Job Summary
The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust (RNOH) is seeking to appoint an exceptional Chief Nurse at an important moment in the Trust’s development.
RNOH is a place with a proud heritage, a distinctive clinical mission and a deeply committed workforce. It is determined to strengthen clinical leadership, modernise services and continue delivering outstanding specialist care for patients who rely on it. The Trust is entering a period of significant transformation, optimising its electronic health record, redesigning pathways of care and aligning its work with the NHS Long Term Plan.
The Chief Nurse will shape the future of the organisation, strengthen quality and safety, and lead trust‑wide clinical transformation at scale. As a key member of the Board and Executive Team, you will provide visible, professional and corporate leadership across nursing and care delivery, working alongside experienced executive colleagues with full commitment to modernising services in a way that benefits patients and staff.
Responsibilities
* Lead the organisational approach to quality improvement, patient experience, clinical effectiveness and patient safety.
* Provide strategic leadership for the development and modernisation of nursing and care delivery, ensuring services are designed around patient outcomes and experience.
* Drive innovation in care pathways, adoption of digital technologies, and redesign of clinical models to enable more responsive, efficient and personalised care.
* Hold executive responsibility for statutory and regulatory functions, including Director of Infection Prevention and Control, Controlled Drugs Accountable Officer, Human Tissue Authority lead executive and executive lead for safeguarding.
* Act as the Trust’s senior liaison for the Care Quality Commission and the named person on registration.
* Share collective responsibility with the Board for organisational performance, financial stewardship, workforce strategy, culture and delivery of the Trust’s strategic objectives.
Key Relationships
* Chair and non‑executive directors
* Chief Executive and executive directors
* Divisional leadership teams
* Nursing and AHP workforce
* Patients, families and patient groups
* Integrated Care System partners and Chief Nurses network
* Care Quality Commission relationship manager
* NHS England and national professional bodies
* Academic and research partners
* System clinical and operational partners
Person Specification
Essential IT Skills
* Strong understanding of digital healthcare systems (e.g. EPR/EHR)
* Ability to lead digital adoption within clinical services
* Experience using data to support quality improvement and pathway redesign
* Digital literacy sufficient to engage confidently in technology‑enabled service transformation
Desirable IT Skills
* Experience leading digitally enabled pathway redesign
Qualifications (Essential)
* Registered Nurse with current NMC registration
* Educated to Masters degree level or equivalent experience
* Evidence of ongoing professional development
* Substantial (Sub)Board‑level or equivalent senior nursing leadership experience in a complex healthcare organisation
* Extensive knowledge of clinical governance, patient safety, safeguarding and quality systems
* Experience as Director of Infection Prevention and Control or equivalent infection control leadership
* Experience of regulatory engagement (CQC or equivalent)
* Experience leading organisational transformation and service redesign
* Experience of workforce strategy, leadership development and succession planning
Qualifications (Desirable)
* Formal leadership or management qualification
* Qualification in quality improvement, patient safety or digital health
* Experience in specialist or tertiary services
* System‑wide or Integrated Care System leadership experience
Experience (Essential)
* Ability to interpret complex clinical, operational and performance data
* Strong strategic judgement in high‑risk and high‑profile environments
* Ability to balance quality, safety, financial and operational considerations
* Experience making evidence‑based decisions in complex systems
* Ability to assess and mitigate clinical and organisational risk
* Experience using digital dashboards and data analytics to drive improvement
* Executive leadership for development of nursing and quality strategy
* Experience shaping and implementing organisational policy at Board level
* Proven ability to lead service redesign and innovation
* Experience aligning service development with regulatory and statutory requirements
* Commitment to evidence‑based practice
* Experience supporting research capacity and capability within nursing
* Experience embedding quality improvement methodology
* Ability to operate autonomously within executive authority
* Experience exercising independent professional judgement
* Confidence to provide constructive challenge at Board level
* Ability to act decisively in complex and high‑pressure situations
Experience (Desirable)
* Experience leading digitally enabled pathway redesign
* Experience implementing or optimising EHR systems
* Knowledge of digital health innovation, AI or remote monitoring models
* Experience contributing to regional or national policy development
* Experience leading productivity improvement programmes
* Active involvement in research leadership or academic partnerships
* Publications or contribution to professional research activity
* Experience leading through significant organisational change or crisis
* Experience in sustained major organisational transformation
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration.
Employer Details
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
Brockley Hill, Stanmore, Middlesex, HA7 4LP
Website: https://www.rnoh.nhs.uk/
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