Job overview

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WHH) is seeking an exceptional, value-driven Chair to lead out Board of Directors and Council of Governors through a period of strategic transformation and integration. This is a pivotal opportunity to shape the future of one of Cheshire and Merseyside’s key NHS providers at a time when collaboration, compassion, and innovation are essential to delivering better outcomes for our communities.

Strategic Context - WHH operates within a complex health landscape marked by rising demand, workforce pressures and the need for integrated, seamless care. Aligning Community Services with our partner, Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS foundation Trust, is essential to improving quality and efficiency. In line with the NHS 10-year Fit for the Future plan, we are driving improvements across prevention, digital transformation, health equity and community-based care.

As Chair, you will play a central role in aligning our strategic vision with national priorities – ensuring governance is strong, decisions are evidence-based, and the voice of patients, staff and partners remains at the heart of our direction.

Main duties of the job

As Chair, you will provide clear, inclusive and effective leadership to the Board – guiding strategy, upholding governance and ensuring we remain outward-facing and accountable.  

You will:

·       Set the strategic direction and support delivery of safe, high-quality, patient-centred care.

·       Champion integration and collaboration at place and system level.

·       Support, develop and challenge the Board and Council of Governors to drive a values-led culture

·       Build strong relationships across local, regional and national partners

·       Ensure robust governance and risk oversight in a rapidly evolving environment.

·       Role-model our Trust values: Working Together, Excellence, Inclusive, Kind and Embracing change.

Moving Towards a Single Organisation

WHH and Bridgewater are progressing plans to become a single organisation, subject to NHS regulatory approval. This proposed acquisition follows a robust options appraisal and is designed to unlock greater clinical service integration, optimise our shared resources and improve services for local people. As Chair, you will provide strategic leadership and assurance during this critical transition – ensuring change is transparent, inclusive and focused on delivering maximum value for patients and staff

Working for our organisation

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a caring and compassionate organisation that is both ambitious and innovative. We are committed to delivering the best outcomes for our patients and providing a positive experience of our staff.  We aspire to be outstanding for our patients, our communities and our staff and are committed to being a great place to receive healthcare, work and learn.

Straddling the neighbouring boroughs of Warrington and Halton we are part of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care system.  Our hospitals are ideally situated to meet the growing healthcare needs of the 330,000 population of these boroughs.

Warrington Hospital is home to our emergency, critical care and maternity services, Halton Hospital is focused on elective procedures and the Runcorn Urgent Treatment Centre, although many services are offered at both sites and in community hubs.

A CQC-rated ‘good’ organisation with ‘outstanding’ features, we are working towards university hospital status, having achieved teaching hospital status in 2019.

We employ nearly 5,000 people from over 80 nationalities, striving to be a diverse, inclusive employer and recognised leader in equality. We support flexible working, welcoming flexible applications. Proud of our many accreditations, we are embedding an anti-racist approach in all we do.