An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated senior trainee (ST4 or above) with an interest in leadership, management and quality improvement to join Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust as a chief registrar.
This post is Fixed Term for 12 months from 05/08/2026 until 03/08/2027
The chief registrar role provides senior trainees with 40% protected time to develop skills and confidence in leadership, management and quality improvement. Learning that chief registrars gain from the Royal College of Physicians’ (RCP’s) bespoke development programme will be put into practice in a supported environment that provides autonomy, flexibility and support to develop and support projects that address key local challenges and priorities. This may include service improvement, engagement and morale, education and training, workforce, and sustainability.
The chief registrar role will suit trainees who:
Want to learn about leadership and gain senior leadership experience
Are comfortable working in uncertain environments and across traditional boundaries
Relish the opportunity to develop their own ideas and initiatives
Are committed to and passionate about improving the NHS.
The chief registrar will be mentored by a senior clinical leader within the organisation and gain a unique insight into NHS leadership and management processes, as well as deeper knowledge of NHS structures and stakeholders.
The chief registrar will be expected to attend modules delivered as part of the RCP’s bespoke development programme, which will cover, for example, change management, team culture and development, quality improvement, leadership, influencing and personal resilience.
Applications are open to senior trainees:
At ST4 level or above
Working full time or less-than-full-time
Who have a national training number
Who have full GMC registration.
This is a fixed-term role for minimum of 12 months. The role can be undertaken in programme or out of programme (training or experience) depending on individual requirements.
In the first instance, applications must be discussed with your educational supervisor and training programme director (TPD), and permission to apply must be granted by the TPD.
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) is an integrated acute and community trust providing care to over half a million patients every year in our hospitals, community settings and in people’s own homes. Our stroke service is one of the best in the region, we are a regional centre for burns care, plastic surgery and dermatology and Stoke Mandeville is home to the internationally recognised National Spinal Injuries Centre. Working with our partners, we are committed to helping the residents of Buckinghamshire to lead healthier, more independent lives.
Over 7,000 people work for us, both full and part-time. This includes clinical colleagues, such as doctors, nurses, midwives, health visitors, therapists, support workers and healthcare scientists, all supported by corporate and operational colleagues.
We are committed to ensuring that BHT embraces and celebrates diversity as we strive to tackle inequalities both within the workforce and in our local communities. We want all of our people to be listened to, feel safe and supported and are committed to ensuring that we have a culture that is inclusive and equitable.
Minimum 12-month post
40–50% protected time for chief registrar role; 50–60% clinical practice. This is an essential requirement.
The chief registrar job description is broad in scope in order to allow chief registrars and recruiting organisations to have autonomy and flexibility over the work the chief registrar undertakes. Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust’s priorities for the chief registrar role will focus on the medical take, rotas, EMRU, AMU and SDEC. Chief registrars should focus on addressing key local challenges and priorities, which may include some or all of the following:
- Providing a ‘bridge’ between senior clinical leaders, managers and the wider trainee workforce to improve communication, engagement and morale.
- Service improvement, for example redesigning pathways, implementing new technology and establishing new services to improve flow and outcomes for patients.
- Improving the quality of clinical and non-clinical education and training activities, and supporting/mentoring other trainees to engage in quality improvement.
- Involvement in workforce planning and improving the deployment of trainees to meet service needs and improve morale.
- Improving efficiency and reducing waste.
- Working across teams and boundaries to engage stakeholders in quality improvement and influence change.
Involvement in and exposure to senior management and organisational decision-making
The chief registrar should attend departmental and divisional management meetings to gain an understanding of management and the wider social, political and economic influences on healthcare delivery.
Where possible and appropriate, they should attend Board meetings. They should lead any sessions on service development, improvement and transformation for which they have direct responsibility.
