Overview
Director of Nursing Patient Experience & Fundamentals of Care at Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The closing date is 18 March 2026
Melanie Pickering, our Corporate Director of Nursing, has been promoted, creating an exciting senior leadership vacancy at WWL. This role sits on my senior team and offers the autonomy to lead change, transform services and be highly visible across the borough. It oversees Patient Experience; Charitable Funds; Volunteers; Living with Dementia; Smoking Cessation; Chaplaincy; PALS and Complaints; and ASPIRE accreditation.
I'm seeking an inspirational leader who meets the JD/PS essentials and goes further: someone who ensures patients, service users and communities are heard and whose listening and learning shape our NMAHP strategy and service improvements. The successful candidate will work system-wide, drive innovation, understand local demographics and health inequalities, and adopt a less hospital-centric approach to improve access. Professional curiosity, the ability to challenge the norm and the confidence to use the autonomy of a senior post are essential.
I'm committed to leader development; Melanie completed the national Aspiring Deputy DON programme and an immersive board programme while in post. Although corporate, this role is collaborative--part of my senior CNO team. Amanda (my Deputy), Melanie and other stakeholders are happy to meet applicants for informal discussions and due diligence.
Main duties of the job
The Corporate Director of Nursing is responsible for development and implementation of Trust policies and strategy designed to achieve quality in healthcare including Patient Experience and Engagement, Voluntary Services, Harm Free Care, Patient Relations & Complaints, and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for patients and the wider system.
Please note that this vacancy may close early if a sufficient number of applications are received. We encourage interested candidates to apply promptly to avoid disappointment.
About us
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that 'happy staff, makes for happy patients'. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement and living our values.
People at the Heart
Listen and Involve
Kind and Respectful
ONE Team
WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. We are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.
At WWL we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.
Job responsibilities
Please see individual job description as they contain additional details concerning the specifics of each of the job roles.
Person Specification
Knowledge
* Clear understanding of complex issues prevailing around National drivers in the health / public sector
* Extensive knowledge of patient experience and public engagement including inclusive working with seldom heard groups
* Knowledge and understanding of quality accreditation process
* Extensive experience of developing audits programmes to support positive change
* Knowledge of Infection Prevention and Control agenda
* Evidence of knowledge of safeguarding agenda
* Knowledge of national, regional & local strategic drivers for change with respect to professional workforce and models of care
* Evidence of continuous professional development and/or personal development
* Extensive understanding of the legal framework of EDI and the Public Sector Equality Duty to ensure improvements in patient care
WWL Behaviours
* Demonstrable ability to lead with purpose grounded in the WWL's values
Experience
* Extensive senior management experience NHS and / or private sector healthcare organisations
* Experience of working with senior executives and non- executive teams, senior managers and clinicians
* Experience of working directly with patients and the public
* Experience of research methodologies and techniques to engage with all stakeholders
* Experience of public consultation
* Experience of leading organisations / local change based of the needs of the patient / service user and the workforce
* Experience of working across boundaries and working with multiple stakeholders
* Extensive experience in strategy development, budgetary control & clinical leadership
* Evidence of high-level professional credibility
* Significant experience of implementing governance structures & risk management
* Experience of partnership working
* Experience of multi-agency & system-wide working
* Experience of managing high level risk stratification
* Experience of working in primary and social care settings
* Knowledge of the North West and the Wigan Borough
* Evidence of an appreciation of the Trust values and workings of the public sector
Skills
* Excellent communication skills and able to influence strategic direction
* Extensive skills in co-production / co-design and working within senior leadership whilst maintaining integrity for area of responsibility
* Demonstrable skills in strategic leadership
* Ability to think creatively and develop a vision for the future
* Proven record of building and motivating teams that deliver high standards of collaborative working and integrated solutions
* Proven record of leading developing and leading high level strategy, which drives improved outcomes across populations and workforce
* High level of emotional intelligence
* Able to manage sensitive and contentious information
* Skilled in the interpretation and triangulation of complex data and information, statistics and the production of accurate reports
* Extensive skills in report writing narrative and data based Trust Board reports
* Ability to think and act strategically, yet develop workable, innovative and practical solutions to achieve startgic outcomes
* Critical thinking skills in data analysis
* Extensive experience of agile leadership skills across a range of services
* Compassionate and caring leadership skills, resulting in an empowered workforce
* Able to manage multiple complex transformational change projects and deliver within timescales
* Able to motivate others
* Ability to work well under pressure
* Able to participate in relevant on call rota
Qualifications
* Registered Nurse/AHP with relevant degree
* Master's Degree in relevant subject
* Evidence of continued personal and professional development
Additional
* Diplomatic
* Positive thinker
* Good listener
* Creative / innovator
* Can work on own initiative
* Work sensitively/ tactfully
* Able to prioritise and deliver timely, quality results
* High level of personal and professional credibility
* Motivated and enthusiastic
* Assertive and decisive
* Resilience
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.
Wrightington Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
£91,342 to £105,337 a year pro rata, per annum
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