Employer Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site 1st floor, Riverside House Town Cheltenham Salary £62,215 - £72,293 (pro rata if part time) Salary period Yearly Closing 29/06/2025 23:59 Interview date 17/07/2025
Head of Patient Care Contracts - Band 8b
NHS AfC: Band 8b
Join us at an exciting time for Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust! We have an ambitious plan for our journey to Outstanding and are looking for aspirational, committed individuals to join us, making a real difference to both staff and patients.
As a former winner of England for excellence award: Tourism destination of the year, the beautiful city of Gloucester and the scenic regency spa town of Cheltenham are fantastic places to work and live.
As a hospital Trust we are currently involved in over 100 clinical trials and studies, whilst also providing acute elective and specialist services to a population of over 620,000.
By joining Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust new colleagues can look forward to a warm welcome and a future full of opportunities and support.
Job overview
The Head of Patient Care Contracts will be a member of the senior management team reporting directly to the Associate Director of Income and Contracting. The post holder will support the Associate Director in relation to all healthcare contract discussions with internal and external stakeholders.
The role supports the contract management process for the Trust, provider to provider and third sector contracts, to ensure delivery of services that are high quality, better value for money and to achieve the Trust objectives.
The post holder will also be expected to provide expert advice on contract management matters to Executives, Divisional Managers and clinicians from a variety of disciplines.
The post holder will be responsible for supporting the development of the Trust to contracting with non-commissioning bodies as well as developing capability within the team and of individual team members.
Expected interview date: 17/07/2025
Main duties of the job
Key Dimensions
Contract Management
Successful delivery of this role involves ensuring contract management for all contract services by ensuring robust systems for proactive contract performance monitoring that enable performance indicators to be specified, monitored, performance issues to be acted upon and future procurement decisions to be made.
Safeguarding
Provision of in-house contractual expertise on how the Trust’s interests can be safeguarded in contracts and partnerships with other organisations, and how those safeguards can be documented.
Manage a portfolio of Trust contracts, supporting clinical and operational teams with their understanding of contract terms and parameters.
The post holder will work closely with the finance team so as to ensure the Contracting & Income department provides a seamless service on all income issues.
Relationship Development
Development of key working relationships with Directors and Senior Managers of NHS provider organisations, suppliers and third sector bodies.
Working for our organisation
We are a small team of ten who work closely together within the Finance function as our roles across finance, contracting and income overlap. We are in effect a small multi-disciplinary team. Our role means that we interact with many internal and external clients and need to build good working relationships, often leading in workshops to resolve multifaceted issues.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Contract Management
Lead, support and contribute to formal contract negotiations with senior level staff from external stakeholders, providing a high level of negotiating expertise to secure the most advantageous arrangements.
Work closely with operational colleges to ensure contractual performance targets are achieved.
Work closely with the Heads of other Departments or Directorate to ensure that units understand and adhere to rules and standards, intervening as appropriate.
Ensure the securing of value for money, giving due consideration to all relevant factors including risk, quality and other factors.
Ensure contracts are in place, especially for provider to provider arrangements, including clear clinical specifications
Review contracted services at regular intervals, and identify any fundamental changes required.
Be required to use their own high level of contracting and commercial expertise to deliver an innovative and ambitious approach to the Trust’s business obligations and opportunities and the associated contract structures. This may include conversations where there are barriers to understanding/acceptance.
Undertaking highly complex and contentious negotiations with Directors and Senior Managers of Commercial and public sector organisations to ensure best value and minimising risk to the Trust.
Protect the financial and contractual and integrity of the Trust through the analysis of third-party contracts
Work with the Associate Director of Income & Contracting and the Director of Finance to ensure the strong development and continued growth of the Trust’s contract management function. This will include the development of robust systems and processes to ensure the Trust’s contractual obligations are delivered. This will include the management of sub-contracts and provider to provider agreements.
Ensure that best practice is developed and delivered at organisational and departmental levels. Challenge ways of working and persuade, motivate and influence other senior managers to realign their practice where necessary.
To maintain compliance with Standing Orders and Standing Financial Instructions
Acts as deputy to the Associate Director of Income and Contracting on agreed and appropriate occasions.
Oversea database maintenance ensuring it is up to date
Other Operating Income
To support the Associate Director of Income and Contracting on non-commissioning income management for the Trust – with particular reference to Provider to Provider agreements
To develop and maintain up to date processes to ensure all income is reported and contracted (where applicable) so disclosed correctly in the financial position.
To provide expert knowledge and financial advice on negotiating and agreeing contracts.
To participate actively in developing the vision, strategy and plans for income and contracting, taking account of the impact across the service lines and the organisation overall.
Reporting
Reporting of contractual issues and effect to various Boards and sub-committees
Provider Selection Regime
Familiarity with PSR and how it effects contracting
Liaison with the Procurement Department
Private Patients & Overseas Visitors
Support in the production of an annual price list to support the Private Patient office in line with Trust strategy.
Support on the financial support to the Private Patients Office.
Support with Private Patient insurance company negotiations
Support on financial support for Overseas Visitors.
Research and Development
Support, in general, to the Research & Development department of the Trust
Policy and Procedure
Responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining the policies and procedures associated with the management of contracts.
To contribute to the strategic direction of the Finance team including reviewing the key external partnership collaborations
Communications and Working Relationships
The post holder will require excellent interpersonal, negotiation and communication skills.
The post holder will be required to present highly complex and highly sensitive financial information to large audiences of varying experience. This will require highly developed presentation and influencing skills.
The post holder will require negotiation and persuasive skills when communicating contentious information to staff and directorates where there may be significant barriers to acceptance.
Staff Management and Training
Be responsible for the overall management of the Contracting and Costing team, including motivating staff to meet deadlines and targets, recruitment, training, appraisal, implementation of HR policies and dealing with disciplinary/performance issues.
Be responsible for the personal development of the teams and ensure that every member of staff is regularly appraised and has a Personal Development Plan.
Maintain an up to date, in depth specialist knowledge – theory and experience – of contract management, contractual and financial aspects of NHS legislation and NHS policies.
To ensure relevant finance and service staff are appropriately briefed on contract developments through the use of seminars, briefing papers and targeted distribution lists.
Person specification
Qualifications and Training
* CCAB or CIMA with significant post qualification experience
Knowledge and Skills
* Contracting and commissioning systems in and NHS provider organisation
* Experience and expert knowledge of NHS
* Significant staff and budgetary management
* Able to analyse highly complex issues involving material drawn from various sources, sometimes conflicting
* Excellent organisational and time management skills
* Strong communication skills, both orally and in writing
* Ability to present information clearly to a range of audiences including the public
* Able to influence and persuade others and inspire and motivate staff
Personal Attributes
* Able to cope under pressure
* Proactive / takes own initiative
The health and wellbeing of our staff and patients remains the priority of the Trust. Vaccination remains the best chance we have of conquering COVID and the Trust encourages everyone to take up this offer.
Please note, this vacancy may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received, so please apply as soon as possible if you are interested. The Recruitment Team are unable to accept any applications after the position has closed on NHS Jobs.
Committed to safeguarding our community
If applicable for the post, all successful candidates will be required to pay for their own Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The cost will be £29 (standard checks) or £46 (enhanced checks), and will be recovered through two instalments from the candidate's salary. Please contact ghn-tr.recruitment@nhs.net for further information.
The Trust is a safeguarding employer committed to the safeguarding and promotion of welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The Trust is committed to safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults, and any appointment will be subject to satisfactory clearance. As part of the organisation's commitment to Safer Recruitment, candidates may request copies of relevant policies and procedures by contacting the Recruitment Team at ghn-tr.recruitment@nhs.net
Committed to supporting service personnel
As part of our commitment to support Service Personnel, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in collaboration with the Career Transition Partnership, offer a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for all qualifying Service and Ex-Service Personnel. To qualify for a guaranteed interview, candidates must meet the essential criteria for the post and be either a current member of the Armed Forces, or be within the two year period of resettlement. If this applies to you please email the job reference number and your AR number to the Recruitment Team at ghn-tr.recruitment@nhs.net
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