University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust

Head of Nursing-Site Operations

The closing date is 22 September 2025

Job summary

As Head of Nursing for Site and Operations at UHNM, you will provide senior nursing leadership and operational oversight of clinical flow across the Trust's multiple hospital sites. You will lead and support the Clinical Site Managers, Senior Clinical Flow, and Non-Clinical Flow team to ensure the delivery of safe, timely, and effective patient movement. This role is central to maintaining continuous flow throughout the organisation, in alignment with both local and national targets.

Main duties of the job

You will work closely with the Professional Lead for Quality and Operations to provide tactical operational cover during core weekday hours. You will be accountable for ensuring that patient flow is optimised and escalations are managed effectively. As a senior leader your will take a key role in the Trust's Urgent and Emergency Care programme, you will contribute to the achievement of key performance indicators, including ambulance handover times and 4-hour/12-hour emergency department targets. Your leadership will be instrumental in resolving operational issues, implementing Trust policies, and supporting staff across all departments.

About us

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust is one of the largest and most modern in the country. Based across two sites, Royal Stoke in Stoke-on-Trent and County Hospital in Stafford, we are proud to serve around three million people and we're highly regarded for our facilities, teaching and research. We are the specialist centre for major trauma for the North Midlands and North Wales.

All of our employees make a valuable contribution regardless of role here at UHNM and we are proud of our wide range of development packages aimed at ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their true potential.

UHNM create and encourage a culture of inclusion, providing equal opportunities for career development that are fair and transparent. We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive employer and foster a culture in which all staff feel valued and respected. In return we ask all of our employees to make a commitment to the values, co-created by or staff, patients and carers, and that unite us as a Trust.

At University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust we know that investing in, supporting and developing our staff has a direct impact on the quality of care that we deliver. Our employees are as important as our patients and the population that we serve.

Date posted

02 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year pa

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

205-7420634

Job locations

University Hospitals of North Midlands

Newcastle Road

Stoke-on-Trent

ST46QG

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Areas/Tasks

Lead and coordinate the Trusts first line emergency response to fire,

major incident, security alerts and serious untoward Incidents. Informing and

escalating to the Trusts on call management team and working with the Trust Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) team.

Monitor OPEL triggers in accordance with the Trusts escalation policy and enact operational responses across the Trust

Ensure accurate bed state reporting for internal and external use.

Lead continuous hospital flow coordination across Planned and Unplanned Care Groups to optimise capacity.

Represent the Trust at a System, Regional and National level

Participate in Corporate, Care Group and Business Unit meetings and decision making as required

Participate in the Trusts Tactical on call rota

Brief the Deputy Chief Nurse/Professional Lead for Quality and Operations on professional issues across UHNM sites.

Ensure confidentiality is maintained at all times, only releasing information obtained

during employment to those acting in an official capacity in accordance with the Data

Protection Act

Act as a role model, maintaining and upholding high standards of professional behaviours and maintaining own clinical skills

Be responsible for ensuring and maintaining high standards of clinical care for patients and providing a safe environment for patients

To receive, interpret and communicate highly complex and sometimes conflicting information to large groups of staff who may have conflicting views or objectives. Reconciling these conflicting views where there are significant barriers to accepting and/or understanding decisions

Provide, receive and act on sensitive or contentious information relating to the Trusts highly specialist, complex service/modernisation issues which at times may be emotive and/or controversial

Ability to demonstrate the acquisition of additional specialist leadership/management knowledge (equivalent to masters level), through training and experience acquired over time. This will include financial, HR and activity management as well as the leadership of a range of clinical services.

A sound working knowledge of acute service provision.

Able to act in accordance with the Nursing & Midwifery Council/Health and Care Professionals Council Code of Conduct

Be able to undertake clinical activity to monitor the quality of care and experience of patients in all clinical settings.

Monitor complaints and incidents, relating to patient flow/site and operational management across the Trust ensuring appropriate responses and action plans.

Be an effective leader of change, embedding a culture of continuous quality improvement.

Implement robust systems to ensure the site and operations workforce is fit for purpose in relation to statutory and mandatory training.

Work with the Deputy Chief Nurse-Operations/Professional Lead Quality and Operations and Care group senior leadership teams to embed systems to deliver high standards of safe care based on best practice and clear evidence.

Identify risks relating to patient flow and operational management, developing and implementing action plans to mitigate them as well as alerting the Deputy Chief Nurse- Operations/Professional Lead Quality and Operations/Deputy Chief Operating Officer and relevant Care group senior leadership teams.

Support the implementation of a robust system to deliver patient safety assurance.

Be able to competently use Trust electronic systems to analyse information and take

appropriate action to maintain Trust performance.

Challenge practice, to ensure that best practices is identified and shared Trust wide,

enabling awareness of the need to change practice and provide evidence-based care

To act as an expert resource and provide advice on patient care in relation to clinical interventions, policies, service development and delivery.

Able to cope with interruptions whilst in periods of concentration and manage conflicting priorities.

Participate in Trust investigations and disciplinary hearings as required.

Take action when professional standards fall short of those acceptable.

To support the implementation and monitoring of performance against local and national Key Performance Indicators, taking action to continually improve performance.

Support and encourage multi-disciplinary working, which focuses upon patient pathways ensuring the smooth transition of the patient through the care process including facilitating the movement of patients through care locations, to ensure patients are cared for within an optimum time frame.

Be able to deal with distressing or emotional situations

Recognise the impact on staff, patients, and visitors of sometimes tragic and

distressing situation. Give appropriate advice and support as needed whilst

maintaining a calm professional manner

Be competent in basic IT skills including the use of word, excel and Trust BI dashboards

Competently use Trust electronic systems and BI dashboards to analyse data and inform decisions

Ensure compliance with manual handling training and use of appropriate techniques.

Support the development of the clinical research agenda.

Develop communication methods to help reduce barriers to change, using appropriate language to engage with staff in a positive manner

Support and promote the development of continuous improvement methodology capability within your team and its application in delivery of service outputs.

Utilise the Improving Together tools, routines and behaviours to coach and develop the capability of your team to do a little every day to improve and deliver exceptional care aligned to the UHNM strategic priority domains.

Personal/Professional Development

Maintain professional registration (NMC, HCPC.) and qualifications, including working towards or holding a masters degree in a relevant field.

Engage in personal development planning, appraisal processes, and ongoing training to enhance leadership competence.

Demonstrate advanced leadership and management knowledge, including financial, HR, and activity management.

To have a minimum of 2 years in a recent senior nursing role in an acute setting.

This job description is not an exhaustive document but reflects the current position. Details and emphasis may change in line with service needs after consultation with the post holder.