Risk, Patient Safety & Governance Lead in Gateshead

The main purpose of the role is to provide leadership within the Medical/Surgical/Clinical Support and Screening Division to ensure the statutory duties and functions associated with patient safety and effective clinical governance are fulfilled. The post holder would be part of the Corporate Patient Safety team; however, there would be strong links to the Medical/Surgical/CSS Divisions, in that they would also be an integral member of the senior Division management team to ensure the development, co-ordination, implementation and evaluation of the quality governance processes within the Division.

Main duties of the job include providing professional leadership across the Medical, Surgical and Clinical Support and Screening Divisions to ensure statutory patient safety responsibilities and robust clinical governance arrangements are delivered consistently and to a high standard. The post holder will be based within the Corporate Patient Safety Team while operating as an integral member of the senior Divisional management structure. This dual role ensures strong alignment between corporate patient safety strategy and divisional operational delivery, supporting the development, coordination, implementation and evaluation of effective quality governance processes across the Divisions.

The role provides expert oversight of patient safety incident responses, ensuring learning is proportionate, systems-focused and aligned with the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF). The post holder will support Divisions to identify risk, maximise learning opportunities and translate improvement actions into sustained changes in clinical practice. The role also contributes to Trust-wide assurance through active participation in iLOM meetings and Executive Incident Review Panels, supporting effective triangulation of intelligence, oversight of learning responses, and timely escalation of risks and emerging themes.

About us: 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 to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.

Job responsibilities include:

• Provide expert advice, guidance and support to staff at all levels on patient safety incident responses, ensuring compliance with Trust policy and national guidance.
• Lead and undertake patient safety investigations autonomously and in collaboration with subject matter experts, escalating significant risks to the Head of Patient Safety as required.
• Ensure Duty of Candour is delivered in a timely, sensitive and person-centred manner, working closely with the Legal team and supporting clinical colleagues in these conversations.
• Analyse multiple sources of information relating to patient safety events, including clinical records, staff accounts and engagement with patients and families, to identify systems learning.
• Ensure learning responses are underpinned by human factors principles and systems thinking, consistent with PSIRF.
• Represent the Divisions at key corporate patient safety forums, including the SafeCare Steering Group and iLOM, ensuring effective two-way communication and dissemination of learning and assurance.
• Support Divisions to develop, implement and monitor SMART action plans arising from PSIRF learning responses, ensuring learning is embedded and sustained in practice.
• Maintain oversight of Divisional risk registers, ensuring risks are reviewed, updated and escalated in line with Trust policy.
• Integrate learning from patient safety incidents, Serious Incidents and complaints into Divisional quality improvement plans.
• Work closely with Quality teams, Divisional triumvirates and SafeCare Leads to deliver coordinated quality improvement.
• Deliver education and training aligned to the NHS Patient Safety Strategy and support the implementation of national and local safety initiatives.

Person Specification:

• Professional Qualification: Degree and professional registration; Evidence of ongoing CPD in patient safety and incident management.
• Experience: Significant knowledge and experience in patient safety.
• Leadership Qualification: Disclosure and Barring Service Check. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.