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Job summary

Main area
QEH Medicine
Grade
Band 8b
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday- Friday)
Job ref
197-R-HF8172-A
Employer
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Town
Woolwich
Salary
£66,582 - £77,368 Per annum plus HCA
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
14/07/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust logo

Senior Matron - Medicine

Band 8b

 

Please refer to the Applicant Guide via this link for key information:- Applying to LGT Guide - Key Information for Applicants 

 

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, (LGT), is a community-focused provider of local and acute care, delivering high-quality services to over one million people living across the London boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, and Bexley. We provide whole-life care and are here to support our communities to live healthier lives as well as taking care of them when they need us the most.

Employing almost 7,500 colleagues, affectionately known as Team LGT, we provide services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, University Hospital Lewisham, and at over a dozen community settings in Lewisham. We also provide some services at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup.

We have recently launched our new vision and values to mark the LGT10 – the tenth anniversary of our Trust forming in 2013. Our trust vision is to be exceptional. In the quality of our patient care; our support for colleagues; and in the difference we make through our partnerships and in our communities.

To achieve this we value Respect, Compassion, and Inclusion; Being accountable over  staying comfortable; Listening  over always knowing best; and Succeeding together over achieving alone. You can read more about our visions and values here

Our hospitals and community sites provide a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services, as well as emergency and planned care. The Trust is rated as “good” or “outstanding” in over three-quarters of the services inspected by the Care Quality Commission.

Every year our work includes performing 10,000 procedures in our theatres; bringing seven and a half thousand new lives into the world; carrying out 570,000 visits to patients in their homes or communities and providing emergency care for more than 300,000 patients arriving in our busy Urgent and Emergency Departments.

LGT is a centre for the education and training of medical students enrolled with King’s College London’s GKT School of Medical Education. We are a training centre for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. We are pioneering new roles that will support the changing needs of our patients and are one of the largest employers of physician associates in the country.

We are committed to working with our partners to deliver the best outcomes for our local communities. This means playing an active role in the South East London Integrated Care System (ICS), and in formal partnerships including the South East London Acute Provider Collaborative, provider partnerships with our local mental health trusts and borough-based boards of the ICS in Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham.

Job overview

The Senior Matron’s key responsibility is to provide viable, accessible leadership to all clinical areas within their given areas of responsibility. 


The Senior Matron will support the Departmental/Wards Senior Nurses to promote excellence in nursing care to maintain and improve clinical standards. The post holder will ensure that all patients are treated with compassion, dignity and respect placing value on the diversity of the local community and beyond. They will promote best practice in the prevention of infection through ensuring a clean and  safe environment, and that clinical practices are in accordance with Trust policy and best practice guidelines to minimise the risk of infection.  

The Senior Matron will ensure that the patient experience is of the highest quality inspiring patient and public confidence. This will be supported through high visibility, accessibility and surveillance. The post holder will be expected to work clinically for an agreed 20% of their time and where required will be a specialist in their clinical area.  

The Divisional Directors, the General Manager and the Heads of Nursing lead each Directorate. The Senior Matron will report directly to their Head of Nursing who has overarching responsibility for the operational management and strategic direction of nursing. 

Main duties of the job

Key Result Areas & Performance: 

Care Provision  

To manage the quality of the provision of nursing care at all times, within their ward/department by: 

Holding the Departments/Wards, Matrons, and Senior Staff Nurses to account for delivery of their key performance indicators in clinical areas on tendable.  

In conjunction with the Directorate’s Divisional Director of Nursing and Head of Nursing, ensure effective action is taken where nursing performance is at risk of falling below expected levels and standards are not maintained.

Ensuring that the Trust’s Nursing and Midwifery priorities are implemented locally.

To lead and ensure action is taken on staff discipline, grievance, poor performance and sickness, including dismissal. 

Working for our organisation

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust is a community focused provider of local and acute care, providing high quality services to over one million people living across the London boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley. With a turnover of around £700 million, we provide services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, University Hospital Lewisham and a range of community settings in Lewisham. We also provide some services at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup.

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

  1. Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
  2. Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
  3. Improving the experience of staff with disability
  4. Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
  5. Making equalities mainstream

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Risk & clinical governance: 

Ensure patients are cared for in a clean and safe environment, including the appropriate decontamination of multi-use equipment and taking remedial action if standards are not maintained.

Be champions for driving the infection prevention and control agenda and challenging poor practices.

Take the lead on managing and monitoring complaints and adverse incidents, including serious untoward incidents. Liaise with the PALS Department regarding informal complaints and, where possible, actively diffuse complaints to avoid escalation and implement action plans to prevent reoccurrence.

Undertake PSIM reviews and develop action plans, ensuring that this leads to change in practice.

Ensure risk assessments are undertaken and action plans are implemented in the ward areas within their remit.

Lead the implementation of patient safety strategies such as audits, projects and action plans 

Share best practices and drive improvements in patient care.

The senior matron will monitor and maintain excellent clinical standards within the clinical teams in conjunction with the head of nursing.

Professional leadership and staff management:

Be a visible leader who is accessible to patients, visitors and staff.

Provide professional and clinical leadership within the department and acute wards.

Take forward and develop the nursing and midwifery contribution to excellent service provision

Develop Matron's leadership and management.

Ensure that nursing staff comply with Trust-wide policies and procedures.

Represent the Trust at local and National forums promoting achievements in patient care.

Ensure that all staff within the ward/department receive education in infection prevention and control in line with trust policy.

Deputise for the Head of Nursing in their absence.


Research and Development, Education and Training: 

Undertake training needs analysis in conjunction with the Practice Development Nurse and Matrons.

Support the development and implementation of education and training programs within the area of responsibility for nurses and midwives.

Be responsible for developing your skills and knowledge and contribute to the development of others.

Provide advice relating to improvement projects.

Work in collaboration with the Matrons/Ward Sisters/ Charge Nurses to monitor and regulate the training and development of all staff to ensure:

All nursing staff are appraised using the Trust Competency Documents. 

All mandatory training is undertaken and recorded.

Monitor and regulate study leave to ensure consistency and equality.

 Ensure clinical environments are fit to receive students and are regularly 
audited, including the appropriate number of practice assessors.

All staff are competent in acute care skills and have passed their Medicines Management test. 

Comply with all Trust policies, procedures and protocols.

Carry out duties with due regard to the Trust’s Equal Opportunity Policy
Professional standards and patient experience.

Promote excellent standards in all wards/departments through:

Promoting a nurturing environment for patients, relatives, visitors, and staff through monitoring, measuring, actioning, and evaluating. 

Advocating for patients at all times.

Daily ward rounds and monitoring observations of care.

Implementing a system for gaining patient feedback and responding to adverse outcomes

Driving the privacy and dignity agenda.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential criteria
  • Registered nurse qualification
  • Degree or equivalent clinical/advanced practice
  • Minimum 5 years post registration
  • Masters Degree or working towards
Desirable criteria
  • Evidence of post registration/ qualification
  • Management/Leadership qualification

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Clinical expertise relevant to the post
  • Experience of managing staff
  • Minimum of 3 years’ experience working at Band 8 or equivalent in an acute setting.
  • Leadership of clinical governance and patient safety
  • Achievement of high quality patient care through evidence based practice
  • Management of finances within a budget, including delivery of cost improvements
  • Management/Clinical Leadership experience
  • Experience of successfully leading and implementing change
  • Experience in analysing complex problems and implementing workable solution

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • A good understanding of the changing NHS environment
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to work on service development projects

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Trust IDCapital Nurse, LondonVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoTimewise helps businesses to attract and develop the best talent through flexible working.No smoking policyLondon Living Wage is a voluntary commitment made by employers, who can become accredited with the Living Wage FoundationAge positiveDisability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)We offer Wagestream - A financial wellbeing benefit which lets you access your pay as you earn it.NHS Rainbow badgePrince's Trust - Proud to support the Prince's trust - Youth can do itStep into healthHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingArmed 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

To ensure fairness and manageable shortlisting processes, some vacancies may have an application cap. This means the vacancy will close once a set number of applications have been received even if this happens before the advertised closing date.

We recommend applying as early as possible to avoid missing out. All applications received before the cap is reached will be considered equally and assessed against the person specification.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Samantha Kelly
Job title
Head of Nursing
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07824361861
Additional information

For any informal visits or discussions please contact: 

Samantha Kelly  - Head of Nursing 

[email protected] 

07824361861

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