Head of Governance & Risk

We are seeking an exceptional Head of Governance & Risk to provide visible, proactive leadership across our secondary care hospital and associated diagnostic centres. In this pivotal role, you will champion patient safety, quality, and the patient voice, ensuring robust governance systems are designed, implemented and continuously improved. Working closely with clinical and operational leaders, you will create a culture where safety, learning and regulatory compliance are embedded into everyday practice. Reporting to the Chief Nursing Officer, with a dotted line to the Director of Governance and Risk for wider Bupa, you will lead the governance function, oversee risk and safety frameworks, and provide professional leadership to the clinical governance team. This is a senior, high-impact role ideal for an experienced governance specialist ready to shape organisational standards and drive meaningful change.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and continually develop the organisation’s clinical governance strategy, ensuring alignment with national and local regulatory requirements.
• Oversee the systems that manage patient safety incidents, complaints, feedback, coroners’ requests and medico-legal matters, ensuring timely investigation and response.
• Ensure effective incident reporting cultures, supporting staff through investigations and promoting organisational learning.
• Produce high-quality monthly, quarterly and serious incident reports, providing assurance to senior leadership.
• Lead quality assurance and audit programmes that measure compliance with professional and regulatory standards.
• Embed quality improvement principles across departments and ensure learning from audits, incidents and complaints is shared and acted upon.
• Manage the organisation’s document management system, ensuring robust processes for review and assurance.
• Provide professional leadership and line management to the clinical governance team.

Key Skills / Qualifications

• Registered healthcare professional.
• Significant experience in clinical governance within a complex acute provider.
• Advanced training in patient safety or a related area.
• Experience teaching or mentoring in quality improvement and incident investigation.
• Ability to conduct safety investigations to national PSIRF standards.
• Strong knowledge of national patient safety agendas.
• Experience producing high-quality reports and contributing to working groups.
• Proven track record in leading organisational or service improvement.

Benefits

At King Edward VII’s Hospital, we want to reward our staff for the amazing job that they do. As part of the team, you will have access to a range of benefits for your work and home life. We offer a variety of benefits that take into consideration how you commute to work, your health and well-being, as well as during your employment with us; looking after your meals, accommodation and recognising your service and any staff referrals you make to the Hospital. Take a look at the full range of benefits on offer when working here:

• Free restaurant quality food whilst on duty
• Annual leave entitlement of 35 days inclusive of bank holidays increasing with length of service
• In-house training for all staff
• Company pension scheme
• Interest free travel loan
• Bicycle Loan Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

Part of a Globally Trusted Healthcare Group

When you join King Edward VII, you also become part of Bupa — a global healthcare leader with the scale, stability and expertise of a major international brand. Being backed by Bupa means access to an extensive network of clinical and operational specialists, shared best practice from across the organisation, and the support of well-established systems that help you grow, develop and deliver exceptional care. Our size gives us strength, while our purpose keeps us personal. We champion diversity and want our people to reflect the communities we serve. Everyone is encouraged to “Be you at Bupa”, and we actively welcome colleagues from all backgrounds and experiences. Bupa takes pride in being a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer and will aim to offer an interview/assessment to disabled applicants who best meet the minimum criteria for the role. We’re committed to ensuring you’re treated fairly during the recruitment process and offer reasonable adjustments to anyone who may benefit from accommodations to the recruitment process.

If you require information regarding this role in an alternative format, please email: careers@bupa.com If you would like more information on the role, please contact jack.mccool@bupa.com