Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
Planned Access and Validation Service Manager
The closing date is 31 March 2026
This role is ideal for someone with strong RTT knowledge, a passion for data quality, and the confidence to influence and lead across multiple services. It requires a proactive and organised individual who enjoys problem‑solving, developing others, and working collaboratively with clinical and operational teams. You should apply if you are looking for a role where you can make a tangible impact on patient care, shape Trust practice, and play a key part in delivering safe, and efficient elective access. This is a great opportunity to step into a senior operational role, lead a motivated team, and contribute to meaningful service improvement.
The post holder will lead and manage the Trust's Validation Team, ensuring the delivery of accurate RTT and waiting list data and providing assurance that all processes comply with the Elective Care Access Policy. They will develop and deliver a Trust-wide RTT training strategy, offering expert guidance and in‑person training to clinical and administrative teams across the organisation. The role offers hybrid working however regular on‑site presence is essential to provide visible leadership, support staff, collaborate with operational and clinical colleagues, and deliver face‑to‑face training sessions within both office and clinical settings. The role also involves overseeing day‑to‑day validation operations, supporting governance and performance monitoring, and driving improvements in elective access across the Trust.
Main duties of the job
The Planned Access and Validation Service Manager is responsible for the service delivery of the elective access validation team, ensuring the accuracy, quality, and completeness of patient pathway and waiting list data in accordance with national Referral to Treatment (RTT) rules and local Trust policies.
The post-holder will manage a team of pathway validators and provide strategic leadership, oversight, and governance for validation practices across the organisation. They will work closely with operational and clinical teams to support delivery of national access standards and performance targets.
The post-holder will work alongside and, when required, deputise for the Head of Access, providing leadership and support across the broader elective access portfolio.
About us
CHFT is an integrated Trust of 6,500+ colleagues providing hospital and community services to patients and communities across Calderdale and Kirklees. We are rated as ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission, are a top performing Trust for Elective Recovery, Emergency and Cancer Care and widely acknowledged as a national digital lead when it comes to caring for people across our local and regional systems.
Our people are at the core of everything we do, hence our commitment to One Culture of Care. Our focus is to care for and support each other in order to provide outstanding compassionate care to our patients. That is why we are looking for an inclusive collaborative, creative, innovative and compassionate leader to join us in this role.
Job responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
* Develop and lead a Trust-wide validation strategy aligned to national RTT and waiting list requirements.
* Provide expert guidance on pathway validation, data accuracy, and elective performance.
* Serve as the subject matter expert on RTT pathways, waiting list rules, and validation practices.
* Deputise for the Head of Access, supporting decision‑making and service continuity across elective access functions.
Operational Management
* Manage the day‑to‑day operations of the validation team, ensuring all waiting list and RTT pathway data is regularly and accurately validated.
* Oversee and continuously improve validation processes, ensuring compliance with national and Trust standards.
* Design and implement Trust wide SOPs for validation activity and patient tracking processes.
* Monitor and report on validation metrics and KPIs to senior colleagues, identifying where performance is off plan and working with teams to put mitigation plans in place.
* Support the Head of Access in managing cross‑functional initiatives, contributing to recovery plans, PTL oversight, and national reporting.
People Management
* Line manage a team of validation officers, providing direction, support, and oversight to ensure high performance and effective delivery of validation services.
* Oversee the allocation of work to staff, ensuring tasks are appropriately assigned to meet service priorities and individual development needs.
* Conduct appraisals, 1:1s, team meetings, and development plans.
* Manage team recruitment, induction, training, and rota planning.
* Foster a culture of high performance, accountability, and service improvement.
Data Quality & Governance
* Provide assurance to the Head of Access that validation processes support accurate RTT and elective care reporting, minimising data quality breaches and risks.
* Lead on internal audits, deep dives, and data quality investigations relating to patient access and pathway breaches.
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