Job summary
We are seeking an exceptional Medical Matron to provide strong, visible, and compassionate leadership across our medical wards.
This is a senior clinical leadership role with responsibility for driving high standards of care, patient safety, operational performance, and staff experience within a complex and pressurised acute medical environment. The successful candidate will be a clinically credible leader with the authority, confidence, and emotional intelligence to influence at all levels, including working closely with senior medical colleagues.
Main duties of the job
As Medical Matron, you will play a pivotal role in:
- Maintaining and improving quality, safety, and patient experience
- Providing operational grip across medical services, particularly during periods of escalation
- Leading and developing ward leaders to deliver consistent, high-quality care
- Creating a culture of compassionate accountability, where staff are supported, and standards are non-negotiable
- Responding confidently to risk, incidents, complaints, and complex workforce challenges
We are looking for a leader who is visible, calm under pressure, and decisive, with a strong understanding of patient flow, system pressures, and the realities of acute medical care. You will be expected to anticipate issues, intervene early, and work collaboratively to deliver sustainable improvements.
This role requires a leader who can balance care, safety, flow, and workforce wellbeing, while aligning ward-level delivery with Trust priorities and national drivers.
If you are a senior nurse leader who is ready to make a tangible impact on patient care and staff experience, and who thrives in a role requiring influence, resilience, and professional authority, we would welcome your application.
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
For Full Details of the Job Role and Person Specification, Please see attached Job Description.
The closing date for this vacancy may change if we receive a strong response. Please ensure that you apply for any post you are interested in as soon as possible.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For Full Details of the Job Role and Person Specification, Please see attached Job Description.
The closing date for this vacancy may change if we receive a strong response. Please ensure that you apply for any post you are interested in as soon as possible.
Person Specification
Education & Qualifications
Essential
- Appropriate Clinical Registration
- 1st Degree in health-related area or relevant experience
- Ability to study at Masters level
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable
- Completion of a research module/ course.
- Completion of a leadership programme/course.
- Masters course
Experience and knowledge
Essential
- Demonstrated history of post registration experience.
- Experience at Band 7 level as a ward manager or equivalent (i.e. project coordinator, practice facilitator) in an acute hospital setting.
- Introduction of change at ward/specialty level.
- Knowledge of clinical governance and risk management.
- Understanding of wider Trust issues and national targets.
- Understanding of principles of research.
- Understanding of Patient and Public Involvement.
Desirable
- Practice development, project management.
- Experience of clinical audit.
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Excellent professional role model.
- Good leadership skills.
- Effective team working, facilitation and influencing skills.
- Understanding of multi-disciplinary team working.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Able to establish good relationships with patients and the public, inspiring confidence.
- Ability to prioritise workload and problem solving.
- Ability to develop good inter-professional relationships.
Desirable
- Presentation skills.
- Report writing.
- Development of business plans.
- Media skills.
- IT literate.
Personal qualities
Essential
- Ability to motivate others.
- Committed to quality improvement.
- Ability to articulate the value of nursing and its contribution to the health care agenda.
- Ability to work on own initiative.
- Able to work well independently and as a team member.
- Approachable
- Able to recognise own limitations.
Person Specification
Education & Qualifications
Essential
- Appropriate Clinical Registration
- 1st Degree in health-related area or relevant experience
- Ability to study at Masters level
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable
- Completion of a research module/ course.
- Completion of a leadership programme/course.
- Masters course
Experience and knowledge
Essential
- Demonstrated history of post registration experience.
- Experience at Band 7 level as a ward manager or equivalent (i.e. project coordinator, practice facilitator) in an acute hospital setting.
- Introduction of change at ward/specialty level.
- Knowledge of clinical governance and risk management.
- Understanding of wider Trust issues and national targets.
- Understanding of principles of research.
- Understanding of Patient and Public Involvement.
Desirable
- Practice development, project management.
- Experience of clinical audit.
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Excellent professional role model.
- Good leadership skills.
- Effective team working, facilitation and influencing skills.
- Understanding of multi-disciplinary team working.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Able to establish good relationships with patients and the public, inspiring confidence.
- Ability to prioritise workload and problem solving.
- Ability to develop good inter-professional relationships.
Desirable
- Presentation skills.
- Report writing.
- Development of business plans.
- Media skills.
- IT literate.
Personal qualities
Essential
- Ability to motivate others.
- Committed to quality improvement.
- Ability to articulate the value of nursing and its contribution to the health care agenda.
- Ability to work on own initiative.
- Able to work well independently and as a team member.
- Approachable
- Able to recognise own limitations.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Address
West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Hardwick Lane
Bury St Edmunds
IP33 2QZ
Employer's website
https://www.wsh.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)
