Job summary
Barts Health is seeking an exceptional senior Registered Mental Health Nurse to join the Chief Nurse's team as Group Director of Mental Health Nursing, initially on a six-month fixed-term contract, providing strategic and professional leadership for mental health and enhanced care across our hospitals.

Reporting to the Deputy Chief Nurse and working in a matrix with Hospital Directors of Nursing and the broader multidisciplinary teams, the immediate priority will be to lead the design, delivery and evaluation of the Acute Enhanced Care Framework pilot at the Royal London Hospital. The role will drive implementation, establish consistent standards and assess impact, providing clear assurance to executive and Board committees on progress, outcomes and risk.

Working closely with clinical teams, mental health providers, system partners, patients and carers will be central to delivering meaningful improvements in quality, safety, equity and patient experience.

This is a unique opportunity to lead change at scale, generate evidence and learning from the pilot, and use this to shape a clear and sustainable forward plan for mental health and enhanced care across Barts Health.

Main duties of the job
Drawing on your professional expertise and ability to influence across organisational boundaries, you will provide visible, compassionate and inclusive leadership, role-modelling the Barts Health WeCare values throughout your work.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading implementation and evaluation of the Acute Enhanced Care Framework pilot, with clear measures of impact, robust governance and effective management of risks and issues.
• Providing expert professional leadership and advice on mental health nursing, patient safety, quality improvement and clinical governance.
• Providing high-quality assurance to executive and Board committees on delivery, outcomes, risks and recovery actions.
• Building strong partnerships across acute and mental health services, engaging clinical teams, system partners, patients and carers.
• Driving productivity, value and effective use of resources to support a safe and sustainable model of care.
• Translating strategy into delivery and leading complex change through sound judgement and collaborative working.
• Using evidence, data and learning from the pilot to shape a credible and sustainable forward plan for mental health and enhanced care across Barts Health.

About us
Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are underrepresented within Barts Health at this band.

Details
Date posted: 02 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8d
Salary: £103,102 to £117,560 a year per annum inc
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 6 months
Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number: 259-8409515GSS
Job location: John Harrison House, Royal London Hospital, London, E1 1BB

Person Specification
Experience

• Essential: Substantial senior nursing leadership experience in complex healthcare settings
• Essential: Experience of partnership working across acute, mental health and wider system services.
• Essential: Formal assurance to executive and Board-level committees, including accountability for recovery action
• Desirable: Experience of leading a group-wide, trust-wide or system-wide pilot

Skills

• Essential: Ability to translate strategy and frameworks into credible, deliverable plans
• Essential: Ability to analyse complex information, make sound judgements and communicate risk clearly.
• Essential: Ability to work effectively through a matrix structure and build shared ownership.
• Essential: Financial and commercial awareness appropriate to the role

Knowledge

• Essential: Expert knowledge of nursing practice, patient safety, quality improvement and clinical governance.
• Essential: Strong understanding of the needs of people experiencing mental ill health in acute hospital settings.
• Essential: Understanding of equality, health inequalities, trauma-informed care, safeguarding and least restrictive practice.
• Essential: Knowledge of programme delivery, change management, measurement and evaluation
• Essential: Understanding of digital and data-enabled approaches to care and improvement

Qualifications

• Essential: Registered mental health nurse with current NMC registration
• Essential: Master's degree or equivalent postgraduate knowledge and experience relevant to the role

Other

• Essential: Visible commitment to the Barts Health WeCare values
• Essential: Compassionate, inclusive and credible leadership style.
• Essential: Ability to travel regularly between Barts Health sites and work flexibly when required.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
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.

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: Barts Health NHS Trust
Employer's website: https://www.bartshealth.nhs.uk

Contact
Director of Nursing: Vanessa Saunders, vanessa.saunders@nhs.net

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