Job summary
We are seeking a motivated and experienced practitioner with current NHS experience in an acute setting to join out Harm free Care team as Deteriorating Patient Lead Practitioner. This exciting new role will provide strategic and clinical leadership to ensure the timely recognition and effective management of acutely ill and deteriorating patients across the Trust.
This role will drive improvements in patient safety by developing and implementing evidence-based strategies, delivering education and training programmes, and supporting clinical teams with expert guidance. Working collaboratively with divisional leaders and specialist teams, the post holder will champion best practice, embed national standards such as NEWS and sepsis pathways, and lead quality improvement initiatives to reduce harm and improve outcomes for patients.
Main duties of the job
- Provide strategic leadership for the identification, escalation, and management of deteriorating patients across the Trust.
- Develop and implement evidence-based policies, protocols, and improvement strategies aligned with national standards (e.g., NEWS2, sepsis pathways).
- Lead the design and delivery of education and training programmes to enhance staff competence in recognising and responding to acute deterioration.
- Act as a clinical expert and resource, offering specialist advice and support to multidisciplinary teams.
- Monitor compliance, analyse data, and drive quality improvement initiatives to reduce harm and improve patient outcomes.
- Collaborate with divisional teams, Rapid Response Teams, and senior leaders to embed best practice and foster a culture of safety.
- Contribute to incident reviews, learning processes, and implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF)
Skills and Experience We're Looking For
- Advanced clinical assessment and decision-making skills for acutely ill patients.
- Strong leadership and change management capability.
- Experience in service improvement and implementing evidence-based practice.
- Excellent communication and influencing skills across multidisciplinary teams.
- Ability to design and deliver education and training programmes.
- Knowledge of national patient safety standards and escalation protocols (e.g., NEWS, sepsis).
About us
Our Trust
Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people - patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing 'outstanding' care to our patients and rated 'Good' overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH's values - Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent - are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.
CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people's age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:- applied for a Graduate visa- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start
For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.
This vacancy will close at midnight on 18 December 2025
Interviews are due to be held on 8 January 2026
Benefits to you
At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.
On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.
CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:- applied for a Graduate visa- or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment- or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start
For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.
This vacancy will close at midnight on 18 December 2025
Interviews are due to be held on 8 January 2026
Benefits to you
At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.
On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only caf, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.
CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Current clinical qualification and professional registration (NMC or HCPC)
- Educated to degree level
- Masters in related area of healthcare (or working towards)
- Post registration qualification in related subject
- Evidence of continuous professional development.
Desirable
- Leadership training.
- Teaching or mentoring qualification
- Quality improvement training.
Experience
Essential
- Significant & relevant clinical experience in NHS Acute Inpatient Care within the last 2 years.
- Experience of formal and informal teaching and mentoring.
- Recent experience of leading Trust wide audit processes for national standards.
- Experience in large scale service improvement, policy development, and implementing evidence-based practice.
- Experience in managing a team including management of workforce procedures.
- Recent experience of leading or supporting patient safety investigation processes.
- Recent experience of working across professional boundaries in an acute NHS setting.
Knowledge
Essential
- A strong understanding of the National Patient Safety Strategy (2019) and Patient Safety Improvement Programme relating to patients at risk of deterioration in the acute setting.
- Knowledge and application of patient safety principles, including systems thinking, just culture, and psychological safety.
- Knowledge of national and international standards that relate to the prevention & management of patients at risk of deterioration.
- Understanding of NHS 'Making Data Count', of data driven decision making, and how to apply data interpretation to drive Quality Improvement Projects and measure impact.
- Understanding of clinical governance principles and procedures.
- Quality Improvement models and measurement and monitoring of key performance indicators.
Desirable
- Experience of interpreting Statistical Process Control charts.
Skills
Essential
- Demonstrates strong leadership skills, including the ability to motivate and inspire others, and excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong IT skills, including Outlook, Word and Excel, and the ability to use data to support clinical decision making and drive Quality Improvement, involving various data sources.
- Expert clinical skills and decision-making.
- Ability to lead on key governance systems and process related to Acute Inpatient Care.
- Adaptable to changing situations due to service needs, including the ability to apply work priorities to adult and children's' services.
- Ability to work unsupervised and effectively manage own workload.
- Effective interpersonal and leadership skills.
- Demonstrate strong analytical skills in clinical practice. Including an ability to quickly appraise situations and act accordingly.
- Develops performance through constructive feedback and encouragement.
- Highly effective verbal and written communication skills.
Desirable
- Trained After Action Review facilitator.
- Training in patient safety investigation methodology
- Ability to interpret complex datasets and competence in SPC chart interpretation
Additional Requirements
Essential
- The ability to understand and always behave, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.
- To always act in a professional manner in accordance with relevant professional standards
- Capable of developing liaisons with other practice areas/academic institutions.
Desirable
- Knowledge of broader issues related to national standards and NHS strategies.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Current clinical qualification and professional registration (NMC or HCPC)
- Educated to degree level
- Masters in related area of healthcare (or working towards)
- Post registration qualification in related subject
- Evidence of continuous professional development.
Desirable
- Leadership training.
- Teaching or mentoring qualification
- Quality improvement training.
Experience
Essential
- Significant & relevant clinical experience in NHS Acute Inpatient Care within the last 2 years.
- Experience of formal and informal teaching and mentoring.
- Recent experience of leading Trust wide audit processes for national standards.
- Experience in large scale service improvement, policy development, and implementing evidence-based practice.
- Experience in managing a team including management of workforce procedures.
- Recent experience of leading or supporting patient safety investigation processes.
- Recent experience of working across professional boundaries in an acute NHS setting.
Knowledge
Essential
- A strong understanding of the National Patient Safety Strategy (2019) and Patient Safety Improvement Programme relating to patients at risk of deterioration in the acute setting.
- Knowledge and application of patient safety principles, including systems thinking, just culture, and psychological safety.
- Knowledge of national and international standards that relate to the prevention & management of patients at risk of deterioration.
- Understanding of NHS 'Making Data Count', of data driven decision making, and how to apply data interpretation to drive Quality Improvement Projects and measure impact.
- Understanding of clinical governance principles and procedures.
- Quality Improvement models and measurement and monitoring of key performance indicators.
Desirable
- Experience of interpreting Statistical Process Control charts.
Skills
Essential
- Demonstrates strong leadership skills, including the ability to motivate and inspire others, and excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong IT skills, including Outlook, Word and Excel, and the ability to use data to support clinical decision making and drive Quality Improvement, involving various data sources.
- Expert clinical skills and decision-making.
- Ability to lead on key governance systems and process related to Acute Inpatient Care.
- Adaptable to changing situations due to service needs, including the ability to apply work priorities to adult and children's' services.
- Ability to work unsupervised and effectively manage own workload.
- Effective interpersonal and leadership skills.
- Demonstrate strong analytical skills in clinical practice. Including an ability to quickly appraise situations and act accordingly.
- Develops performance through constructive feedback and encouragement.
- Highly effective verbal and written communication skills.
Desirable
- Trained After Action Review facilitator.
- Training in patient safety investigation methodology
- Ability to interpret complex datasets and competence in SPC chart interpretation
Additional Requirements
Essential
- The ability to understand and always behave, towards patients, visitors and colleagues according to the Trust values of safe, kind, excellent.
- To always act in a professional manner in accordance with relevant professional standards
- Capable of developing liaisons with other practice areas/academic institutions.
Desirable
- Knowledge of broader issues related to national standards and NHS strategies.
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).