Chief Nurse
The closing date is 04 May 2026.
We are seeking an inspirational, values-driven Chief Nurse to provide outstanding executive leadership and professional direction across nursing, midwifery, allied health professions and scientific services.
This is a pivotal, statutory Board role with responsibility for ensuring exceptional quality of care, safe services, and outstanding patient outcomes and experience across the Trust.
As a full voting member of the Trust Board of Directors and Executive Team, the Chief Nurse will provide expert professional advice, assurance and leadership on all matters relating to quality, safety, patient outcomes, and experience. Working closely with the Chief Executive, Medical Director and Executive colleagues, the Chief Nurse will champion person-centred care and continuously improve outcomes for patients, families and communities.
Main duties of the job
As a full voting member of the Trust Board of Directors and Executive Team, the Chief Nurse will provide expert professional advice, assurance and leadership on all matters relating to quality, safety, patient outcomes, and experience. Working closely with the Chief Executive, Medical Director and Executive colleagues, the Chief Nurse will champion person-centred care and continuously improve outcomes for patients, families, and communities.
Key Responsibilities
* Provide professional nursing leadership, direction and expert advice to the Executive Team and Trust Board, ensuring that patient outcomes, safety and experience are central to all strategic decisions.
* Lead and inspire nursing, midwifery, allied health professional and scientific staff, fostering a culture of excellence, compassion and continuous improvement in patient care.
* Drive the Trust's quality, safety and productivity agenda, with clear accountability for delivering measurable improvements in patient outcomes and experience.
* Ensure the consistent delivery of high-quality, safe, effective and compassionate care for all patients across services.
* Provide visible, credible and accessible executive leadership, championing professional standards and supporting staff to deliver their very best for patients.
* Lead the development of the nursing, midwifery and AHP workforce, ensuring safe and effective staffing models that support high-quality care and sustainable services.
About us
North Cheshire and Mersey NHS Foundation Trust is a caring and compassionate organisation that is both ambitious and innovative. We are committed to delivering the best outcomes for our patients and providing a positive experience of our staff. We aspire to be outstanding for our patients, our communities and our staff and are committed to being a great place to receive healthcare, work and learn.
Straddling the neighbouring boroughs of Warrington and Halton we are part of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care system. Our hospitals are ideally situated to meet the growing healthcare needs of the 330,000 population of these boroughs.
Warrington Hospital is home to our emergency, critical care and maternity services, Halton Hospital is focused on elective procedures and the Runcorn Urgent Treatment Centre, although many services are offered at both sites and in community hubs.
A CQC-rated 'good' organisation with 'outstanding' features, we are working towards university hospital status, having achieved teaching hospital status in 2019.
We employ nearly 5,000 people from over 80 nationalities, striving to be a diverse, inclusive employer and recognised leader in equality. We support flexible working, welcoming flexible applications. Proud of our many accreditations, we are embedding an anti-racist approach in all we do.
Job responsibilities
We are looking for a senior clinical leader with a strong track record of improving patient outcomes, quality and experience at system or organisational level. You will be a registered nurse with board level experience or significant sub-board leadership experience, excellent judgement, and the credibility to influence at Board, system and national level.
Person Specification
Experience
* Minimum of 5 years' senior management experience at sub-Board level.
* Proven track record of interpreting and implementing national policy and strategy.
* Extensive senior operational experience with demonstrable achievements in an acute sector.
* Broad ranging experience in different clinical services.
* Leading a professional team in the design implementation and delivery of quality services across multidisciplinary teams.
* Work with and represent the Trust at external meetings / agencies.
* Extensive experience of working within the NHS Improvement, CQC and professional regulatory regimes.
* Extensive experience of working collaboratively with partners, across a healthcare system, to develop services which improve the patient experience.
* Proven success in leading transformation of services and change programmes including service improvement and cultural change.
* Demonstrable track record of achievement in the quality and patient safety agenda.
* Representing the profession at Board level.
* Experience of working in, developing, or managing community services.
Qualifications
* First level Registered Nurse (RN)
* Masters level degree or equivalent level of experience.
* Excellent interpersonal skills and significant personal credibility
* Committed to a culture of continuous improvement and learning.
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.
Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHSFT
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