Overview
We are currently recruiting for Consultant Geriatricians. Main area Trust Board Grade VSM Contract 9 months (Fixed term/ Secondment 9 Months) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 162-7739-BD-A
Site Queen's Hospital, Romford. Salary Per Annum inclusive. Closing 21/05/2026 23:59.
About the organisation
We are seeking an exceptional operational leader to join Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) as our Interim Chief Operating Officer. This is a pivotal role for a values-driven, delivery-focused leader who is passionate about high-quality patient care, thrives in complex environments, and brings deep expertise in operational improvement across both planned and urgent and emergency care. You will lead with compassion and demonstrate a track record of delivering sustainable improvement through inclusive leadership. As Interim COO and an Executive Director on the Trust Board, you will shape and deliver the Trust’s strategic priorities, drive improvements in patient outcomes, quality, operational performance, and financial sustainability, while modelling inclusion and our organisational values.
Main duties of the job
You will join a dynamic, patient-centred executive team committed to improving outcomes for our communities. A key priority will be leading the continued turnaround of our Type 1 A&E performance while sustaining delivery in planned care, diagnostics, and cancer performance.
We are making significant progress:
* Delivering against national targets for planned care recovery and diagnostics
* Substantially improving cancer waiting times
* Implementing changes that are putting us on track to achieve 76% all-type A&E performance this year
We are clear about the challenges in patient flow across our hospitals and what is required to address them.
Key responsibilities
* Provide strategic and operational leadership as a member of the Trust Board
* Lead day-to-day operational performance across the Trust
* Drive improvements in urgent and emergency care, patient flow, and elective recovery
* Champion quality, safety, and patient outcomes
* Ensure financial discipline and operational efficiency
* Foster a culture of inclusion, compassion, and high performance
* Act as an ambassador for the Trust with system partners and stakeholders
Working for our organisation
We’re an organisation that is getting better and our improvements are driven by a determination to deliver care we’re proud of and our patients are happy with. They are benefitting from a new electronic patient record, and our maternity services have been rated good by the Care Quality Commission. We operate from two main sites – KGH in Goodmayes and Queen’s Hospital in Romford. We have two busy emergency departments with more than 346,000 people visiting them last year. We’re campaigning to secure the £35m we need to transform the A&E at Queen’s and get rid of corridor care. We’re proud of our regional Neurosciences Centre, Radiotherapy Centre and Hyper Acute Stroke Unit. We’re also part of the North East London Cancer Alliance. We run a Women’s Health Hub in Ilford; an Ageing Well Centre in Hornchurch; and Community Diagnostic Centres (CDC) at Barking Community Hospital and at St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub. These CDCs are open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. The majority of our 8,400 staff come from 146 different countries and are from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. Many can work flexibly and more than 400 are on Ofsted-accredited apprenticeship programmes. We’re proud to be a London Living Wage employer.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
About you
* You are an experienced NHS leader with a proven track record of delivering operational improvement in complex health systems. You bring:
* Strong credibility at executive level
* Deep understanding of urgent and emergency care pressures and elective pathways
* Experience of driving patient flow improvements in acute settings
* A collaborative approach, with the ability to build effective system partnerships
* A clear commitment to compassionate, inclusive leadership
Importantly, you will recognise the unique challenges of North East London, where reliance on acute services is higher than in other systems. You will be motivated to work both within the hospital and across the wider system to improve pathways and outcomes for patients.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Fiona Wheeler’s PA, LeeAnn Hamilton, on 01708 435039 ext. 2439 or via email at Leeann.Hamilton@nhs.net. As part of your application, please submit a covering letter, quoting your application reference number, directly to LeeAnn Hamilton via email at Leeann.Hamilton@nhs.net. Shortlisted candidates should be available for interviews on 28th May 2026. Successful applicants would need to commence no later than the 6th July 2026. If you have any questions about the application process, require support in completing your application, or need any adjustments, please contact Bali Dhani, Recruitment Manager via email Balvinder.dhani@nhs.net or 01708 435000 ext. 5718.
Person specification
Experience
* Demonstrate a track record of effective and efficient delivery at senior leadership, operational management level in a healthcare environment for a period of at least 5 years.
* Experience of ensuring high standards of operational performance, safety and quality are met
* Experience in a financially constrained provider organisation that has achieved significant positive impact for its patients, staff and communities
* Experience of working with or in non-hospital based parts of the health and care system
* Successful leadership and management experience in leading complex, multi-faceted change and modernisation programmes
* Evidence of shaping the strategic direction of a team or an organisation in conjunction with the Trust Board and a role in communicating the strategic vision effectively across the Trust and externally
We are an equal opportunity employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community and welcome applications from people wishing to job-share, either with or without a partner. We also operate strict screening procedures for posts with access to vulnerable adults and children. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults in line with our procedures.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
There’s never been a better time to join the team. Apply online now. We have a wide range of flexible, temporary and part-time opportunities.
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