Senior Solicitor
The closing date is 14 May 2026
This is a senior, influential legal role at a pivotal point in the development of the Liverpool NHS Legal Collaborative. As a Senior Solicitor, you will be an experienced lawyer who will manage a varied caseload of claims, inquests and advisory work (including complex and high‑risk matters), act as a first point of contact and/or trusted adviser to senior stakeholders at a specific site, and support the supervision and development of junior lawyers. Beyond casework, you will play an active role in shaping how a modern, centralised in‑house legal service operates across multiple NHS organisations. This role suits someone who enjoys challenge, autonomy and having real influence over outcomes.
We are looking for a confident, experienced lawyer who is comfortable exercising judgement on difficult issues, managing complexity, and working at pace. Equally important is an appetite for change – someone who is pragmatic, collaborative, and motivated by improving how legal services work, not just delivering work as it comes in.
You would be joining at a time of genuine transformation, with the opportunity to help shape a growing and innovative Legal Services model, take on meaningful leadership responsibilities, and develop alongside the service as it matures. If you want a role that offers variety, influence, and the chance to make a lasting impact this is a rare and exciting opportunity.
Main duties of the job
* Managing and leading complex and high‑risk legal matters, including high‑value clinical negligence claims, contested or complex inquests, and difficult advisory work
* Representing Trusts in Coroners' Courts and Civil Courts, including advocacy in inquests involving complex factual or legal issues
* Acting as a trusted adviser to senior clinicians, managers, executives and committees on a wide range of legal issues
* Taking a lead role for named client Trusts or service areas, ensuring provision of timely, proportionate and legally sound advice
* Supervising, mentoring and supporting junior solicitors, paralegals and other legal services staff, including quality assurance of work
* Contributing to service development and improvement, including standardisation of processes, reporting, training delivery and governance
About us
NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHL Group) was formed on 1 November 2024, born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our communities. We are one of the largest employers in the region, with over 18,900 colleagues who are dedicated to caring for our communities – from birth and beyond. For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services that extend to more than two million people in the North West.
We operate from five hospital sites: Aintree University Hospital is the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside, and hosts a number of regional services including an award‑winning stroke facility. Broadgreen Hospital is home to several elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation. Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital provides specialist services in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology and respiratory medicine, both in the hospital and out in the community. Liverpool Women's Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK's largest single‑site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single en‑suite bedrooms and mainly focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.
Job responsibilities
Management of a caseload of clinical negligence claims including high‑value birth injury (Obstetric) matters, with active case management, undertaking review and scrutinising expert reports and advice from panel solicitors, applying challenge and feedback as appropriate. Effective communication with staff members involved in claims, obtaining witness statements or further evidence as necessary, and engaging in sensitive and careful discussions regarding admissions and settlement. Oversee claim strategy and resolution process in accordance with department mandates.
Management of a caseload of complex and difficult inquest matters. Investigate, advise, prepare and support members of staff who are required to give evidence. Attend inquests as the Trust's representative, liaise with families or other IP legal representatives, conduct witness examinations as required and make formal legal submissions to HM Coroner as appropriate.
Provision of legal advice on a wide range of queries affecting our NHS Trust clients, sometimes in urgent and time‑critical situations, including but not limited to healthcare law, regulatory issues, data protection and/or Freedom of Information. Review of contracts, SLAs and agreements and undertake research/advise on straight‑forward queries that are low risk. Recognise where specialist advice is needed and escalate to Legal Counsel as appropriate.
Qualifications
* Qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive (Civil Litigation and Advocacy) with extensive post‑qualification experience in healthcare law (or equivalent experience gained pre‑qualification)
Experience
* Line management and supervision experience of more junior staff including other qualified solicitors with less experience
* Experience working as a lawyer at a large, complex and dynamic healthcare organisation
Knowledge
* Excellent working knowledge of statute, procedure and legal precedent relating to Coronial inquests
* Entry‑level understanding of the basics of contract law and able to review contracts and undertake research appropriately in order to respond to low‑risk queries
* Knowledge of legal precedent and statute affecting NHS Trusts
* Risk management systems including Datix and InPhase
Skills
* Proficient in use of MS 365 applications
* Excellent communication (both written and verbal) and interpersonal skills with a wide range of staff, able to adjust communication style appropriately depending on audience and able to communicate clearly in highly contentious and hostile atmospheres
* Able to plan and manage workload to achieve deadlines and able to multi‑task in a demanding environment
* Able to understand and assimilate very complicated medical and legal information and communicate this effectively to different stakeholders
* Able to persuade and negotiate
* Advocacy skills to include difficult inquests where a client Trust is at risk of causative criticism and/or before a jury
* Excellent command of English language including excellent expression, spelling and grammar
* Ability to adjust and adapt depending on the evolving requirements of the role, willingness to learn and to develop
* Rights of audience in Civil and Coronial Courts
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
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