Ref 19336
Division/Department Wards, Theatres & Nursing Admin | Nursing Admin (0494)
Location Onsite - Hospital/Hospice
Employment type Full-time
Salary Competitive
DBS required Enhanced
Hours 37.5
Closing date 21/09/2026

Description
We are looking for an exceptional Head of Patient Safety, Governance & Risk to provide senior operational leadership across patient safety, clinical governance, quality improvement, risk management, information governance and health & safety across our Hospital and Hospice.

Reporting directly to the Chief Nursing Officer, you will be the organisational lead and operational expert for these critical functions, ensuring robust systems, effective assurance and a strong culture of safety, learning and continuous improvement.

This is a high-profile leadership role, working closely with the Chief Nursing Officer, Medical Director, Medical Governance Lead and Heads of Departments. You will provide the expertise, insight, data and assurance needed to support executive and Board-level decision-making and the organisation's regulatory responsibilities.

St John & St Elizabeth Hospital is a leading private hospital in London, offering a comprehensive range of specialist medical treatments, clinics and diagnostic services from a team of world-class consultants, supported by a dedicated team of clinical and non-clinical staff.

We are known for our exceptional standards of care, excellent nursing standards, and cutting-edge medical treatments.

We have 170 years of history and are looking for people to join us for the next chapter. We are very unique as the only truly charitable private hospital in London and as a charity, every private patient treated helps support our on-site community hospice

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead the Charity's patient safety, quality improvement, clinical governance, risk, information governance and health & safety functions.
• Lead the full implementation and ongoing operation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), ensuring patient-centred investigations and meaningful organisational learning.
• Drive a programme of quality improvement initiatives that deliver measurable improvements in patient safety and quality of care.
• Provide operational accountability for the organisational risk register and clinical risk management.
• Lead and develop a high-performing governance and patient safety team, including oversight of information governance, medical records and health & safety functions.
• Provide high-quality data, analysis, dashboards, governance reports and assurance papers for the Executive Management Board, Quality & Governance Committee, Board of Trustees and other senior forums.
• Support the Chief Nursing Officer in their role as Registered Manager and the Chief Executive Officer as Nominated Individual in relation to CQC registration and regulatory obligations.
• Oversee clinical audit, governance systems, incident reporting and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure safety alerts, national guidance and regulatory requirements are implemented effectively.
• Maintain robust information governance arrangements, including compliance with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and relevant information governance standards.
• Build strong relationships with clinical leaders, consultants, operational teams and external stakeholders.
• Champion an open, transparent and supportive safety culture where reporting, learning and continuous improvement are actively encouraged.

What we’re looking for
You will be an experienced senior healthcare leader with a strong track record in clinical governance, patient safety and/or quality improvement within a UK healthcare setting.

You will bring:

• Significant senior experience leading patient safety, clinical governance and/or quality improvement.
• A proven record of delivering measurable improvements for patients.
• Experience leading, managing and developing governance or patient safety teams.
• Strong practical experience of PSIRF, incident investigation and organisational learning.
• Experience of risk management, clinical audit, policy development and regulatory compliance.
• Knowledge and experience of information governance, GDPR compliance and data security.
• Experience of health & safety management within healthcare or another complex organisation.
• Experience preparing and presenting reports and assurance papers to senior committees and Boards.
• Expert knowledge of patient safety and quality improvement methodologies, including systems thinking and human factors.
• Thorough knowledge of the CQC regulatory framework and the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
• Strong knowledge of UK patient safety, risk, governance and regulatory requirements.
• Excellent analytical skills, including the use of data, SPC processes and graphical reporting.
• Outstanding communication, facilitation, negotiation and influencing skills.
• The resilience, judgement and credibility to operate effectively in complex and demanding situations.
• A degree-level qualification or equivalent professional training is required, alongside relevant quality improvement/patient safety and leadership or management qualifications or experience. Clinical registration, such as NMC or HCPC registration, is also identified within the person specification.
• Experience of working in a private healthcare environment, practising privileges and relevant project/programme management qualifications would be valuable

Why apply for this role?
At our organisation we are passionate about providing our employees with a supportive and engaging environment. As well as ongoing development and training, we offer our employees a wide range of benefits;

When you become part of the HJE Family, these are some of the benefits you will receive:

• Private healthcare scheme worth up to £20,000 per year
• 27 days annual leave
• Blue Light Card discounts
• Interest-free season ticket loans
• Cycle to work scheme
• Free eye check-up vouchers with contribution towards lenses
• Free newspaper and media subscriptions
• Local Business discounts
• Discount in our Hospice Charity shop
• Refer a Friend scheme
• Free Cinema Society Membership offering discounted tickets
• Personal development and training courses
• Annual events and recognition awards
• Career progression and increments
• Free Staff Gym access

If you are ready for a new challenge and relish the chance to become part of a successful, forward thinking organisation then we would love to hear from you.

We are an equal opportunities employer and value diversity. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.