Band 8A Regional Head Quality and Governance

Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services); Catterick Garrison; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental healthcare service is seeking a Band 8A Regional Head Quality and Governance to lead patient safety initiatives and ensure quality standards in Catterick Garrison. The role requires strong leadership and analytical skills, with responsibilities in governance and compliance. The position offers flexibility, a competitive salary ranging from £55,690 to £62,682 per annum, and various employee benefits, encouraging applications from individuals passionate about healthcare quality improvement.

Benefits

Access to learning and development

Flexible working options

Clinical registration reimbursed

Qualifications

• Strong commitment to high quality service.
• Experience in leadership roles.
• Knowledge in patient safety and quality governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead patient safety and quality agenda in primary health care.
• Accountable for governance standardisation.
• Provide support for inspections of DPHC facilities.

Skills

Leadership

Patient safety management

Quality improvement

Communication

Analytical skills

Education

Professional registration with GMC, GDC, NMC or HCPC

Job description

Band 8A Regional Head Quality and Governance

Closing date: 28 January 2026

At Defence Primary Healthcare (DPHC) we are an inclusive, dedicated organisation working to provide outstanding care to our entitled personnel.

Are you a Band 8A Regional Head Quality and Governance looking for an exciting role, working alongside the military, which offers numerous benefits and opportunities? If the answer is yes, we are looking to appoint a professional and patient‑focused individual with a strong commitment to providing a high quality service and working within our friendly and welcoming team at Peronne Lines, Catterick.

The position is full time, 37.5 hours per week. Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs.

Could this be the role for you? If so, we'd love to hear from you!

• Access to learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A working culture that encourages inclusion and diversity
• Clinical registration reimbursed

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay‑related allowances that could impact on those allowances currently attracted by the post.

Main duties of the job

The Regional Head of Quality and Governance will assume leadership and managerial responsibilities for the patient safety and quality agenda in primary health care, with the aim of maintaining a culture of continuous improvement and safe care for the DPHC population.

About us

Our success depends on our people – our Whole Force regular and reservist military, civil servants and contractors all working as one, working together seamlessly to deliver for the nation.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to attracting and retaining people from across the full range of backgrounds and enabling flexible ways of working as the norm. We offer maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay followed by 13 weeks of statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, and paternity leave of 2 weeks full pay.

In return, you can expect a department that helps you learn and develop, recognises your expertise and contribution, both as an individual and part of a team.

Job responsibilities

• Accountable for governance in the region on behalf of the RCD, and responsible for delivering the standardisation of governance activity across the region in line with DPHC standards and policy for escalating issues.
• Responsible for leading and reporting on Patient Safety, Patient Experience, Clinical Effectiveness and Quality Improvement (QI) activity to the regional meetings.
• Provide SME support to inspections of DPHC facilities in region and out with current Area of Responsibility (AOR), and through mutual agreement, in DPHC overseas locations.
• Accountable for the management of patient safety incident (significant event) reporting and learning analysis. To ensure that significant event reporting is managed in a timely manner across the region so that patient safety issues are addressed.
• Monitor and report on compliments, complaints, and patient surveys, including how practices receive and act on complaints as per the regulatory requirements; and patient experience processes in accordance with DPHC and (Defence Medical Services) DMS processes.
• Sharing of best practice both within area of responsibility and pan‑DPHC and supporting practices with implementing must‑do audits.

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for the full list of duties.

Selection Process

At application stage you will be assessed against the following:

CV:

• Ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and memberships, and that any reference to your personal details has been removed.
• Provide information of how you meet the criteria set out in the Job Description, including examples where possible.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application; however, all examples and statements must be truthful and accurate and taken directly from your own experience.

At interview you will be assessed against the following:

• NHS Core NHSC1 Communication
• NHS Core NHSC2 Personal & People Development
• NHS Core NHSC3 Health, Safety & Security
• NHS Core NHSC4 Service Improvement
• NHS Core NHSC5 Quality
• NHS Core NHSC6 Equality and Diversity
• NHS Health & Wellbeing HWB3 Protection of Health & Wellbeing
• NHS Information & Knowledge NHS IK2 Information Collection & Analysis

The interview may consist of a mix of direct questions and clinical situation‑based scenarios. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.

No reimbursement for travel expenses for the interview.

Requests to work flexibly and/or part‑time will be considered, taking into account business needs. Salary will be pro‑rata where part‑time hours are undertaken.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6‑month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The required level of security is a standard security check.

Access to the NHS pension scheme is available to the successful candidate.

If you are found successful for this position, you will be required to provide evidence of your immunity to Hepatitis B. Note that evidence of your vaccination is not proof of your immunity; serology levels will be required. Failure to provide sufficient evidence may result in the offer of employment being withdrawn.

Qualifications and memberships must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.

This vacancy does not offer relocation expenses. Non‑standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.

Due to the changes to UK immigration rules effective 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points‑based system where a role has been deemed business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore not open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points‑based system.

This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Ministry of Defence embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. The Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) is available for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

If you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact [e-mail].

The Ministry of Defence requires all successful candidates at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made. Some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles; this will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment but will require appropriate mitigation to manage any potential conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero‑tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, including bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination and victimisation. You will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours in the last five years.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment, including a Smoke‑Free Working Environment policy. Smoking and the use of all tobacco products will not be permitted in the Defence working environment.

Salary: £55,690 to £62,682 a year (pro‑rata for part‑time). Per annum.

Person Specification

Provide a CV

• Please copy and paste your full CV as your response to this question – you will not be able to upload your CV as an attachment.
• Please ensure to refer to the essential criteria where applicable. The application may be rejected should insufficient information be included.
• Please use double spacing where possible.

Behaviour Statement

• Have you been dismissed for gross misconduct relating to bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation from any role in the past five years, or resigned or otherwise left a role but would have been dismissed for such gross misconduct because of an adverse decision, had you continued in that employment?
• Please respond with Yes or No as appropriate.

Licences

• Full UK Driving Licence.

Registrations and Memberships

• To hold a professional registration GMC, GDC, NMC or HCPC.
• Please provide your membership registration number.
• You are required to be registered with the relevant professional body, as detailed in the advert, prior to submitting your application.
• Your application will not progress should you fail to provide a valid membership registration number.

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.

Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum, pro‑rata for part‑time