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Job summary

Main area
Management
Grade
Band 8c
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
391-RFL-7719279
Employer
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Barnet Hospital
Town
Barnet
Salary
£82,906 - £94,632 Per Annum Including HCAS
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
29/01/2026 23:59

Employer heading

NHS

Head of nursing for HSEP and Medical Specialities in M&UEC

Band 8c

Our trust has over 17,000 staff serving 2 million patients every year. It comprises Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital and more than 30 services in the community.  This larger scale organisation provides an unprecedented opportunity for us to continue our pioneering work, particularly in finding ways to deliver even better care to our patients.

Our mission is to deliver world class care and expertise in our clinical services, underpinned by world class teaching and research and we will continue to measure our progress against our five governing objectives: excellent outcomes, excellent patient and staff experience, excellent value for taxpayers’ money, being safe and meeting our external duties, and building a strong organisation.

Everyone is welcome at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME, gender equality, staff carers and people with disabilities and lived experiences to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

Click here to view our video Welcome to the Royal Free


 

Job overview

We are seeking exceptional, inspiring, and experienced nursing leader to join Royal Free London Group as a Heads of Nursing. This pivotal role sits within our Medicine and Urgent and Emergency Care Division at the Barnet site, shaping high-quality services and create environments where staff can truly thrive.


This is an exciting time to join the Trust as we implement a new clinical operational model that strengthens accountability, flow, and professional leadership across pathways of care.


At Royal Free London Trust we have set out an ambitious plan to enable our staff to deliver world-leading healthcare for all our patients, meet growing demand and create a healthier future for local people and those further afield who come to our hospitals for specialist treatment.


Our clinical vision is transforming how we deliver world-class care, and the way people access our services. Our hospitals have different opportunities and challenges based on the patients they care for. We have developed local clinical priorities that reflect the needs and expectations of those different communities.

Main duties of the job

About You
You will be a credible, visible and values-driven nursing leader,
Able to Envision and implement future models of nursing care aligned to system priorities.
Lead through influence, collaboration, and clinical credibility.
Foster high-performing, compassionate teams and inclusive, positive working cultures.
Balance strategic leadership with operational grip and delivery.
Champion equality, diversity, and inclusion for patients & staff.
The role offers the opportunity to lead services, influence strategy, & champion outstanding patient & staff experience.


Key Responsibilities
Lead nursing teams across HSEP and medical specialties.
Drive improvement, patient flow, & workforce sustainability across medical pathways.
Ensure delivery of safe, evidence-based, compassionate, and person-centred care.
Strengthen patient pathways, improve outcomes, & enhance experience for service users.
Lead quality improvement, workforce development, & professional standards.
Contribute to divisional and Trust-wide strategy as a senior nursing leader.
Work collaboratively with partners including local authorities, primary care, Integrated Care Systems, NHS England and professional networks.

Working for our organisation

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s biggest and most innovative trusts. Across three main hospitals, our dedicated army of staff care for over 1.6million patients, treat more than 200,000 in A&E, deliver over 8,000 babies and carry out more than 17million tests.

Our size, scale and influence offer you unrivalled career opportunities and a forward-thinking approach to working that works around your lifestyle. From flexible hours and generous benefits, to next level training, we make it easier to take your career to the top

For more information please follow link https://www.royalfreelondonjobs.co.uk/

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

A full list of duties and responsibilities will be found within the job description and requirements for the role can be found within the person specification.

Person specification

Education & Professional Qualities

Essential criteria
  • Registered trained nurse MSc and/ or equivalent clinical experience that recognises highly developed and complex levels of knowledge
  • Management/leadership qualifications or equivalent experience
  • Specialist knowledge at doctorate level or equivalent experience in a related field
  • Evidence of continuing personal development

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Significant acute operational nursing experience in a complex healthcare organisation
  • Evidence of nursing leadership role in an acute setting
  • Ability to analyse complex problems and to develop practical and workable solutions to address them
  • Ability to manage and deliver to deadlines and within resources
  • Experience in the supervision and management of staff and students
  • Experience in complex employment related issues
  • Experience of using acuity tools and triangulation of data to review and ensure safe skill mix
  • Manager on-call
  • Evidence of leading and managing change within a complex environment
  • Experience of representing a service within a Trust setting
  • Experience of managing a budget
  • Experience of managing other staff groups
  • Managing a cross site, complex function
  • Experience of SLAs and contractual working

Skills & Aptitudes

Essential criteria
  • Ability to self-evaluate and self-reflect
  • Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills suitable for a range of audiences, including chairing of meetings
  • Ability to initiate and implement change and improvements
  • Good analytical and organisational ability
  • Ability to demonstrate and model strong leadership skills
  • Awareness of developments in the NHS and service delivery
  • Ability to influence and facilitate MDT working
  • Able to communicate with patients and families in an empathetic manner regarding their treatment and procedures and communicate complex sensitive information
  • Effective problem-solving skills
  • Good computer skills
  • Experience of implementing Evidence Based Practice
  • Applies working knowledge of relevant health legislation

Personal Qualities & Attributes

Essential criteria
  • Ability to lead by example, promoting the highest standards of personal and professional conduct, integrity and probity
  • High level of work organisation, self-motivation, drive for performance and improvement and flexibility in approach and attitude
  • Committed to the continuous development of staff and self
  • To be flexible, decisive, using sound judgement in decision making in a timely and confident manner

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Nursing TimesApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleDisability confident employerTimewise PartnerCare Quality Commission - Requires improvementEnei MemberArmed Forces Covenant

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Karen Kirwilliam
Job title
Interim Divisional Director of Nursing
Email address
[email protected]
Additional information