Overview
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is situated on the west coast of Lancashire, with services covering the local authority areas of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre. The Trust is part of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS) supporting a population of around 1.6 million people. We have three main hospitals providing acute services to around 330,000 local residents. The organisation also provides specialist tertiary care for cardiac and haematology services, delivers community health services to over 445,000 residents including those in North Lancashire and hosts the National Artificial Eye Service across England. Plus, we provide urgent and emergency care services to an estimated 18 million people who visit the seaside resort each year. We employ over 7000 people from 68 different countries.
We welcome and encourage application from anyone with protected characteristics, as well as supporting reservists and Veterans who are looking for a rewarding and challenging career within the NHS.
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals encourages flexible working in all our roles to support staff in maintaining healthy home-life balance. Working patterns such as: part time working, self-rostering, compressed hours, annualised hours, term time, reverse term time and flexitime working can be explored.
Job overview
We seek to appoint a Non Executive Director with a clinical background. You will bring substantial experience of clinical practice, leadership and system working to the post. It’s essential you can demonstrate the highest standards of integrity and governance.
Non-Executive Directors need to be highly collaborative, partnership and values-led and able to both support and challenge the Board. The role will involve collaboration with stakeholders such as peers, governors, and the wider board. We seek individuals who will be passionate about healthcare, will show a strong commitment to the local community and working with a range of partners, and have a strong focus on the best interests of all patients and the well being of all staff.
Main duties of the job
Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) are integral members of the Board of Directors, sharing collective responsibility for the leadership, direction and oversight of the organisation. As an independent voice on the Board, the Clinical NED brings specialist healthcare expertise, constructive challenge, and a patient-focused perspective to ensure decisions support high-quality, safe and effective care.
The role requires assurance that clinical standards, safety systems, and quality governance processes are robust, that the Trust remains compliant with statutory and regulatory expectations, and that clinical considerations meaningfully shape strategic decision-making.
Working for our organisation
Blackpool Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to the population of the Fylde Coast and community and specialist healthcare services more widely across Lancashire and South Cumbria, supporting a diverse population of 1.7 million. The Trust also hosts the National Artificial Eye Service, providing services across England. It has approximately 7,200 staff and an annual turnover of £457m.
The Trust is working towards exceptional standards of health and care across the local population and is working in close partnership with the Trust’s health and care partners across the Fylde coast, Lancashire and South Cumbria. The Trust is part of the Fylde Coast Integrated Care Partnership, which brings NHS and Council organisations together to improve health and care for people living in the area. Although there are challenges, the Trust is in an exciting position to work towards its ambitious vision to be a high-performing Trust, operating as part of an integrated care system, providing high-quality, safe and effective care across its communities.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Leadership & Clinical Quality
Provide authoritative clinical insight to inform long-term organisational strategy, ensuring service development, workforce planning and transformation programmes reflect best practice and evidence-based care.
Review and oversee strategies relating to quality improvement, patient safety, clinical effectiveness and professional standards.
Offer independent challenge on proposals affecting clinical pathways, models of care, or patient outcomes.
Hold the Executive Team to account for delivering high-quality, safe and person-centred care, ensuring quality and safety are prioritised alongside operational and financial considerations.
Assurance, Governance & Risk
Ensure that clinical governance frameworks, risk management systems, and regulatory compliance processes are rigorous, defensible and aligned to national requirements (including CQC expectations).
Scrutinise quality, safety and performance reports, triangulating data across clinical, operational, workforce and patient-experience domains.
Support the Quality Committee (or equivalent) by offering independent, evidence-informed judgement on clinical matters.
Promote a culture of early risk identification, transparent learning from incidents, and continuous improvement.
Culture, Values & Workforce Leadership
Champion the Trust’s values of Caring, Safe, Respectful across all clinical-related governance and decision-making.
Act as a visible advocate for a compassionate, open and inclusive culture, encouraging professional integrity, high standards and safe behaviours.
Promote initiatives that support staff wellbeing, clinical leadership development, safe staffing and a positive working environment.
Ensure equality, diversity and inclusion are embedded within the clinical workforce and care delivery.
Relationship with the Council of Governors
Maintain a constructive relationship with the Council of Governors, ensuring they receive clear, meaningful insight into clinical performance, risks and strategic priorities.
Attend relevant Governor meetings to support their statutory responsibility in holding NEDs to account for quality, safety and patient-centred outcomes.
Provide assurance to Governors that the Board is effectively overseeing clinical quality and regulatory compliance.
External Influence & Partnerships
Represent the Trust within wider system leadership forums, including the Integrated Care System (ICS), contributing clinical expertise to collaborative planning and service redesign.
Build strong relationships with partner organisations, regulators, healthcare providers, local authorities and community stakeholders.
Support the development of integrated, system-wide models of care that improve population health outcomes and reduce health inequalities.
Eligibility & Regulatory Requirements
Must be a member of the Trust’s public constituency.
Must satisfy the NHS England Fit and Proper Persons Framework Regulations and not be disqualified under the Trust Constitution or Provider Licence.
Expected to uphold the highest standards of probity, integrity and conduct as set out in the Board’s Code of Conduct.
Person specification
Eligibility
Essential criteria
* Qualifies as a member of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
* Eligible for appointment in line with the Trust Constitution, "Fit and Proper Persons" requirement and criteria for disqualification
Education & Qualification
Essential criteria
* Recognised clinical qualification in medicine, nursing, or allied health profession.
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
* Experience of operating at Board level in a large and/or complex organisation
* Experience in complex organisations and strategic partnership working.
* Clinical experience with strong NHS service delivery background.
* Ability to contribute across governance, quality, planning, finance and advocacy.
* Experience advocating for patient needs and improving care quality.
* Understanding complex organisations and assurance processes.
Desirable criteria
* HR/OD, EDI, digital innovation, community involvement, voluntary sector, service transformation.
Skills and abilities
Essential criteria
* Excellent communication and influencing skills
* Ability to challenge constructively and think strategically.
* Ability to analyse complex clinical and organisational information.
* Capability to work effectively in a unitary Board.
* Efficient chairing of committees.
* Understanding the needs of diverse staff, patients and partners.
* Understanding of the local demographic
Please click here to view our Care and Compassion Day video
Any invitation to interview will be sent to the email account stated on your application form.
If the role you have applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this as part of your pre-employment checks. Please note, you will be required to repay the cost on appointment. This will be collected via a salary deduction. You can choose whether to pay this over 1-3 months from your salary or as a one-off payment on commencement in post. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £25.50, Standard DBS check £25.50 and Enhanced DBS check £53.50.
You are encouraged where possible, to register for the DBS update service. This is an annual registration fee of £16. By registering for the update service you will not have the additional cost of repeated disclosures.
Should you withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check.
DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions.
By submitting an application for this vacancy you are confirming your agreement to the above in the event you are successfully appointed.
The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here.
Please ensure that you read the Person Specification attached below as your application will be judged against this.
Please note that every effort will be made to keep the vacancy live until published closing date, though there may be instances where such interest is generated, that for administrative reasons the post may close earlier.
Please note that in line with national NHS guidelines this Trust operates a strict non-smoking policy. Members of staff are not permitted to smoke on Trust premises or grounds at any time nor take breaks during working hours for the purposes of smoking.
The Trust does not offer interview expenses to shortlisted candidates unless indicated in the advert.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
* JD - NED Clinical ( PDF, 720.3 KB )
* PS - NED Clinical ( PDF, 608.5 KB )
* Guidance on Pre-Employment Checks ( PDF, 64.2 KB )
* Statement on Recruitment of Ex-Offenders ( PDF, 43.2 KB )
* Application Guide Booklet ( PDF, 511.1 KB )
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