Associate Director of Patient Safety

NHS; Greater London; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 98,000; Full time

Job summary

A children's hospital in London is seeking an Associate Director of Patient Safety to lead patient safety initiatives and drive organizational improvements. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in risk management and patient safety, hold a relevant master's degree, and demonstrate strong leadership and interpersonal skills. Commitment to improving care for children and diverse workforces is essential. This permanent, full-time role offers a salary of £85,431 to £97,148 per year.

Benefits

Support for professional growth

Inclusive workplace

Comprehensive training programs

Qualifications

• First degree or equivalent professional qualification.
• Experience in risk management, complaints, and audit effectiveness.
• Knowledge of diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Trust’s patient safety incident response system.
• Embed NHS Patient Safety Strategy across all services.
• Support meaningful engagement with families and Patient Safety Partners.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Analytical skills

Leadership skills

Ability to manage change

Ability to communicate complex information

Education

Higher qualification in Risk Management or Patient Safety improvement

Relevant master's degree

Tools

Datix

Safeguard

Job description

Job Summary

Associate Director of Patient Safety

Instructions to apply - Apply via link along with sending your CV directly to [e-mail]

Lead the Future of Patient Safety at GOSH

Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) is a world-renowned centre of excellence, caring for children and young people with rare and complex conditions. As we deliver our ambitious new Trust Strategy, Together We Power Care, we are seeking an exceptional leader to drive the next evolution of patient safety across our organisation.

Patient safety sits at the heart of everything we do. Every child, young person, family and staff member deserves the safest possible experience, grounded in learning, transparency and compassion. This strategic role represents a unique opportunity to shape the safety culture of one of the UK's most iconic paediatric hospitals.

Why GOSH?

GOSH is an international centre of excellence in child healthcare, research, and innovation. Our new strategy is built on three pillars: shaping how we care, advancing discovery and innovation and embracing the whole child and family. We are committed to:

• Creating a culture of connection, collaboration, and belonging.
• Delivering seamless, holistic care that supports every child's journey.
• Empowering staff and families to co-design services and drive continuous improvement.
• Supporting your professional growth through the GOSH Learning Academy and a vibrant, inclusive workplace.

Main Duties of the Job

• Lead the Trust's patient safety incident response system, including delivery of the PSIRP.
• Embed the NHS Patient Safety Strategy and PSIRF across all services.
• Promote transparency, inclusion, and psychological safety across the organisation.
• Provide expert advice to senior leaders and prepare high-quality assurance papers.
• Lead and develop the Patient Safety, Compliance and Risk Teams.
• Drive programmes to reduce avoidable harm.
• Strengthen learning systems, including thematic reviews and safety training.
• Support meaningful engagement with families and Patient Safety Partners.
• Liaise with external bodies including NHSE, ICB and national safety networks.

About us

We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as the communities we serve, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including people with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic heritage, people with a disability, and people from LGBTQ+ communities. By growing an ever more diverse workforce, we'll have a greater range of perspectives and knowledge, meaning that we can provide the children and young people at our hospital with even better care.

Our hospital is committed to creating an environment that is open and inclusive. Our staff are encouraged to engage with colleagues through the following networks: REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage) ENABLED (Enhancing Abilities & Leveraging Disabilities Network), PRIDE and Women's networks; all of which are sponsored by a member of our Executive Management Team.

We want to ensure that all of our people, regardless of their background, are seen and heard. We want to attract applicants that share our commitment to inclusion and that understand diversity is a strength that is embraced and valued.

Details

Date posted: 19 December 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 8c

Salary: £85,431 to £97,148 a year Inclusive per annum

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 271-MDO-7627384

Job locations: Great Ormond Street Hospital, Great Ormond Street, London, WC1N 3JH

Person Specification

GOSH Culture and Values Essential

• Our Always values
• Knowledge and Understanding of diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
• Understanding of Diversity and Inclusion challenges in the workplace.
• Demonstrable contribution to advancing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace.
• Experience of leading and managing within a just culture.

Academic/Professional qualification/Training Essential

• First degree or equivalent professional qualification.
• Higher qualification in Risk Management, Patient Safety improvement or Equivalent Experience.
• Relevant master's degree.

Desirable

• Clinical Registration with the GMC / HCPC or NMC.
• Leadership Training.
• Master's degree in healthcare leadership & management.
• Successful completion of NHSE Patient Syllabus Training Levels 3 & 4.
• Qualification in Human Factors.

Experience/Knowledge Essential

• Expert level of understanding and knowledge in patient safety, risk management, complaints, audit and effectiveness.
• Providing, receiving, analysing and communicating complex, highly sensitive, confidential or highly contentious information.
• Taking responsibility for clinical governance strategy, policies, systems and processes across an NHS organisation as they apply to patient safety.
• Responsible for the management or procurement of information systems in clinical risk management (e.g. Datix or Safeguard).
• Using interpersonal and communication skills in a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere e.g., meeting families after a serious incident, managing organisational change.
• Experience in the use of outcome measures, benchmarking or other commissioning levers to drive improvements in patient safety.
• Experience in risk management, complaints and audit and effectiveness.
• Extensive experience of line management and leading and delivering projects, on time and on budget.

Desirable

• Leading the design and management of a change programme, with evidence of tangible and sustained improvement.
• Understanding of systems and complexity theories.
• Managing change across the Trust and change management experience outside of Healthcare.

Skills/Abilities Essential

• Interpreting health service policy and legislation and developing policies to embed them across the organisation.
• Excellent interpersonal skills. Ability to engage and rapidly build credibility as an expert in patient safety at all levels in the Trust, including Trust Board, senior managers and clinicians.
• Proven analytical skills in process/problem analysis, challenging existing thinking and generating improvements and solutions; writing assurance and progress reports.
• Ability to understand and take account of other perspectives; to reconcile strategic and operational issues.
• Proven ability to lead, develop and manage with expertise in mentorship/coaching/facilitation - guiding people/teams to achieve results, learn and grow.
• Proven ability to influence others through a can do and positive attitude.
• Ability to manage change and competing priorities across the Trust.
• Ability to develop a compelling and deliverable vision for patient safety in the Trust.
• Ability to operate and think at an operational and strategic level.
• Excellent and proven oral and written communication skills and report writing skills.
• Thinking conceptually to plan flexibly for the longer term.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust

Great Ormond Street Hospital

Great Ormond Street

London

WC1N 3JH

Employer's website

https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)