Job summary
- Main area
- Nursing
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8b
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 370-NAM8BUEC-836
- Employer
- Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Warrington & Halton Teaching Hospitals
- Town
- Warrington
- Salary
- £64,455 - £74,896 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 03/02/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 26/02/2026
Employer heading
Lead Nurse - Urgent & Emergency Care
NHS AfC: Band 8b
Job overview
A rare and exciting opportunity to join the WHH urgent and emergency care clinical business unit, we are looking for an experienced nurse to form part of the senior triumvirate in the clinical business unit. This consists of Lead Nurse, Business Manager and Clinical Director.
Our Urgent and Emergency Care CBU is responsible for:
• Adult Emergency Department
• Minor Injuries Unit
• Paediatric Emergency Department
• Ambulatory Care
• Same Day Emergency Care
• Runcorn Urgent Treatment Centre
• Acute medical ward AMU
We are looking for an exceptional nurse leader who puts patient safety and nursing standards at the forefront of their practice and who has demonstrated a track record in leading significant change through collaboration with clinical teams.
Main duties of the job
The Lead Nurse will demonstrate a full understanding of the current issues within nursing and urgent and emergency care, and will be capable of supporting the CBU in continuing to shape and transform the patient experience and service provision. The successful candidate must demonstrate a knowledge of the quality standards we strive to deliver and support the delivery of these. The role requires significant managerial experience leading teams and the ability to competently handle complex issues. The lead nurse for this role needs to be adaptive, possess an engaging leadership style, and be capable of engendering the trust and confidence of clinical teams. A creative individual with exceptional commercial skills, you will have the resilience to balance the pace of day-to-day operational management of key patient services with a drive and vision to achieve long-term sustainability through the delivery of improved acute hospital pathways.
Working for our organisation
Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a caring and compassionate organisation that is both ambitious and innovative. We are committed to delivering the best outcomes for our patients and providing a positive experience of our staff. We aspire to be outstanding for our patients, our communities and our staff and are committed to being a great place to receive healthcare, work and learn.
Straddling the neighbouring boroughs of Warrington and Halton we are part of the Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care system. Our hospitals are ideally situated to meet the growing healthcare needs of the 330,000 population of these boroughs.
Warrington Hospital is home to our emergency, critical care and maternity services, Halton Hospital is focused on elective procedures and the Runcorn Urgent Treatment Centre, although many services are offered at both sites and in community hubs.
A CQC-rated ‘good’ organisation with ‘outstanding’ features, we are working towards university hospital status, having achieved teaching hospital status in 2019.
We employ nearly 5,000 people from over 80 nationalities, striving to be a diverse, inclusive employer and recognised leader in equality. We support flexible working, welcoming flexible applications. Proud of our many accreditations, we are embedding an anti-racist approach in all we do.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We require an experienced, motivated and independently minded leader who can act on their own initiative, achieving outstanding performance as a role model of the trust’s values and behaviours. With a ‘can-do’ leadership style, the Lead Nurse will thrive within a climate of constant change, managing the strategic direction and performance with a strong focus on productivity and improved patient experience for the Urgent and Emergency Care Clinical Business Unit within the Unplanned Care Group of the Trust.
Reporting to the Associate Director of Nursing, the post holder is expected to function at a senior level within the CBU senior leadership team, proactively leading and providing solutions to resolve complex operational issues, in accordance with agreed Trust objectives, targets, quality standards and resource constraints. The Lead Nurse will have managerial experience in leading teams and will possess leadership skills to deal competently with complex issues arising within Urgent and Emergency Care, and ensure that policy is implemented and performance managed within the CBU.
Working closely with the Clinical Director, and CBU Manager, the Lead nurse, will lead the implementation of patient centered clinical operational strategy and plans, ensuring that systems and processes are in place to comply with relevant legislation and governance requirements, linking with external bodies such as commissioners about service developments, contracts and clinical care pathways whilst utilising the expertise and skills of the wider Care Group team.
As a member of the Urgent and Emergency CBU senior leadership team and Care Group structure, the Lead Nurse contributes to strategic direction and policy setting for the Care Groups, forming an essential communications link between the Care Groups, CBU and relevant external organisations, demonstrating a coaching style of leadership in ensuring that clinical, staff and stakeholder engagement is reflected in the decision making process.
Please see the attached Job Description for a full list of roles and responsibilities.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Registered General Nurse
- Degree level or equivalent.
- Management qualification at master’s level or equivalent
- Clinical Leadership Qualification
Desirable criteria
- AHP Advanced Practice ‘4 Pillars’
Experience
Essential criteria
- Extensive knowledge and experience of working within Emergency Care , Same Day Emergency care and Acute Medicine
- Demonstrable Experience of Major Incident Protocols including Decontamination.
- Recent experience as a Senior clinical manager, with responsibility for clinical quality, people management, budget responsibility and successful delivery of performance targets and quality standards within strict financial controls
- Significant experience dealing with safeguarding situations giving clear advice and how to manage safeguarding concerns raised by staff.
- Experience developing and implementing robust pathways to improve patient journey.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of managing paediatric areas
Skills
Essential criteria
- Analyse data and information, including preparing responses to issues, weighing risks and forming judgements often within tight timescales.
- Coaching & values led leadership style, encouraging engagement and empowerment amongst staff and stakeholders, and in developing high performing teams
- A high level of communication skills, to include but not exclusively, mediation, negotiation, consultation, facilitation, presentation, training and coaching skills using well developed interpersonal skills to influence, inform, reconcile differences and resolve conflicts.
- Champion the day to day quality of care provided by the nursing profession to meet challenging performance targets within tight financial controls.
- Cope with competing priorities and a demanding workload.
- Work in an environment with frequent interruptions, and within stressful, unpredictable situations including responding to and solving urgent and emergency situations day to day.
Desirable criteria
- Research information and use audit skills to applying findings to influence practice and develop business cases/ plans.
Specific Role Requirements
Essential criteria
- Car driver
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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Applicant requirements
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Jan Potts
- Job title
- Associate Chief Nurse
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01925 635911
- Additional information
Please contact Jennifer Caldwell, who can arrange contact with Jan Potts.
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