National Professional Advisor – Surgery in London

Contracted Hours: Part-time 1 day per week (equivalent to 7 hours – 0.2 FTE)

Contract Type: Fixed Term / Secondment Opportunity until 31/3/2028

Location: Homebased with travel as and when required

Closing date: Thursday 2 April 2026 at 11.59pm

Interview date: TBC via MS Teams

Make a difference: Every role at CQC helps us make sure people get safe, high‑quality care. If you’re looking for a new role in the Hospitals Inspectorate that gives a real sense of purpose, then you’ve found it.

As a National Professional Advisor, you’ll bring senior surgical expertise that guides national oversight of hospital care and shapes our future direction in regulating surgical services.

In this role, you’ll use your surgical background to guide how hospital services are assessed, giving expert advice to CQC staff that protects people and supports safe care. You’ll work with leaders across CQC to help shape new ways of regulating surgical services.

As a National Professional Advisor in the Hospital Inspectorate, you will be asked to:

• Advise on complex regulatory cases where surgical insight is required to support fair decision making.
• Help shape new inspection models for surgical services, making sure they reflect real‑world pressures and current clinical practice.

The role: You’ll be key in helping us deliver our work. In this role, you’ll:

• Provide specialist clinical insight: Offer senior‑level surgical advice to inspection teams, directors and the Chief Inspector of Hospitals to support strong, consistent and credible regulatory decisions.
• Shape national practice: Review new clinical guidance, emerging surgical standards and policy changes, and help CQC design future inspection and regulatory models that reflect the pressures of surgical practice.
• Strengthen external credibility: Build trusted relationships with senior surgical stakeholders and professional bodies, helping CQC stay connected to frontline expertise and maintain confidence in our regulation of surgical services.

Show us: We will be looking for specific skills, knowledge and experience in your application form:

• Experience leading or advising at a regional, national or equivalent level in a surgical field, including guiding clinical groups, shaping improvements or supporting high‑level decision making.
• Ability to give clear, expert advice on complex clinical matters, including explaining surgical risks, interpreting emerging guidance and supporting inspection or regulatory decisions.
• Experience working with senior professional stakeholders, such as national surgical bodies or specialist forums, using empathy and inclusive leadership to influence and support change.

Join us and help CQC shape the future of health and care.

You can read the full details of the role in the NPA Job Description.

How to apply: To apply for this role, please submit a copy of your CV and Supporting Statement (no more than 750-words) via the Recruitment System.

How your previous experience makes you suitable for this role? What strengths will you bring to the role?

If you’d like to have an informal chat about the role you can contact – Nicola Wise, Director of Hospitals or Dr Prem Premachandran, National Professional Advisor for Urgent and Emergency Care.

For general enquiries, please email.

Compliance: To progress your application, you’ll need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK. Without valid right to work you won’t be eligible for the role. We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Some roles may also be subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

Note for internal candidates: This is a secondment/fixed term opportunity. Please read the recruitment and selection policy section on secondments. You must discuss your application with your line manager before applying.

Next steps: If you apply, you’ll need to create a profile and complete an online application form. Please see our information for applicants for more details on the process. We contact every applicant to let them know the outcome of their application, so you will hear from us whether or not you are shortlisted.

Benefits: Annual leave starting at 27 days per year, rising to 32.5 days with service, plus.