Job summary
The Patient Safety and Investigation Lead is a senior leader within the Quality team, responsible for driving forward the patient safety agenda and ensuring alignment of systems, processes, and practices across the Trust.
You will provide Trust-wide oversight of patient safety investigations in line with the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) and lead system-based investigations that identify learning and drive sustainable improvements. Working closely with patients, families, and stakeholders, you will ensure a just and learning culture is maintained.
This role also includes operational leadership of the patient safety team, strategic input into the patient safety agenda, and implementation of the national patient safety strategy at a local level.
Main duties of the job
Act as the principal lead for patient safety and investigations, applying systems thinking and providing expert advice across the organisation ensuring
Lead patient safety incident investigations in line with national guidance and Trust policy, ensuring compassionate engagement with patients and families.
Provide senior oversight of incident management processes and ensure sound understanding of the principles of PSIRF.
Serve as the subject matter expert for Duty of Candour, supporting staff and leading sensitive conversations with patients and families.
Deliver operational leadership for the patient safety team, including line management and resource optimisation.
Contribute to the development and delivery of the Trust's patient safety strategy and improvement initiatives.
Promote a positive patient safety culture
Provide expert advice on patient safety incident management and reporting requirements.
Support training and capacity building for patient safety investigations across the organisation.
About us
#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community
We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.
The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.
Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.
We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.
With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.
We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.
Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached job description and person specification for details around the main responsibilities of the role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached job description and person specification for details around the main responsibilities of the role.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to Masters level or able to demonstrate equivalent level of academic understanding.
- Systems based patient safety investigation training.
- Evidence of continuous professional development.
Desirable
- Clinical qualification.
- Recognised NHS Patient Safety Specialist.
- Trained After Action Review facilitator and/or trainer.
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- Experience of working at a senior level within patient safety.
- Knowledge of the NHS patient safety strategy and it's application at local level.
- Experience of leading and applying a systems based approach to patient safety investigations.
- Excellent organisational, planning and time management skills with an ability to prioritise workload.
- Ability to adopt a systematic approach to problem solving.
- Experience of compassionately involving patients and families in investigations.
- Ability to receive, analyse, interpret, and present complex information from multiple sources.
- Ability to present complex or contentious information to large groups.
- Ability to adapt delivery of information to enable understanding by a wide range of people, including healthcare professionals, executives, external agencies, patients, and families.
- Experience of formal and informal teaching and presentation.
Desirable
- Understanding and application of human factors and QI methodologies in relation to patient safety investigation and improvement.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Good understanding of IT systems and their applications.
- Able to present information in a clear and logical manner and in report from using in-depth analysis.
- Proven ability to meet deadlines and targets and manage conflicting priorities.
- Highly developed analytical skills with the ability to assess, synthesise, interpret, act and report upon complex qualitative and quantitative data from a variety of sources.
- Capable of developing associations with other networks and communities in relation to patient safety.
- Evidence of excellent communication skills.
- Evidence of an innovative, positive approach to managing problems/issues.
- Evidence of negotiating skills to influence changing practice.
- Proven ability to meet deadlines and targets.
Other
Essential
- A high level of emotional resilience in relation to subject matter.
- Inspires others and leads by example, championing WSFT FIRST values.
- Clear commitment to the provision of high-quality patient care.
- Evidence of an innovative, positive approach to managing problems/issues.
- Acts in a professional manner in accordance with relevant professional standards.
- Flexible approach to working hours/duties and willingness to work to the needs of the service.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to Masters level or able to demonstrate equivalent level of academic understanding.
- Systems based patient safety investigation training.
- Evidence of continuous professional development.
Desirable
- Clinical qualification.
- Recognised NHS Patient Safety Specialist.
- Trained After Action Review facilitator and/or trainer.
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- Experience of working at a senior level within patient safety.
- Knowledge of the NHS patient safety strategy and it's application at local level.
- Experience of leading and applying a systems based approach to patient safety investigations.
- Excellent organisational, planning and time management skills with an ability to prioritise workload.
- Ability to adopt a systematic approach to problem solving.
- Experience of compassionately involving patients and families in investigations.
- Ability to receive, analyse, interpret, and present complex information from multiple sources.
- Ability to present complex or contentious information to large groups.
- Ability to adapt delivery of information to enable understanding by a wide range of people, including healthcare professionals, executives, external agencies, patients, and families.
- Experience of formal and informal teaching and presentation.
Desirable
- Understanding and application of human factors and QI methodologies in relation to patient safety investigation and improvement.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Good understanding of IT systems and their applications.
- Able to present information in a clear and logical manner and in report from using in-depth analysis.
- Proven ability to meet deadlines and targets and manage conflicting priorities.
- Highly developed analytical skills with the ability to assess, synthesise, interpret, act and report upon complex qualitative and quantitative data from a variety of sources.
- Capable of developing associations with other networks and communities in relation to patient safety.
- Evidence of excellent communication skills.
- Evidence of an innovative, positive approach to managing problems/issues.
- Evidence of negotiating skills to influence changing practice.
- Proven ability to meet deadlines and targets.
Other
Essential
- A high level of emotional resilience in relation to subject matter.
- Inspires others and leads by example, championing WSFT FIRST values.
- Clear commitment to the provision of high-quality patient care.
- Evidence of an innovative, positive approach to managing problems/issues.
- Acts in a professional manner in accordance with relevant professional standards.
- Flexible approach to working hours/duties and willingness to work to the needs of the service.
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
