Job overview

We are seeking a motivated and experienced practitioner with current NHS experience in an acute setting to join out Harm free Care team as Deteriorating Patient Lead Practitioner. This exciting new role will provide strategic and clinical leadership to ensure the timely recognition and effective management of acutely ill and deteriorating patients across the Trust.

 This role will drive improvements in patient safety by developing and implementing evidence-based strategies, delivering education and training programmes, and supporting clinical teams with expert guidance. Working collaboratively with divisional leaders and specialist teams, the post holder will champion best practice, embed national standards such as NEWS and sepsis pathways, and lead quality improvement initiatives to reduce harm and improve outcomes for patients.

Main duties of the job

• Provide strategic leadership for the identification, escalation, and management of deteriorating patients across the Trust.
• Develop and implement evidence-based policies, protocols, and improvement strategies aligned with national standards (e.g., NEWS2, sepsis pathways).
• Lead the design and delivery of education and training programmes to enhance staff competence in recognising and responding to acute deterioration.
• Act as a clinical expert and resource, offering specialist advice and support to multidisciplinary teams.
• Monitor compliance, analyse data, and drive quality improvement initiatives to reduce harm and improve patient outcomes.
• Collaborate with divisional teams, Rapid Response Teams, and senior leaders to embed best practice and foster a culture of safety.
• Contribute to incident reviews, learning processes, and implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF)

Skills and Experience We’re Looking For

• Advanced clinical assessment and decision-making skills for acutely ill patients.
• Strong leadership and change management capability.
• Experience in service improvement and implementing evidence-based practice.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills across multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to design and deliver education and training programmes.
• Knowledge of national patient safety standards and escalation protocols (e.g., NEWS, sepsis).

Working for our organisation

Our Trust

Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people – patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing ‘outstanding’ care to our patients and rated ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH’s values – Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent – are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.

CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people’s age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.