Job summary
To provide Governance oversite within the identified speciality and be the named and identified lead for all issues of medical practice identified via the governance structure within the Division for the identified clinical area.

Assist in the delivery of quality and safety, performance targets, service development and modernisation within a specified clinical area or service.

Contribute to the wider Divisional Management Team's decision-making processes.

Main duties of the job

• The Governance Lead is responsible for the overall management of incidents, delivery and strategic direction of his/her specialty in helping improve all elements of Quality and safety.
• To attend the Directorate Business Meeting and SQG supporting the governance processes and escalating via the appropriate channels to the senior divisional team.
• To support the managerial responsibility for Consultants, SAS doctors and junior medical staff within the governance framework.
• To contribute to the wider Directorate management team's decision making processes

About us
We operate from three main hospitals-Furness General Hospital (FGH) in Barrow, the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI), and Westmorland General Hospital (WGH) in Kendal, as well as a number of community healthcare premises including Millom Hospital and GP Practice, Queen Victoria Hospital in Morecambe, and Ulverston Community Health Centre.

FGH and the RLI have a range of General Hospital services, with full Emergency Departments, Critical/Coronary Care units and various Consultant-led services.

WGH provides a range of General Hospital services, together with an Urgent Treatment Centre, that can help with a range of non-life threatening conditions such as broken bones and minor illnesses.

All three main hospitals provide a range of planned care including outpatients, diagnostics, therapies, daycase and inpatient surgery. In addition, a range of local outreach services and diagnostics are provided from community facilities across Morecambe Bay.

Details
Date posted: 02 September 2026
Pay scheme: Hospital medical and dental staff
Grade: Specialty Doctor
Salary: £63,696 to £150,569 a year per annum pro rata
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 3 years
Working pattern: Part-time, Annualised hours
Reference number: 331-B0680926
Job locations: Furness General Hospital, Dalton Lane, Barrow in Furness, LA14 4LF, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Attached.

Key Working Relationships:

• Operational Manager
• Directorate Manager
• Clinical Matrons
• Medical staff
• AHPs
• Senior Scientific staff
• Deputy/Associate Medical Directors
• Clinical Director
• Assistant Directors of Nursing

The Clinical Lead will work closely in the Directorate Triumvirate Leadership Team to:

• Assist in the delivery of quality and safety, performance targets, service development and modernisation within a specified clinical area or service.
• Contribute to the wider Divisional Management Teams decision-making processes.

Leadership
To provide visible clinical leadership within the identified speciality and be the named and identified lead for all issues of medical practice within the Care Group for the identified clinical area.

To provide professional advice, guidance and support on a range of medical and clinical issues to the Directorate Management Team on the speciality clinical area.

To promote, oversee and develop QI programmes within the specialty along with other colleagues in the triumvirate.

To promote and develop a culture of a learning and a commitment to high quality care and promote innovation and change from the bottom up and to be a strong advocate of the Listening into Action Programme.

To ensure good quality of education via educational supervisors, specialty and College Tutors, to students and trainees.

To advocate and support an active research and development culture within the speciality. To promote innovation and change from the bottom up and to be a strong advocate of the Listening into Action Programme.

To actively support and empower Consultants and SAS doctors to develop and utilise their clinical leadership skills.

Support the recruitment of speciality medical staff, ensuring that the best possible appointments are made.

Ensure that the objectives of the speciality and Care Group are reflected in the individual clinicians annual job plan review process, and that their clinical appraisal and revalidation is aligned to the clinical speciality areas objectives and that these objectives are reflected in the medical staffs achievement of key performance.

Clinical Effectiveness & Management
Work with I3 and the specialty triumvirate to review and develop the dashboard/ suite of information that is relevant to the speciality and is regularly reviewed at departmental meetings.

This includes performance, workforce, finance, governance, clinical effectiveness, training and other relevant information to the specialty in order that the specialty has oversight of its performance, risks and issues and can use the information to manage the service as well as develop strategic and business plans for the future.

Develop and oversee systems that ensure that the speciality meets required standards of care as defined by the Trust, DH, NICE and other relevant guidance.

Along with Matron/AHP Lead and operational Manager, to ensure that all Trust policies and procedures are adhered to. This includes compliance within areas such as hand hygiene, infection prevention, safe disposal of sharps and WHO check lists.

To ensuring effective clinical governance arrangements are in place, including a robust audit programme, and a mechanism to both report and learn from incident reports and complaints.

This will include periodic attendance at the Patient Safety Summit, SIRI panel and mortality review meetings, to represent the speciality.

In partnership with the Directorate management colleagues, to ensure monitor and assure the quality patient and staff experience.

To contribute to the development and monitoring of the speciality areas risk register, ensuring that such risks are kept under regular review and where possible, their potential impact reduced or removed.

Ensure that consultant or junior medical staff with performance problems is dealt with early and effectively, using the correct procedures and exculpating promptly where necessary.

To adhere to and promote the Trusts Behavioural Standards Framework.

To develop and deliver cost improvement plans to meet identified requirements and ensuring that all resources within the specialty are used as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Work in partnership with the Clinical Director and wider Divisional management team in the production of bids and business cases for service development and capital investment

This job description is not exhaustive and will be reviewed and amended, with the post holder, when necessary.

Person Specification
Essential

• Specialist Medical Qualification
• Continuous record of professional development

Desirable

• Postgraduate Degree
• Training in Management/ Leadership Roles

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