Assistant Service Manager - Planned Care | Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; City Of London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust is seeking an Assistant Service Manager to oversee operational management in surgical specialties. You will work closely with clinical teams, ensuring efficient patient services and managing projects for improvement. Applicants should have operational experience and excellent communication skills. This role offers a dynamic environment in London, contributing to high-quality patient care.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in operational management at a junior level.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Strong communication skills.
• Experience with service improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational management to designated service areas.
• Monitor and deliver quality and performance targets.
• Promote excellent customer service.
• Manage small service changes effectively.

Skills

Operational management

Communication skills

Business planning

Team management

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Overview

Assistant Service Manager, Band 6 – two roles: one based at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Fulham Road, London, and the other at West Middlesex University Hospital, Twickenham, Middlesex. Roles support a range of surgical specialties including Ophthalmology, Oral Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Trauma and Orthopaedic, and Podiatry Services.

We are looking for two dynamic Assistant Service Managers to join our Planned Care Surgery Operational Team. The Assistant Service Manager will work closely with nursing, administrative and clinical teams to deliver excellent performance and achieve agreed productivity targets. You will be responsible for the delivery of high quality and efficient patient services in defined clinical areas and will work on and support the direct management of a range of agreed projects and service improvement initiatives.

This is a fast paced and busy role requiring operational experience at a junior level, delivering improvements to systems, processes and performance, and working with a wide range of staff to achieve positive patient outcomes. Excellent oral and verbal communication skills and the ability to work under pressure, balance competing demands and meet tight deadlines are essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on operational management to designated areas of the Division, ensuring delivery of services in line with service standards.
• Be accountable for monitoring and delivering key quality, productivity and performance targets under the guidance of the General Manager, Deputy General Manager and Service Manager.
• Promote excellent customer service across areas of responsibility and take remedial action to address poor or unresponsive service.
• Assist the Service Manager in ensuring clinic templates, procedure schedules and rotas meet service capacity and patient needs.
• Work with Service Directors and Clinical Directors to assure compliant junior doctor working patterns; assist with booking additional medical staffing as needed and maintain staffing spreadsheets.
• Support investigation and coordination of administrative/medical complaints; implement corrective actions in response to patient feedback.
• Maintain effective communication systems, including regular team and departmental briefings.
• Facilitate partnership and integration across services and sites, aligning systems and processes and sharing best practice.
• Ensure effective clinic utilisation and capacity planning; identify inefficiencies or capacity gaps and take steps to address productivity and access.
• Support high-quality data capture and ensure datasets are submitted accurately and on time.
• Identify service improvement or modernisation initiatives; work with staff and stakeholders to scope, plan and implement projects.
• Manage small service changes or contribute to larger change programmes with thorough planning and stakeholder engagement.
• Ensure compliance with internal and external governance and best practice; identify and manage audits and service improvement projects with support of senior staff.
• Promote excellent customer service and patient experience in all areas of responsibility; support business planning to ensure adequate capacity for patient demand.
• Participate in development and revision of operational policies and procedures within the Directorate.

Management of People

• Co-ordinate annual leave and study leave to maintain cover and minimise agency expenditure in support of the Deputy General Manager.
• Line manage and support staff allocated to the Directorate; maintain close working relationships with clinical professionals on patient care matters.
• Support emergency rotas and ensure clinician cover in line with service needs.
• Support Operational Admin Support in delivering objectives and maintaining staffing flow.

Financial Management

• Identify areas to reduce expenditure and/or generate income (CIP).
• Assist in business planning, producing capital and revenue proposals for service development; analyse information for projects and contribute to performance reporting.
• Monitor and manage devolved budgets in collaboration with the Service Manager and Deputy General Manager.
• Provide information on bank and agency expenditure for the team.

PLEASE SEE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR FULL DETAILS OF THE ROLE

This advert closes on Wednesday 1 Oct 2025.

About Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

We are one of England\'s top-performing and safest trusts, operating two main acute hospital sites—Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital—along with award-winning clinics across North West London. Our nearly 7,500 staff care for a diverse population of 1.5 million, delivering full clinical services including maternity, A&E, and children’s services, plus specialist HIV and sexual health clinics. The Care Quality Commission rates us as Good in safety, effectiveness, care and responsiveness, and Outstanding in leadership and resource use. We continually invest in our facilities, including a £30m expansion of critical care at Chelsea and Westminster and an £80m Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Middlesex. We welcome applications for flexible working arrangements and adjustments can be made for disabled candidates. Employment is subject to a six-month probationary period. Vacancies may close once sufficient applications are received.