Main area Stroke Grade NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant Contract Fixed term: 3 months (31.03.26 possible extension) Hours Part time - 1 session per week Job ref 205-7586266
Employer University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site UHNM Town Newcastle-Under-Lyme Salary £110,240 - £126,776 Closing 19/01/2026 23:59 Interview date 09/01/2026
Acute Clinical Lead
NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant
Job overview
Integrated stroke delivery networks(ISDNs)are the key vehicle for transforming stroke care across the country. Using a full-pathway approach, they will prevent thousands of patients suffering a stroke, through improved diagnosis and access to treatment in 24/7 specialist stroke units, and increase the availability of high quality rehabilitation and ongoing community care to rebuild patients’ lives after a stroke.
The National Stroke Service Model outlines best practice stroke care for the NHS. The model details the overarching objectives and governance of an ISDN as well as outlining the optimal pathway for joined-up stroke care throughout the patient journey.
Main duties of the job
* Work alongside their Co-Clinical Lead for Community/Rehabilitation to provide clinical leadership to the ISDN, supporting the ISDN Board and in developing, delivering and monitoring the strategy and objectives of the ISDN alongside the Senior ISDN Manager.
* Provide clear, effective and unbiased leadership and be able to work across organisational boundaries to encourage collaboration and sharing of best practice across member organisations to help deliver the network’s strategy and objectives.
Working for our organisation
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust is one of the largest and most modern in the country. Based across two sites, Royal Stoke in Stoke-on-Trent and County Hospital in Stafford, we are proud to serve around three million people and we're highly regarded for our facilities, teaching and research. We are the specialist centre for major trauma for the North Midlands and North Wales.
All of our employees make a valuable contribution regardless of role here at UHNM and we are proud of our wide range of development packages aimed at ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their true potential.
UHNM create and encourage a culture of inclusion, providing equal opportunities for career development that are fair and transparent. We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive employer and foster a culture in which all staff feel valued and respected. In return we ask all of our employees to make a commitment to the values, co‑created by or staff, patients and carers, and that unite us as a Trust.
At University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust we know that investing in, supporting and developing our staff has a direct impact on the quality of care that we deliver. Our employees are as important as our patients and the population that we serve.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
* Work in partnership with the Co-Clinical Director (Community and Rehab) to bring the expert acute experience.
* Use their subject matter expertise in acute and hyper‑acute stroke care to lead the ISDN.
* Ensure that whole pathway improvements and transformation are being considered and provide the expert input and scrutiny for all acute areas of the pathway.
* Provide professional and clinical leadership to the ISDN and the Midlands stroke programme.
* Provide clinical advice to constituent organisations (commissioners and providers).
* Communicate the ISDN strategy and objectives to focus on quality and outcomes from national through to local level.
* Provide leadership for improving and safeguarding quality.
* Strong negotiation, facilitation and organisational skills, with the ability to motivate clinicians and a flexible approach are required within the role.
* Be expected to chorale opinion and translate this into objectives and a delivery plan alongside the ISDN Management team.
* Lead the development and delivery of a strategic agenda to make the Stroke service more sustainable through shared working between Trusts, and where appropriate, with wider partners across the health and care system.
* Engage with clinical teams and managers across different care settings to promote engagement, participation and ownership in responding to challenges in Stroke services.
* Provide expert advice, clinical leadership and support to the CVD‑R Clinical Network and wider Midlands Stroke Programme to help facilitate the coordinated development of Stroke services across the area.
* Support the ISDN Manager in taking forward work or initiatives where there is divided clinical opinion and/or lack of guidance; gaining clinical support and managing conflict effectively.
* Development and implementation of transformation in Stroke, ensuring equity of access and best use of resources across the ISDN footprint area and wider region, alongside the Co-Clinical Lead and the ISDN Senior Manager.
* Contribute to the development of evidence‑based policies and strategies and contribute to the future development/planning of Stroke across the ISDN footprint area and wider region.
* Champion and support service improvement activities across the ISDN footprint area and represent the stroke community at both a regional and national level.
Person specification
Qualifications
* Registered with the GMC or equivalent nursing or AHP body with a licence to practice.
* Leadership or management qualification or equivalent recent experience in a leadership position.
Professional and Multidisciplinary Team Working
* Working at a Consultant or senior nursing/therapist level.
* Working in stroke services with the ISDN footprint area.
Management and Administrative Experience
* Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills.
* Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to develop strong working relationships at all levels.
* Effective interpersonal, motivational and influencing skills.
* Flexible and able to respond to changing priorities.
* Able to operate effectively across organisational boundaries.
Personal Attributes
* Committed to improving stroke services by encouraging the collaboration and empowerment of local providers and patients/carers.
* Able to be neutral and detach from existing organisational loyalties.
* Open minded and able to listen/understand the viewpoints of others.
* Self‑motivated, pro‑active and innovative.
* Professional with positive reputation amongst peers.
* Ability to reconcile conflicting viewpoints in a diplomatic manner.
* Ability to travel throughout the ISDN area as required and attend regional and national meetings.
Clinical Experience & Training
* Facilitating and/or leading significant change.
* Understanding the local system‑wide issues across both stroke services and wider organisational challenges.
* Working across organisational boundaries.
* Working in a similar leadership role.
* Managing complex viewpoints and be able to chorale opinion.
* Understanding of the broader NHS landscape and current reforms e.g. Long Term Plan.
* Understanding of commissioning of NHS Stroke Services.
* Understand the National and Regional agenda for stroke service transformation.
* Managing or leading programmes or projects.
* Recent leadership experience within the STP or in a regional role.
Important information about your application
* All correspondence will be sent to you via the email address you applied from. Please ensure you check your emails regularly.
* References - please ensure you provide email addresses for all referees for the last three years of employment.
* We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from everyone regardless of ethnicity, disability, gender, age, faith or sexual orientation. Appointment will be based on merit alone.
* Flexible working will be considered in line with Trust policies.
* New recruits are required to pay for their Disclosure and Barring Service check (and admin fee) prior to starting if the role requires a DBS check.
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University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) has been awarded the Gold Award for proudly supporting those who serve. We actively encourage applications from the Armed Forces community.
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At UHNM we are fortunate to receive a high volume of applications for many of our roles, on this occasion we would reserve the right to close any advert early, therefore please apply without delay!
If you obtained your qualifications overseas, you will be required to provide an official government translation through ECCTIS (formerly known as NARIC). Please note, this is in addition to any professional registration requirements and not a replacement for your qualifications.
If you are currently in the UK on a visa, you must have at least six months remaining on your visa at the time of your start date to ensure sufficient time for the operational and training process associated with the role. The requirement of at least six months remaining on your visa does not apply to a Skilled Worker Visa, as a new Skilled Worker Visa would be required for a new role.
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Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Name Heidi Preston Job title Senior Manager Email address Heidi.Preston@uhnm.nhs.uk Telephone number 07718869619
If you have problems applying, contact
Address 2nd Floor, Springfield Building
Royal Stoke University Hospital
Newcastle Road
Stoke on Trent
Staffordshire
ST4 6QG
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