Job summary
- Main area
- Nurse
- Grade
- Executives / VSM: Executives / VSM
- Contract
- 12 months (Please note that the successful candidate’s current employer will have to agree to the secondment at short notice.)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 297-7498742
- Employer
- Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital
- Town
- Gateshead
- Closing
- 29/09/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 01/10/2025
Employer heading
Interim Chief Nurse
Executives / VSM: Executives / VSM
In the event of excessive applications being received this vacancy may close earlier than the stated closing date, you are encouraged to submit your application as soon as possible
IMPORTANT NOTE ON COMPLETION OF REFERENCE SECTION OF APPLICATION FORM
All references from current and previous employers will be sought and MUST cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Where possible this should be from two separate employers. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.
PLEASE NOTE it is a requirement of this Trust that all successful applicants pay for their DBS certificate if a check is required for the post. This will be done through deduction from your monthly pay over a maximum of three months. It is also a requirement that all successful applicants register or are registered with the DBS update service where a DBS is required.
All new entrants to the NHS will be appointed on the minimum of the pay scale in line with Terms & Conditions.
Job overview
**To apply for this vacancy, please refer to the attached recruitment pack with details of how to submit your application, as online applications are not being accepted for this vacancy**
Closing date for application: Monday 29th September 2025 at 12pm
Interviews: The afternoon of 1st October 2025
It is an exciting time to join Gateshead Health as we launch our new 5 year strategy and work collaboratively with partners in the Alliance and at place and neighbourhood levels to support the delivery of the NHS 10 Year Plan.
We are seeking to appoint an Interim Chief Nurse to join our Board of Directors. The appointment will be for 12 months in the first instance. We welcome candidates looking for secondment opportunities. Please note that the successful candidate’s current employer will have to agree to the secondment at short notice.
This is an exceptional opportunity to contribute towards the delivery of excellent healthcare and improving population health in our area and region. It is a demanding and exciting role, which provides an opportunity to be at the forefront of change in a progressive NHS provider.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will demonstrate a clear understanding of, and ability to live our Trust’s vision and values, including our strong focus on being a clinically-led and management supported organisation, and will embrace the challenges of the NHS and local health and care system in the current environment.
Working for our organisation
Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.
Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.
We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region.
Our values should be the ‘golden thread’ which runs through everything we do – they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronym ICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement.
We have a number of staff networks including the Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) network, D-Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women’s Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our Armed Forces network is one of our emerging networks.
The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities, and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our ‘Balance’ programme balancegateshead.com to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Group Chief Nurse is a clinical professional member of the Trust Board, with shared responsibility for corporate leadership, strategic development and planning and governance of the Trust with the wider Executive Team
The post holder will work with both the Medical Director and Chief Operating Officer as part of a triumvirate in ensuring services are delivering high quality, safe care and a providing a good patient experience.
The post holder is primarily responsible for advising the Trust Board on issues relating to Quality and Patient Safety, alongside professional standards for nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals. This includes discharging full statutory responsibilities to ensure that the Trust is compliant with appropriate policy and practice in the management of nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals (AHP) within the Trust. The provision of professional and clinical leadership to ensure excellence in service delivery through the highest standards of professional practice and clinical performance is key. Setting the vision for nursing, midwifery and AHP practice in the safe delivery of patient care.
The post holder will occupy a key role within the organisation, leading the Trust’s strategic approach to quality and safety to deliver safe services and a culture of continuous improvement and learning through the agreed methodology. They will ensure Quality and Patient Safety remain at the heart of the Board agenda and patient care lies at the centre of all decision making, as the Board balances financial stewardship and performance standards. The achievement in all three in tandem will be the foundation for consistently outstanding care, achieving good patient outcomes through the reduction of unwarranted variation.
The postholder will be directly accountable for managing specific departments detailed within the job description.
Person specification
Knowldge and Qualifications
Essential criteria
- A registered Nurse
- Masters degree level
Desirable criteria
- Recognised qualification in quality improvement techniques
Experience
Essential criteria
- At least 12 months experience working at Executive level (albeit this may not be specifically as an Executive Director) in a similarly complex organisation or system
- Experience of senior leadership in: Patient Safety Infection Prevention and Control Safeguarding Patient Experience Quality
Desirable criteria
- Recent experience of board or just below board level in an acute trust
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Sean Fenwick
- Job title
- Acting Chief Executive
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0191 445 6044
- Additional information
For more information on this role please contact Dr Sean Fenwick, Acting Chief Executive on [email protected]
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