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Job summary

Main area
Nurse
Grade
Executives / VSM: Executives / VSM
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
297-7498742-A
Employer
Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Town
Gateshead
Closing
18/06/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust logo

Chief Nurse

Executives / VSM: Executives / VSM

In the event of excessive applications being received this vacancy may close earlier than the stated closing date, you are encouraged to submit your application as soon as possible  

IMPORTANT NOTE ON COMPLETION OF REFERENCE SECTION OF APPLICATION FORM

All references from current and previous employers will be sought and MUST cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Where possible this should be from two separate employers. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.

PLEASE NOTE it is a requirement of this Trust that all successful applicants pay for their DBS certificate if a check is required for the post. This will be done through deduction from your monthly pay over a maximum of three months. It is also a requirement that all successful applicants register  or are registered with the DBS update service where a DBS is required. 

All new entrants to the NHS will be appointed on the minimum of the pay scale in line with Terms & Conditions.

 

Job overview

Chief Nurse and Professional Lead for Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals

Closing date for application:  Thursday 18 June at midnight

Shortlisting: Friday 19 June

Interviews: Friday 26 June

This is an important moment to join Gateshead Health. With a new five-year corporate strategy, a strong alliance of regional partners and a clear focus on delivering safe, high-quality care, our next Chief Nurse and Professional Lead for Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals will play a central role in shaping the future of care for our communities.

This role provides the opportunity to influence at organisational, system and regional levels, working as part of a clinically led, values-driven organisation with a committed, compassionate and talented workforce.

If you share our commitment to safe, compassionate and high-quality care, and want to help shape the future of Gateshead Health, we would be pleased to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for an experienced and compassionate Chief Nurse who can:

  • provide visible, credible and compassionate professional leadership for nursing, midwifery and allied health professional
  • lead the ongoing development of quality, safety and patient experience across hospital, community and diagnostic service
  • champion high professional standards, strong clinical governance and a culture of learning and improvement
  • support and develop our workforce, helping staff to thrive and feel value
  • work closely with patients, families, carers, staff and partners to improve care and reduce health inequalitie
  • contribute as a key member of the executive team, bringing sound judgement, professional expertise and thoughtful challeng
  • Setting the vision for nursing, midwifery and AHP practice in the safe delivery of patient care
  • be ambitious for Gateshead, our people and the communities we serve

Working for our organisation

Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.

Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.

We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region.

Our values should be the ‘golden thread’ which runs through everything we do – they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronym ICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement.

We have a number of staff networks including the Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) network, D-Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women’s Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our Armed Forces network is one of our emerging networks.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities, and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our ‘Balance’ programme balancegateshead.com to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us. 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached recruitment pack which contains the job description and responsibilities for this role.

Person specification

Knowldge and Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • A registered Nurse
  • Masters degree level
Desirable criteria
  • Recognised qualification in quality improvement techniques

Experience

Essential criteria
  • At least 12 months experience working at Executive level (albeit this may not be specifically as an Executive Director) in a similarly complex organisation or system
  • Experience of senior leadership in: Patient Safety Infection Prevention and Control Safeguarding Patient Experience Quality
Desirable criteria
  • Recent experience of board or just below board level in an acute trust

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Veteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyAge positiveCare quality commission - GoodDisability confident employerStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Better Health at Work Award

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Dr Sean Fenwick
Job title
Chief Executive
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0191 445 6044
Additional information

For a discussion about this role, please contact Dr Sean Fenwick, Chief Executive, via Kirsty Forster at [email protected]

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