We offer:
- rewarding and challenging jobs to help you develop and reach your potential
- a comprehensive range of learning and development opportunities to help you develop your skills, knowledge and experience
National leadership appointments
National leadership appointments are made by the Secretary of State and ministers to provide independent leadership on issues of national importance. Appointees bring together partners across government and beyond, drive delivery, provide constructive challenge and act as visible champions for improving outcomes for the public.
Boards and committees
Wound and skin care independent advisory panel for Part IX of the Drug Tariff - chairs
DHSC is looking to appoint 2 chairs to a wound and skin care independent advisory panel (IAP) for wave 2 renewals of Part IX of the Drug Tariff listings.
Applicants need specialist knowledge in medical devices and/or products used for wound and skin care in community and primary care, including:
- bandages
- dressings
- intravenous access site protectors
- debridement products
- specialist therapies
- adhesive tapes
- wound cleansing and irrigation products
- film-forming skin protectants, emollients and sterile barrier creams
- stockinette garments
- chiropody appliances
- compression hosiery
To date, medical devices for prescribing outside of hospitals have been listed indefinitely on Part IX of the Drug Tariff. DHSC is introducing renewals of listings and an enhanced assessment framework for products listed on Part IX of the Drug Tariff – see Drug Tariff Part IX information. As part of this enhanced assessment framework, DHSC is establishing IAPs. The role of IAPs is to review the quality of medical devices listed and to verify the placement of products in the recategorisation on the NHS Drug Tariff.
As the chair of an IAP, you will oversee the independent assessment of medical devices in line with the enhanced assessment framework and play a vital role in the establishment of the advisory panel, in collaboration with DHSC. You will chair virtual moderation meetings with the panel members, ensuring consistency of approach, appropriate rationale for product scores and full consideration of patient input. The chair will also ensure minutes, provided by the secretariat, accurately reflect discussions.
To be considered, applicants need to demonstrate they have the qualities, skills and experience to meet all the essential criteria for appointment including:
- experience reviewing clinical evidence
- the ability to:
- chair meetings effectively, in particular with a number of experts with knowledge and experience in different complementary fields
- facilitate discussion among members relevant to the overall purpose of the discussion
- summarise the discussion accurately and succinctly
- the ability to work as an individual and as part of a team, with a positive and constructive style and good communication skills
- the ability to consider complex issues in the required clinical area and exercise sound judgement
The applicant should not be tied to a commercial company in their primary professional function.
The term of appointment will be up to 4 years (the first year is for renewals and subsequent years are to assess new applications). Remuneration will be £400 per day for an estimated time commitment of around 20 days per year (but generally in hours or half days). The time commitment is greater in the first year (from about July 2027) due to the renewals of existing listings. Due to the time commitment required, we will recruit 2 co-chairs. This time commitment is an estimate and may differ depending on the preferences of the chairs in the running of the panel.
For more information, see the candidate information pack. To apply, email your CV and a supporting statement to partix-consultation@dhsc.gov.uk.
If you require an alternative format, call Josie Morley on 020 7210 5511.
The closing date for applications is midday on 4 January 2027.
Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP) - members
DHSC is seeking to recruit new specialist members to COMEAP. The committee’s role is to advise government departments on the effects on health of both outdoor and indoor air pollutants.
The main responsibilities of specialist members are as follows:
- contribute to the discussions of the committee, working alongside other recognised experts assessing the current issues under consideration
- help to draft advice appropriate for wider dissemination to policymakers and the general public
- review and/or prepare statements, reports and peer-reviewed publications
- contribute to the work of COMEAP sub-groups (including reviewing, synthesising and discussing relevant evidence) if the need arises
- show a commitment to public health issues and public service values
Candidates must have a strong career track record of relevant, significant achievements at a senior level. You must have the ability to operate effectively on a national expert scientific committee where you can offer advice and constructive challenge and accept challenge from others.
You must have:
- sound judgement
- an ability to critically analyse a wide range of complex information and make evidence-based recommendations
- excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- the ability to gain the confidence of fellow committee members and of the committee’s stakeholders
In addition, candidates must be able to demonstrate the following in one of these specialisms.
Cardiovascular toxicology and mechanisms of adverse effects
You must be able to demonstrate expertise in the mechanisms underlying adverse effects on the cardiovascular system.
It would be desirable to have:
- a specialism relating to air quality and health
- the ability to assess mechanistic evidence
- experience in evaluating risks to human health from research findings
Indoor air quality
You must be able to demonstrate:
- expertise in indoor air quality
- experience in health effects of indoor air quality
It would be desirable to have:
- a specialism relating to indoor air quality and health
- an understanding of the factors governing indoor air quality
Policy analysis and economic valuation
You must be able to demonstrate experience in evaluating the economic benefits and costs of environmental and/or health policies.
It would be desirable to have a:
- specialism relating to air quality and health
- background in economics
The time commitment for the role is 3 full-day meetings per year. This role is unpaid, but expenses will be paid in line with DHSC policy. The proposed length of term for new appointments is generally 3 years.
For more information, see the candidate information pack. To apply, email your CV, supporting statement and completed monitoring form to appointments.team@dhsc.gov.uk.
If you require an alternative format please call Ralph Cabrega on 0113 254 5481 or Ben Jones on 0113 254 6557 quoting the reference VAC-EC1877.
The closing date for applications is midday on 1 December 2026.
UK Advisory Panel for Healthcare Workers Living with Bloodborne Viruses - layperson
The UK Panel for Healthcare Workers Living with Bloodborne Viruses (UKAP) is seeking a layperson to join its panel.
UKAP gives advice and guidance on the transmission and management of bloodborne viruses (BBVs) among healthcare workers - specifically HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. The panel also provides support for local incident management teams. UKAP’s primary function is to reduce the risk of BBV transmission to patients. UKAP is an expert advisory panel which contains a range of senior professionals who are well regarded in their respective fields.
Role description
The lay member should have:
- strong skills in absorbing and analysing information including:
- applying relevant knowledge, experience, perspective and skills
- identifying important issues and actions needed
- developing evidence-based, workable solutions to sometimes complex issues
- excellent communication skills, including:
- engaging effectively with, and using knowledge and skills to make, impartial and persuasive arguments based on a sound understanding of the evidence available
- providing effective challenge in face-to-face discussions and telephone conferences
- experience at a senior level, including:
- commitment to the principles of giving independent advice to stakeholders and/or government
- sound understanding of and commitment to the principles of public life and equalities
The lay member will:
- have an interest in or awareness of the issues covered by the committee from a patient or public perspective, but will not be an expert in the areas covered within the remit of the body
- be willing to develop a working knowledge of bloodborne virus transmission risk within the context of exposure prone procedures and the recommendations made by UKAP
- be able and prepared to contribute actively to the work of UKAP by providing a non-specialist contribution to discussions from patient or public perspective
- maintain strict confidentiality
The time commitment is 6 to 8 days per year. The chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) determines the length of appointment, which may be for up to a maximum of 3 years. This post is unpaid, but expenses will be paid in line with UKHSA policy.
For further information see the candidate information pack. To apply, email your CV, supporting statement and completed monitoring form to ukap@ukhsa.gov.uk, referencing ‘layperson’ in the subject field.
If you require an alternative format, please email ukap@ukhsa.gov.uk, referencing ‘layperson’ in the subject field.
The closing date for applications is midday on 27 November 2026.
Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Prescribing, Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection - members
DHSC is looking to appoint 4 members to the Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Prescribing, Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (APRHAI). APRHAI provides practical and scientific advice to the government on minimising the risk of healthcare associated infections.
Members of APRHAI have collective responsibility for the operation of the committee. They should engage fully in the collective consideration of issues, taking account of the full range of relevant factors, including any guidance issued by the sponsor departments or the responsible ministers.
For the terms of reference and further details on the committee, see APRHAI’s organisation page.
Candidates must be able to demonstrate:
- a strong career track record of relevant, significant achievements at a senior level in the field of antimicrobial resistance and stewardship, healthcare associated infections and infection prevention and control (IPC)
- ability to operate effectively on a national expert scientific committee, where you can offer advice and constructive challenge, and accept challenge from others
- sound judgement, with an ability to critically analyse a wide range of complex information and make evidence-based recommendations
- excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to gain the confidence of fellow committee members and of the committee’s stakeholders
We are looking for candidates with up-to-date experience at a senior level with a record of achievement at national and/or international level in one of the following fields:
- microbiology
- behavioural science
- IPC
- epidemiology and surveillance
The time commitment for the role will normally involve 4 to 8 hours per month and attending 3 plenary meetings a year. This role is unpaid, but expenses will be paid in line with DHSC policy. The proposed length of term for new appointments is generally 3 years.
For further information see the candidate information pack. To apply, email your CV, supporting statement and completed monitoring form to appointments.team@dhsc.gov.uk.
If you require an alternative format, please call Ralph Cabrega on 0113 254 5481, quoting the reference VAC-EC1876.
The closing date for applications is midday on 18 November 2026.
Monitoring form
DHSC values and promotes diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community. Our boards and committees should reflect the population they are there to serve. They also benefit from fresh perspectives, and we are always keen to encourage candidates new to public appointments to consider applying for our roles.
Complete the monitoring form as part of your application. You can complete it in Word or PDF.
Jobs in the NHS
If you’re interested in working for the NHS, see the NHS Jobs website.