Interview date: Week commencing 22nd September 2025
The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking to appoint a Non-Executive Director (NED) to join its Board of Directors. This is a key leadership role at a time of strategic transformation and improvement.
About The Role
As an NED, you will bring independent judgement, financial expertise, and strategic insight to the Board. You will work collaboratively with Executive and Non-Executive Director colleagues to ensure the Trust delivers safe, kind, and effective care. The successful candidate will be expected to Chair either the Finance & Performance Committee or the Audit Committee and therefore must bring strong financial experience.
Key Responsibilities
* Provide independent financial oversight and strategic advice
* Support the development and delivery of the Trust’s Five-Year Strategy
* Champion patient safety, quality, and continuous improvement
* Constructively challenge and support the Executive team
* Promote openness, transparency, and public sector values
* Act as an ambassador for the Trust within the community and wider NHS
As a member of a unitary Board, there is a shared and collective responsibility amongst all the Directors for the overall strategic direction and performance of the Trust. As Non-Executive Director, you will collaborate with other Non-Executive Directors and Executive Directors as an equal member of the Board.
You will share responsibility with other Directors for the decisions made by the Board and form the success of the organisation in leading the local improvement of healthcare services. All of the Board members are required to work collaboratively and also to provide constructive challenge, as necessary.
The Directors must satisfy themselves as to the appropriateness and integrity of the information that comes to the Board and the efficacy of the controls and systems in place to ensure the good governance of the Trust. The Non-Executive Directors bring fresh perspectives to governance, reflecting their wider experience and skill sets acquired outside the Trust.
Non-Executive Directors have a particular role in collaborating with the Council of Governors which, in turn, is responsible for holding the Non-Executive Directors (both individually and collectively) to account for the performance of the Board. In practice, this requires the Non-Executive Directors to work with and be visible to the Council of Governors in the performance of their role as Non-Executive Directors.
The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides services to West Cheshire and to Welsh patients covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Its services are provided from three locations:
* The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 438 general and acute beds.
* Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 56 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility.
* Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.
The Trust employs over 5916 staff (headcount) which includes temporary bank staff and provides acute emergency and elective services, primary care direct access services and obstetric services to a population of approximately 411,000. This includes 361,000 residents in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire which has a population of approximately 50,000.
For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Neil Large Job title: Chair Email address: neil.large@nhs.net Telephone number: 01244 366429 #J-18808-Ljbffr