Job summary
- Main area
- Nursing Management
- Grade
- Band 8b
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 392-RNOH-8372689
- Employer
- Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Stanmore with travel to Bolsover Street site
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £72,719 - £83,505 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 04/11/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Lead Nurse for Quality Improvement
Band 8b
Please note in order to progress your application, your data will be processed by our 3rd party recruitment providers – North London Partners Shared Service, who conduct recruitment activities on behalf of Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust.
The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust is the largest orthopaedic hospital in the UK and a global leader in our field. We provide a dynamic working environment where we support frontline staff to implement improvements so that we can realise our vision of being a world leading neuro musculoskeletal hospital providing the best patient care and staff experience in the NHS, delivering world leading research, and offering a strong foundation of education, training and career progression. Our dedicated staff come from diverse backgrounds, and our patients benefit from the wide range of experience they bring to the Trust. The RNOH brings unrivalled expertise together in one place allowing us to deliver some of the world’s most complex and innovative care to our patients
- Rated Good by the CQC
- Two sites, one in central London and one in Stanmore - which has recently opened The Stanmore Building, a new, state-of-the-art inpatient facility
- Our Research and Innovation Centre works closely with our main academic partner, University College London
- Recognised as a centre of excellence, leading on national initiatives, such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme
- Further major redevelopment underway across the Stanmore site – improving and modernising our facilities to maintain our position as the UK’s leading centre for orthopaedic medicine
- In the NHS staff survey, over 90% of our staff were satisfied with the quality of care they are able to give to patients - the best result of any NHS Trust in the country
- Our staff also indicated that they had the best experience of appraisals as compared to all other NHS Trusts.
This is a great time to join us and play a critical role in the next stage of RNOH’s journey to achieving an outstanding CQC rating.
Our aim is to remain a world-leading orthopaedic hospital with the best patient care and staff experience in the NHS. To do this, we have four core values that underpin everything that we do. We use our values to help ensure that we are always focused on the things that our staff and patients believe are most important:
- Patients first, always
- Excellence, in all we do
- Trust, honesty and respect, for each other
- Equality, for all
Our annual staff survey results have been improving year on year, with our staff telling us that their experience of working at the Trust is getting better and better. They also indicate that our staff feel very loyal to the RNOH and committed to its role in providing the very best care to our complex patient group. We hope that we can welcome you to our growing team soon.
Visit our Work with us page to learn more about our culture, values and also hear directly from staff in a short video sharing their experiences of working at RNOH
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a set of technology that can perform various tasks that typically required human intelligence. Your application is your opportunity to demonstrate to us how you meet the requirements of the role. We recognise that AI tools can support accessibility, equity and confidence for applicants. However, it’s important that examples and responses genuinely reflect your own experience and abilities, as these will be explored further during the selection process. AI must not be used to provide misleading or false information during any stage of the application journey. Further guidance can be found in the NLPSS Applicant Toolkit https://royalfree.pagetiger.com/cuuomnr/1.
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust is committed to ensuring that its recruitment processes are carried out with integrity, transparency, and fairness for all applicants. To help maintain these standards, we ask candidates to provide accurate and truthful information throughout the recruitment process.
If incorrect or misleading information is identified, this may affect the progression of an application, any employment offer, or continued employment. As part of our due diligence, the company may verify the information provided by applicants and take appropriate action where necessary.
We do not charge applicants any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including applications, interviews, sponsorship arrangements, pre-employment checks, or employment offers. All vacancies are advertised through TRAC/NHS Jobs and candidates are assessed solely on their skills, qualifications, experience, and suitability for the role. If you are asked to make a payment in connection with an NHS job opportunity, please treat this as suspicious and contact the organisation directly using the details published on our official career's website.
Applicants can refer to the Fraud Act 2006 for further information: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/35/contents
Job overview
The Lead Nurse for Quality Improvement provides strategic and operational leadership for quality improvement, patient experience, patient safety and harm-free care across the Trust. As a senior nursing leader within the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, a world-renowned specialist orthopaedic centre, the post holder plays a pivotal role in ensuring that high-quality, safe and compassionate care remains at the heart of everything the Trust delivers. The role leads Trust-wide programmes that drive continuous improvement in patient outcomes, experience, quality and safety, embedding a culture of learning, innovation and excellence. Working collaboratively with clinical, operational and corporate teams, the post holder provides expert professional advice and assurance to the Chief Nurse and Board, ensuring services meet the highest standards of care, governance and regulatory compliance while supporting the Trust's strategic ambitions and reputation for specialist excellence.
Main duties of the job
Provide strategic leadership for quality improvement, patient safety, patient experience and continuous improvement across the Trust, ensuring that the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital maintains the highest standards of specialist care. Lead the development and implementation of programmes that improve clinical outcomes, patient experience, operational effectiveness and quality governance. Promote a culture of continuous learning, innovation and improvement, ensuring that quality and safety are embedded within all aspects of service delivery and aligned to the Trust's strategic objectives.
Working for our organisation
At the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), we are committed to achieving the best staff experience in the NHS. In the 2023 NHS Staff Survey, we proudly:
- Scored above the national average for the People Promises: "We are recognised and rewarded," "We are always learning," "We work flexibly," "We are a team," and for staff engagement.
- Ranked #1 among all Trusts in North and Central London for all People Promises and themes.
- Ranked #1 among all Acute Specialist Trusts for "We work flexibly."
At RNOH, we’re committed to being actively anti-discriminatory and actively inclusive. We recognise our brilliant people do brilliant work, and we offer rewarding careers, no matter what their background. We continue to strive to break down barriers to be the Trust where people come together because what they do matters, makes a difference and where they can thrive.
Joining our organisation means enjoying a wide range of staff benefits, including:
- 24/7 access to wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme.
- A Rewards & Recognition platform, offering opportunities to thank colleagues, send gifts, and access exclusive discounts.
- A dedicated Staff Wellbeing Hub, providing a space to relax and recharge away from the work environment.
- Salary sacrifice schemes for transport (season ticket loans, car and bike), electrical goods, and childcare
At RNOH, we are more than a workplace—we are committed to patients, to excellence and the wellbeing of our staff.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Main Responsibilities cover:
- Patient Experience
- Quality Improvement
- Harm-free Care and Patient Safety
- Professional Leadership
- Quality Governance and Assurance
- Partnership Working
- Leadership and Management
Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for more details.
Person specification
Communication & Relationship Skills
Essential criteria
- Highly developed communication, influencing and presentation skills.
Desirable criteria
- Leadership qualification.
Knowledge, Training & Experience
Essential criteria
- Registered Nurse (NMC), Masters degree or equivalent, extensive senior leadership and QI experience.
Desirable criteria
- QI qualification
Analytical & Judgment Skills
Essential criteria
- Interpret complex quality and safety data
Desirable criteria
- Advanced analytics experience
Planning & Organisational Skills
Essential criteria
- Manage multiple Trust-wide programmes
Desirable criteria
- Programme management qualification
IT skills
Essential criteria
- Advanced MS Office and reporting systems
Desirable criteria
- BI tools experience
Responsibility for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable commitment to anti-discriminatory and inclusive behaviours and practices
Desirable criteria
- Experience leading EDI initiatives
Responsibility for Policy/Service Development
Essential criteria
- Develop Trust-wide policies and strategies
Desirable criteria
- Lead quality strategy experience
Responsibility for financial & physical resources
Essential criteria
- Resource and budget management experience
Desirable criteria
- Direct budget holder
Responsibility for Research & Development
Essential criteria
- Direct budget holder
Desirable criteria
- Publication/research experience
Freedom to Act, Mental and Emotional Effort
Essential criteria
- Operate autonomously and advise executives
- Frequent concentration on complex issues
- Exposure to incidents and complaints
Desirable criteria
- Acting on behalf of directors
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Bev Thomas
- Job title
- Chief Nurse
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 020 8909 5517
- Additional information
N/A
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