Job summary
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust is seeking an outstanding and ambitious nursing leader to join our Medicine Directorate as Head of Nursing for Gastroenterology, Endoscopy, Bowel Cancer Screening and Hepatology.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead nursing practice and service development across a diverse and high-profile portfolio of services that play a vital role in improving the health and wellbeing of our local population. The successful candidate will provide strategic, professional and operational leadership, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate care while driving excellence in quality, patient experience and clinical outcomes.

Working closely with Clinical Directors, General Managers, Consultants, Matrons and multidisciplinary teams, you will play a key role in shaping the future of gastroenterology, endoscopy, bowel cancer screening and hepatology services across the Trust. You will lead service transformation programmes, support the delivery of national standards and contribute to the development of innovative pathways that improve access, efficiency and patient outcomes.

This role offers an excellent opportunity for an experienced senior nursing leader who is passionate about developing people, improving services and delivering high-quality patient-centred care.

Main duties of the job

• Provide visible professional leadership and strategic direction across Gastroenterology, Endoscopy, Bowel Cancer Screening and Hepatology services.
• Lead the nursing workforce to deliver outstanding standards of care, safety and patient experience.
• Drive quality improvement, service transformation and innovation to meet national and local priorities.
• Ensure compliance with JAG standards, bowel cancer screening programme requirements, regulatory frameworks and clinical governance standards.
• Lead patient safety, clinical effectiveness, infection prevention, safeguarding and risk management initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to improve patient pathways and service performance.
• Support the development and delivery of workforce strategies, recruitment, retention and succession planning.
• Lead on nursing quality indicators, patient experience metrics and performance management.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning, professional development, inclusion and compassionate leadership.
• Contribute to directorate and Trust-wide strategic objectives and transformation programmes.

About us
Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

• Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
• Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
• Improving the experience of staff with disability
• Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
• Making equalities mainstream

Job responsibilities
We are looking for an inspirational senior nurse who can demonstrate:

• Current NMC registration.
• Significant senior nursing leadership experience within an acute healthcare setting.
• Experience within Gastroenterology, Endoscopy, Cancer Services, Hepatology or a related specialty.
• Proven success in leading quality improvement, service development and transformation programmes.
• Strong knowledge of clinical governance, patient safety and quality assurance frameworks.
• Experience of leading and developing large multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• A track record of delivering operational performance and managing complex healthcare services.
• Commitment to equality, diversity, staff wellbeing and compassionate leadership.
• Educated to Master's level or able to demonstrate equivalent senior leadership experience.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Post graduate training in Clinical Specialty, or Business or NHS Management in progress or completed
• Formal education to first degree level or equivalent ability
• Master's degree or equivalent ability/evidence of skill

Experience
Essential

• Minimum 3 years operational management in an acute NHS Trust, including senior level experience & management of specialist services
• Minimum 3 years staff management, including senior level experience
• Management of change

Knowledge and Skills
Essential

• Thinks and solves problems creatively and from a position of inquiry (versus advocacy)
• Provides authentic and clear communication and direction even in times of uncertainty/ambiguity
• Engages effectively across boundaries, while operating in partnership with stakeholders
• Can interpret complex management data/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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust is an equal opportunities employer.