Chief Nurse QEH

This is an exceptional opportunity for two outstanding nursing leaders to shape the quality, safety and experience of care at two of the hospital sites within the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group.

The role will be based at either the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital or Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn.

As Site Chief Nurse, you will provide visible, empowering professional leadership for our nursing, midwifery and allied health professional workforce. Working as a key member of the Hospital Leadership Team, you will share responsibility for delivering safe, high-quality and compassionate services, while helping to shape the Group’s wider strategic direction.

You will lead organisation-wide improvements in patient care and experience, fostering a culture of innovation, learning, inclusion and continuous improvement. The role offers the scope to influence beyond the hospital site: deputising for the Group Chief Nurse and leading Group-wide portfolios, programmes and priorities.

As we are advertising for positions at both QEH and NNUH please make sure you express in your supporting statement whether you wish to be considered for QEH, NNUH or both.

There is no need to apply to both adverts.

Please be aware your application will be shared with colleagues at NNUH for shortlisting and interview purposes

Contact details to find out more about each site and the Group can be found below.

Main duties of the job

• Hold senior professional responsibility for the quality and safety of care delivered at the hospital site.
• Provide visible leadership to nursing, midwifery and allied health professional teams.
• Lead improvements in patient safety, patient experience, clinical governance and professional practice at site and Group level.
• Ensure the workforce is skilled, productive, engaged and clinically and financially sustainable.
• Shape workforce, education and development plans that meet current and future service needs.
• Lead the site’s response to regulatory requirements and maintain constructive relationships with the Care Quality Commission and professional regulators.

Working for our organisation

There’s never been a more exciting time to join TeamQEH. We’re working on a once in a generation opportunity to build a new state-of-the-art hospital due to open in 2031/32 and we are also carrying out on one of the biggest pieces of digital transformation work we’ve ever undertaken.

Our new electronic patient record (EPR) will replace paper-based patient records from 2026 and will lead to better, safer, joined-up care at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and beyond.

At The QEH we provide a comprehensive range of specialist, acute, obstetrics and community-based services to around 331,000 people across west and north Norfolk, North Cambs and South Lincs.

We are an ambitious organisation that upholds our values of kindness, wellness and fairness. We strive for continuous quality improvement, recently demonstrated in our 2024 CQC maternity inspection rating our services as ‘Good’, and we are proud to be a place to learn and grow through recognised learning and apprenticeships.

We recognise and reward our 4,000 staff and volunteers, priding ourselves on a community atmosphere and positive team spirit. We have approx. 530 beds across 33 wards and have newly built education and training facilities, a range of modern award-winning centres alongside a talented team of people ready to give you a warm welcome. We love working here and think you will too.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

You will bring extensive senior nursing leadership experience within a complex organisation, including experience operating at director level and influencing strategic decisions. You will have a strong track record in quality governance, quality improvement, patient safety and risk management, alongside experience of leading service innovation, transformation and collaboration across health and social care. You will be able to manage complexity, make sound decisions and communicate clearly with staff, boards, regulators and partners, supported by strong financial, workforce and strategic planning capability. Your collaborative, inclusive and compassionate leadership style will give you the credibility to inspire others, challenge constructively and role‑model the highest professional standards.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Registered nurse with a current registration with the NMC.
• Master’s degree in relevant subject area or equivalent knowledge

Experience

• Experience at Director level
• Experience of leading collaboration across a health and social care system

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong strategic planning skills with the ability to take decisions, make recommendations and plan using data, analytical skills and expert opinions
• Strong persuasive and influencing skills with the ability to present ideas and proposals effectively through to Board level
• Clear analytical skills to allow explanation, evaluation and interpretation of information and opinions
• Demonstrates understanding and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Applications are welcome from anyone who meets the criteria specified in the person specification regardless of age, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, belief, sexual orientation or other personal circumstances. Only those applicants who demonstrate in the application form how they meet the criteria in the person specification will be shortlisted for interview. We not only recruit employees based on their qualifications and experience, but we also recruit individuals who possess and can demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our core values (attached).

By applying for this post, you are agreeing to the transfer of information in the application form to Trac jobs & if you are offered a job your personal information will be transferred into the NHS Electronic Staff Records (ESR) system. Please check your email account including your junk folder, regularly for communication regarding this vacancy.

We offer our staff a wide range of benefits and support including:

• Flexible working opportunities
• Free counselling service
• Access to Stream - an app-based service that provides instant earned wage access*
• Support and advice for staff affected by either Perimenopause or Menopause
• Opportunity to join our Staff Networks which include Armed Forces, REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Culture Heritage), Disability and LGBTQ+ networks.

We are committed to being a menopause friendly employer.

Please note due to high volume of applications for some posts, this post may close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role asap.

Certificates of Sponsorship / Visa and Immigration

Although the salary for Band 3+posts is expected to meet the applicable UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) salary threshold from December 2026 and may therefore be eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship, (subject to the immigration rules in force at the time of application) applicants are responsible for checking their own eligibility against the relevant immigration requirements. The availability of sponsorship and any visa application remain subject to UKVI rules and approval. If you are not eligible, any offer of employment already made may be withdrawn.

Please note that all Nursing and Healthcare Assistant (HCA) vacancies require a face-to-face interview.

If you require sponsorship to work in this role including where you are currently sponsored, and wish to change employer, please review the Skilled Worker visa eligibility criteria before applying. Further information is available on the Government website: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-job.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Applications

We encourage applicants to ensure that applications accurately reflect their own skills, experience, achievements and motivations. While AI and other digital tools can support drafting and proofreading, applications should be written in a way that genuinely represents the individual applicant.

During our assessment process, we are looking to understand your personal knowledge, experience and suitability for the role. Applications that relyon AI-generated content may not provide an accurate reflection of your capabilities and could make it more difficult for us to assess your suitability fairly or accurately during the interview process.

We encourage candidates to take the time to prepare accurate applications using their own examples and experiences, enabling a fair and transparent recruitment process for all applicants.

Important Notice for Applicants

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust is committed to safe and fair recruitment practices. We do not charge any fees for applications, recruitment processes, sponsorship arrangements or offers of employment. All vacancies are advertised through our official recruitment channels and all recruitment communications will come from authorised Trust representatives using official contact details. If you are asked to make a payment, provide banking information, or have concerns about the authenticity of a recruitment communication, please contact our Recruitment Team for verification before taking any action.

For Overseas Applicants

Please be aware that fraudulent organisations and individuals sometimes falsely claim to represent NHS employers. The Trust will never request payment for employment opportunities, Certificates of Sponsorship, recruitment administration, or visa support. Applicants should only rely on information published on the Trust's official website and recruitment systems.

The Trust reserves the right to review applications from former employees and may take previous employment history into account as part of the selection process.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Jo Segasby Job title Group Chief Delivery Officer Email address sarah.davidson@qehkl.nhs.uk Telephone number 01553 613613 Additional information

For Jo Segasby - Group Chief Delivery Officer, Deputy Group CEO & Interim QEH EMD – Sarah Davison, Chief of Staff – sarah.davidson@qehkl.nhs.uk

For Rachael Cocker - Group Chief Nurse – Keeley Gripton, Business Manager – keeley.gripton@nnuh.nhs.uk

#J-18808-Ljbffr