This is a really exciting opportunity for an experienced operational lead in the UK’s largest Specialist heart, lung and critical care services in four prestigious hospitals. The Heart, Lung and Critical Care (HLCC) clinical group comprises the adult services at Royal Brompton, Harefield, St Thomas’ and Guy’s hospitals, as well as a private diagnostic facility at 77-79 Wimpole Street. The group was formed following the merger of Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust with GSTT NHS Foundation Trust in 2021.
You will join the clinical group executive leadership team and also be part of the Operational Leadership team at GSTT, as a member of the Trust Operational Board.
EPIC was implemented across all of the sites in October 2023. Our vision is to be a global leader in academic heart, lung and critical care medicine. The group has close academic links with 2 of the world’s leading universities; Kings College London and Imperial College London.
A key focus at the current time is to accelerate focus on cross site integration and to meet the challenges of growing waiting lists and demand, diagnostic waiting times, alongside improving lung cancer 62 day performance all in a challenging financial climate. If you’re energised by complexity, systems working and visible leadership across multiple sites, this is a rare opportunity to shape strategy and deliver day-to-day performance at scale.
You will lead end-to-end operational performance across HLCC (access, flow, productivity); translate strategy into deliverable plans and measurable improvement; and provide senior operational leadership to directorate teams across a geographically dispersed portfolio.
Key skills and qualities we need include; proven senior operational leadership in a large, complex, high-acuity setting; strong performance and financial management with the ability to set expectations, hold teams to account and support improvement; experience of effective site management; confident stakeholder management and partnership working across systems; ability to lead major change and improvement programmes (including digital-enabled transformation); and an inclusive, values-led leadership style.
In HLCC you’ll join a clinically-led, high-performing team delivering complex heart, lung and critical care across Royal Brompton, Harefield, St Thomas’ and Guy’s. Following the 2021 merger that brought together five key locations, the Clinical Group operates as an increasingly integrated, cross-site organisation with services and teams working together over a wide geography.
You’ll work in an environment focused on practical cross-site integration: developing common policies and pathways, creating single points of access where appropriate, using shared waiting lists, joint MDT working and cross-site rotas, to realise the advantage of our scale when this improves patient care. You will be visible across sites and will work closely with senior clinicians, operational leaders and corporate partners to coordinate day-to-day delivery, support site resilience and maintain momentum on integration and improvement programmes.
Scope: Executive operational leadership for HLCC adult cardiovascular, respiratory and critical care services across Royal Brompton, Harefield, St Thomas’ and Guy’s. Member of the Clinical Group Executive Team and the Trust Operations Board; a member of the Clinical Group Board; participates in Trust Silver Commander on-call.
Strategic leadership: shape and deliver HLCC operational strategy and priorities; contribute to Trust-wide objectives; represent HLCC with system partners and key stakeholders.
Operational performance and governance: deliver cross-site operational standards; oversee performance management, quality governance and financial control; lead business planning, productivity, efficiency and capacity planning; ensure business continuity arrangements.
Programme leadership: lead major transformation and service improvement programmes and benefits realisation, including use of digital tools to improve pathways and productivity.
Site management (Royal Brompton & Harefield): ensure effective site leadership and coordination for regulatory/statutory responsibilities, emergency preparedness and incident command; coordinate cross-site escalation and operational planning across shared infrastructure (theatres, cath labs, imaging, critical care); oversee site-level risk and governance processes; provide operational oversight of capital/refurbishment programmes and space management; work with facilities/estates partners to assure site resilience.
Key relationships: Chief Executive HLCC (accountable to), Medical Director and Director of Nursing (close partnership), Trust Chief Operating officer (Professional leadership and Trust Wide Co-ordination) Clinical Domain and Directorate Management Teams, Trust corporate functions (particularly estates/facilities), external partners across the wider NHS system, and charitable and commercial partners supporting services.
