Public Health Wales
National Clinical Lead

The closing date is 25 November 2026

Job summary
This post is secondment for 2 years

Applications are invited for the following National Clinical Lead roles:

• Maternity, Neonatal, Women's & Children's Health
• Chronic Conditions
• Ageing Well & End of Life Care
• Planned Care, Cancer & Diagnostics
• Urgent & Emergency Care
• Improvement & Transformation

About the Role
We are seeking experienced and influential clinical leaders to provide strategic clinical leadership across NHS Wales Clinical Programmes.

National Clinical Leads will play a pivotal role in shaping and supporting the delivery of national priorities, working collaboratively with Programme Directors, Programme Leads, healthcare professionals and wider system partners to improve outcomes, quality, safety and equity for the population of Wales.

These roles will help strengthen national clinical leadership capacity across the Clinical Programmes Division and establish the leadership foundations required to support the delivery of NHS Wales Performance and Improvement objectives.

Main duties of the job
Within NHSWP&I, clinical programmes are the core delivery mechanism for system improvement, aligned to national and health board priorities. Each programme acts as the 'knowledge-to-practice' element of the Learning Health and Care System described in the National Clinical Framework (NCF), connecting national policy and evidence with local delivery, with clinical leadership at its centre. Programmes move NHS Wales from fragmented, condition-specific working to integrated, pathway-based models, with clear accountability and measurable impact.

Each clinical programme exists to diagnose system challenges using data, quality intelligence and triangulated evidence; to provide improvement and implementation support that turns national policy and evidence into practical change; to enable collaboration between health boards, primary care and third sector partners; and to drive consistent, equitable standards and pathways that reduce unwarranted variation. Programmes work to five shared principles: outcomes, value, equity, a matrix and pathway approach, and data-driven improvement.

About us
NHS Wales Performance & Improvement (formerly the NHS Wales Executive) has an important and valuable role in the delivery of key Welsh Government priorities:

• To support NHS Wales to deliver better health services for patients and the public
• To support Ministers to hold NHS Wales to account for the provision of health services

Since its inception in April 2023, strong foundations have been put in place within NHS Wales Performance & Improvement (NHS P&I) - including a more joined up and informed approach between policy development and operational NHS delivery, and improved coordination and collaboration across whole systems and pathways. Building on this foundation, NHS P&I aims to be an acknowledged centre of excellence in its field, efficient and responsive to the needs of both NHS Wales and Ministers, supporting best practice, and streamlining accountability.

NHS P&I will support the NHS by providing:

• Improvement services
• Innovation support
• Value and sustainability support
• Clinical expertise in service improvement, drawing on the best in Wales
• Regional delivery support

NHS P&I will support Ministers by providing:

• Financial delivery support
• Performance management support
• Planning advice
• Advice to Welsh Government on use of powers of directions and intervention

Details
Date posted: 11 November 2026
Pay scheme: Hospital medical and dental staff
Grade: Consultant
Salary: £114,099 to £166,585 a session per annum pro rata
Contract: Secondment
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: 028-MD010-1126
Job locations: Bocam Park, Old Field Road, Pencoed, CF35 5LJ, United Kingdom

Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply

Person Specification
Full appropriate professional registration
Essential

• A respected senior clinician with credibility across your professional community.
• Passionate about improving outcomes, quality, safety and experience for patients and citizens.
• An effective collaborator, able to influence across organisational and professional boundaries.
• Experienced in quality improvement, transformation, service redesign or pathway development.
• Committed to reducing unwarranted variation and improving equity of access and outcomes across Wales.

Desirable

• Post graduate qualification in medical/clinical education
• Detailed knowledge and understanding of relevant national guidelines and best practices

Essential

• Detailed knowledge and understanding of relevant national guidelines and best practices

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: Public Health Wales
Address: Bocam Park, Old Field Road, Pencoed, CF35 5LJ, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://phw.nhs.wales/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: People & OD Partner, Vivienne Thorngate, vivienne.thorngate@wales.nhs.uk

Supporting documents
Privacy notice: Public Health Wales's privacy notice