Job summary
- Main area
- Anaesthetics
- Grade
- Band 8b
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Participation in Matron late/weekend rota)
- Job ref
- 153-SU05465
- Employer
- University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Bournemouth Hospital
- Town
- Bournemouth
- Salary
- £64,455 - £74,896 pa
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 25/01/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Senior Matron Anaesthetics
Band 8b
As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.
We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £500m transformation programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.
In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you’ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we’re also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.
We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.
We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.
At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.
As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.
We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support the preparation of their application. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of your own experience and suitability. Personal integrity is an important part of the recruitment process.
Job overview
Following the restructure of our Theatres and Anaesthetics Directorate we are looking to recruit a Substantive Full time Senior Matron to lead our team in the Anaesthetic Directorate at UHD. The Post holder will have responsibility for Anaesthetics, Critical Care, Pre – Operative Medicine, Outreach services, Resuscitation teams, and the Acute Pain team, To lead and develop teams to deliver a high standard of care that is safe and effective.
The post holder will need to be flexible to service need and support the UHD Matron rota out of hours which includes some Late and Weekend/ Bank Holiday cover.
This is an exciting opportunity to join team UHD at a time of significant change and Transformation as we move to our Planned Elective and Emergency site configuration in July 2026.
Interview Date: 6th February 2026
Main duties of the job
To act as a professional role model, demonstrating the trust vision and values and ensuring that staff work within regulatory, legal and trust policies and procedures in maintaining and improving standards utilising resources available.
• To be highly visible, accessible and an authoritative nursing/midwifery presence providing compassionate and professional assistance or advice to patients, carers and the workforce, spending at least 50% of rostered time in clinical practice.
• To proactively manage and lead the designated matrons and clinical nurse specialists providing support, guidance and direction to achieve optimal effectiveness, clinical and financial outcomes.
• To champion strong collaboration across clinical pathways and support other care groups to maintain flow across the hospital and wider local system.
• To play a lead role within the designated directorate in the care group, ensuring the governance structure and processes are in place, that appropriate risk management and shared learning takes place, and that assurance of quality are provided to the care group. This will include being responsible for contributing to the strategic direction and implementation of the corporate objectives within the care group.
• To contribute to the delivery of Care Quality Commission (CQC) standards and to work with the Care Group Management Team to move the services to a continuously improving CQC rating.
Working for our organisation
UHD are investing, developing and transforming Trust services in line with the New Hospital Programme. As part of this, some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or permanently. Recruiting Managers will be happy to answer any service-specific questions at interview.
If a role or service relocates as part of a planned move, excess mileage will not be reimbursed. Travel from home to the new work base will be classed as a normal commute. Any other changes will be managed under Trust or national terms and conditions.
UHD has active networks including Women’s, DEN, Pride, EU, Pro Ability, and Armed Forces. We support Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant interview schemes.
AI tools may be used, but applications must honestly reflect your own skills and experience. Integrity is key to our recruitment process
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the job description and person specification for further details of this role as included on the advert.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- 1st Level Registered nurse/Midwife/AHP on relevant part of the Register.
- Accredited management/leadership training or evidence of practical application of expertise at this level
- Relevant Masters degree or equivalent.
- Relevant post registration specialist training at Masters level equivalent.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Proven track record of operational management in the acute healthcare setting managing a ward / service/ department. Including staff, financial/budgetary and change management.
- Extensive experience in the acute healthcare setting, in clinical leadership/clinical management position
- Formal and informal teaching experience.
- Experience of holding staff to account for poor performance.
- Experience of being accountable for the delivery of a clinical/nursing service.
- Experience of chairing capability disciplinary hearings.
- Experience writing clinical policies and procedures.
Technical Skills and competencies
Essential criteria
- Ability to demonstrate highly developed specialist knowledge in relation to nursing and nursing practice, underpinned by theory and extensive experience.
- Detailed knowledge of current nursing issues.
- Ability to effectively manage resources to deliver sustained improvement.
- Significant budgetary experience and demonstrable experience of achieving financial savings without compromising clinical care.
- Ability to write reports.
- Ability to analyse complex information and provide a range of options to share information to the wider team.
- Ability and experience of delivering highly sensitive or distressing news to patients, relatives, and staff.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Extensive knowledge of National and Local NHS care and N&M agenda.
- Highly developed specialist knowledge in field of practice (Anaesthetics/Critical Care/Pre-operative Medicine/Acute Pain/Outreach services/Resus) underpinned by theory and experience.
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with good listening skills.
- High level of work organisation, self-motivation, drive for performance and improvement, and flexibility in approach and attitude.
- Team player and able to work collaboratively.
- Committed to improving clinical care.
- Emotionally resilient and able to work effectively in a rapidly changing environment
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
- Sue Davies
- Job title
- Head of Nursing and Professions
- Email address
- [email protected]
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