We are looking to recruit an experienced and motivated Lead Nurse to join our Dermatology Department. This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic nursing professional who is passionate about delivering high quality, patient‑centred care.
The role is 30 hours per week Monday to Friday based at Leigh Infirmary.
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) provides acute hospital and community services in the Wigan area. We value our staff and aim to deliver high‑quality patient care. 'happy staff, makes for happy patients'.
Responsibilities
- Provide sound clinical leadership and develop standards and support mechanisms for sharing high quality practice within the department and Trust‑wide.
- Maintain and promote effective communication within the Dermatology team and other wards and departments, including formal presentation of information relating to your department using formal and informal methods.
- Ensure that staffing levels are appropriate to patient and departmental need by adjusting duty rotas and developing proposals for changes to skill mix and staff establishments accordingly.
- Prioritise and delegate workload appropriately whilst monitoring and assessing performance, as well as the work of individuals and teams.
- Provide visible, effective clinical leadership and management which fosters teamwork across professional and organisational boundaries.
- Support clinical governance leads within the divisions by contributing to the development and maintenance of governance processes (e.g. investigation of clinical incidents, risk management, policies and procedures).
- Support the Matron in the management and investigation of complaints and concerns identified in their area of responsibility, supporting changes in practice as required.
- Act as a role model and work within legislation and Trust procedures, ensuring compliance of all staff working within the unit.
- Demonstrate politeness, courtesy and sensitivity in dealing with patients, visitors, relatives and colleagues, maintaining good customer relations.
- Manage own workload autonomously.
- Develop and maintain Dermatology knowledge and practice by attending and participating in continuing professional development and influence the development of others.
- Contribute to clinical practice, education and development acting as a resource for the support and guidance of staff to represent corporate and Divisional objectives.
- Ensure all nurses comply with NMC regulations and work within their scope of practice.
- Incorporate responsibilities for delivering aspects of the corporate Professional Nursing Agenda, including the 6 Cs (Compassion in Practice, DOH 2012) as they relate to the area in which they work.
Planning and Organisational Duties
- Be highly visible and accessible to patients and staff, maintaining clinical and professional competence, authority and credibility through active and regular engagement in clinical practice and contact with patients and patient representatives.
- Resolve problems for patients and their relatives by acting quickly to deal with problems when and where they occur, working closely with PALS and the Complaints Service, using this information to plan and implement actions, thereby developing a quality service.
- Ensure that patients are treated with respect, that their privacy and dignity are protected, and that they are addressed in the manner they choose.
- Facilitate regular meetings with staff to encourage the exchange and implementation of new ideas.
- Effectively manage the use of allocated resources and funding.
- Lead the team in the management of the department environment to meet the Trust objectives for Risk Management and Health and Safety.
- Challenge behaviour that undermines the rights of others, respecting people’s diversity and valuing them as individuals.
- Ensure consistent quality care by taking responsibility for driving up standards of care and leading work to improve professional practice and patient services while being guided by local and national agendas.
- Ensure systems are in place for the monitoring of quality standards and patient outcomes, addressing poor performance in line with Trust policy (e.g. complaints, incidents, poor communication and quality monitoring programme).
- Work collaboratively with Facilities to ensure all standards of cleanliness are agreed in line with the NHS Clean Hospitals Programme, encouraging and supporting senior staff to monitor and challenge when standards of environmental cleanliness are not achieved or maintained.
- Negotiate and implement change and new ways of working where necessary, supporting all staff in dealing with situations involving violence and aggression.
Communications and Key Working Relationships
- Ensure effective communication by written, verbal and IT while maintaining up‑to‑date records and information that comply with the Data Protection Act.
- Ensure documentation is appropriate, accountable and defensible within the area of responsibility.
- Formulate, analyse and present complex information in relation to service requirements to improve efficiency and effectiveness, communicating this to Senior Managers and the multi‑disciplinary teams.
- Use a range of communication skills needed to deliver information which can be highly sensitive, complex or contentious, on a one‑to‑one basis or to a group of people.
- Ensure systems are in place to develop nurse roles and nurse‑in‑charge roles which meet both the needs of the service and corporate objectives.
- Educate and involve patients in their treatment, incorporating psychological support when required and the development of coping strategies when necessary.
Responsibility for Finance
- Effectively manage physical and financial resources, proactively identifying areas for cost improvement, ensuring balanced financial budgets within the area of responsibility.
- Monitor, control and store resources and supplies according to the requirements and specifications of the clinical environment.
- Responsible for the safe storage and transportation of all drugs and compliance with Medicines Legislation.
- Support the Operational team and Matron in the identification of cost‑saving initiatives to achieve the department target.
- Ensure systems are in place to monitor the delivery of goods and services.
- Contribute to ensuring that the Service delivers a balanced budget.
- Ensure efficient use of bank and agency staff, monitoring quality and expenditure and authorising payments.
- Identify problems with resource use/availability and make recommendations for corrective actions consistent with departmental objectives and organisational policies.
- Maintain accurate records of resource usage.
Responsibility for Human Resources
- Assess and identify own development needs in relation to Dermatology knowledge and skills required to meet the demands of the role; take responsibility for continuing professional development and performance of self and team whilst maintaining a personal development plan in accordance with registration requirements.
- Ensure equity of access to appropriate learning opportunities for staff in the area of responsibility and the application of knowledge and skills gained to practice.
- Line‑manage members of the Dermatology staff and undertake regular performance reviews and personal development plans for all staff within the area of responsibility, enabling career progression and succession planning.
- Ensure staff complete mandatory training, to comply with Trust objectives.
- Contribute to and promote a culture that values staff, recognising and acknowledging achievement while positively addressing poor performance.
- Contribute to the implementation of key performance indicators for the Trust Attendance Management Policy.
- Act as a mentor and assessor to assigned learners, teaching and supporting them through their competency assessment programme.
- Exercise effective managerial and clinical leadership.
- Perform comprehensive assessment of the daily workload and caseload, allocate and coordinate staff according to their knowledge and skills ensuring safe provision of care.
- Alert senior managers to resource issues which affect learning, development and performance.
- Identify, report and participate in addressing poor performance issues.
- Diffuse challenging behaviour, ensuring that the situation is managed in a sensitive manner.
- Report incidents, complaints or accidents to the Matron and assist/support in the investigation and resolution of the same.
- Deal personally with patients and relatives to aid resolution of complaints.
- Contribute to the recruitment and selection process.
- Monitor and manage sickness absence of staff in the area of responsibility and provide effective support.
Responsibility for Health & Safety
- All staff must take care of their own safety and others who may be affected by their actions or omissions.
- Adhere to Trust and departmental Health and Safety policies and use any equipment or personal protective equipment provided to ensure safety.
- Co‑operate with managers to maintain safe systems and workplaces.
- Report any accidents or incidents or ill health, failures in premises, equipment or personal protective equipment.
- Ensure a safe environment for patients and staff by adhering to the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.
- Report clinical and non‑clinical incidents through the hospital reporting system.
Responsibility for Teaching
- Act as a role model, inspiring staff and students with your vision and values, remaining clinically credible by maintaining and enhancing key clinical skills.
- Facilitate a supportive learning environment that enables all multidisciplinary members of the team to develop.
- Participate in the provision of training for other staff groups across the Dermatology service, Trust and externally as appropriate.
- Take responsibility for professional updating by maintaining knowledge and skills in accordance with professional and educational requirements.
- Ensure that all staff receive orientation, induction, preceptorship and mandatory training.
- Ensure the environment is conducive to teaching, education, training and development for all staff and students.
This advert closes on Tuesday 2 Jun 2026.
