Chief Nurse in London

World-class care requires world-class leadership.

Founded in 1852 as the first hospital in the United Kingdom dedicated solely to the care of children, GOSH was built on a simple but radical principle: that children need healthcare designed around them. Today the Trust is home to around 400 beds and over 67 specialist and sub-specialist services, the widest range available on any single site in the UK, including 22 highly specialised nationally commissioned services. It hosts the UK’s only National Institute for Health and Care Research Biomedical Research Centre dedicated solely to child health, supports more than 800 active research studies, and works in close partnership with the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

GOSH is at a pivotal moment in its evolution. Building on significant progress over recent years, the Trust has developed an ambitious five-year direction, “Together We Power Care”, built around three pillars: shaping how care is delivered, advancing discovery, innovation and impact, and embracing more holistic, connected care for children, young people and families.

Job overview

Chief Nurse - Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust (GOSH) is seeking an exceptional Chief Nurse to join its Executive Team and provide visible, influential and compassionate professional leadership at one of the world’s leading centres for babies, children and young people with rare, complex and difficult-to-treat conditions..

The development of the new Children’s Cancer Centre, due to open in 2029, alongside opportunities in research, innovation, genomics and AI, creates a unique platform from which the next Chief Nurse can help shape the future of specialist paediatric care.

As Chief Nurse, you will be a Board-level Executive Director, the professional leader of the Trust’s nursing and Allied Health Professional (AHP) workforce, responsible for ensuring that quality of clinical care, patient safety, nursing strategy and professional standards sit at the heart of GOSH’s excellence. Reporting to the Chief Executive, Karl Munslow Ong, and working closely with the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Operating Officer and wider Executive Team, you will play a central role in shaping and delivering the Trust’s strategic ambitions, championing outstanding care, strengthening clinical quality and governance, and ensuring the voice of children, young people and families remains central to decision‑making.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for an accomplished, credible and values‑led nursing leader with substantial senior leadership experience in a large, complex healthcare organisation. You will bring deep knowledge of nursing practice, professional standards, quality improvement, patient safety, clinical governance, assurance, risk management and regulatory frameworks, alongside a successful track record of leading transformation and change.

You will be a registered nurse with current NMC registration, able to operate with confidence at Board or Executive level, and capable of inspiring, influencing and uniting multidisciplinary teams around a shared commitment to exceptional care. You will be collaborative, inclusive and resilient, with excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, sound judgement, and the ability to provide constructive challenge where appropriate. Experience in a specialist, tertiary, children’s healthcare, academic health science or research‑intensive environment would be highly advantageous.

This is a rare opportunity to make a distinctive leadership contribution to children’s health, nationally and internationally, helping GOSH continue to advance care for children and young people with rare and complex conditions so they can fulfil their potential.

Working for our organisation

GOSH is committed to recruiting the best person for the job, based solely on their ability and individual merit as measured against the criteria for the role; through a process that is fair, open, consistent and free from bias and discrimination.

We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive employer and foster a culture where all staff are valued, respected and acknowledged. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, disability status or length of time spent unemployed.

We particularly welcome applications from BAME communities, people with disabilities and/or long‑term health conditions and LGBT+ community members.

We have policies and procedures in place to ensure that all applicants and employees are treated fairly and consistently. We are proud to be accredited as a Disability Confident Employer, a member of Business Disability Forum and a Stonewall Diversity Champion.

We have active and Executive supported BAME, LGBT+ and Allies, Disability and Long‑Term Health Conditions and Women’s staff networks. Staff networks are employee‑led groups formed around interests, issues and a common bond or background. Staff network members create a positive and inclusive work environment at Great Ormond Street Hospital by actively contributing to the Trust’s mission, values and efforts specific to inclusion. All of our staff networks are open to any employee.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. Please view the attachment/s below.

GOSH Culture and Values

Essential criteria

• Always welcoming Always helpful Always expert Always one team
• Demonstrable commitment to, and evidence of, promoting and championing equality, diversity and inclusion, supported by tangible examples of impact
• Demonstrates and promotes accountability and integrity, and leads by example

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