Band 8d - Deputy Director of Nursing - Surgical Division

West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust; Watford; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare trust in the UK is looking for a Deputy Director of Nursing for Surgical Divisions to lead the nursing teams in delivering high-quality, patient-centred care. The successful candidate will have extensive experience in nursing leadership, a passion for compassionate care, and the strategic insight to shape the future of surgical services. This is an exciting opportunity to make a lasting difference within a vibrant trust committed to excellence.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Development opportunities

Employee wellbeing initiatives

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior nursing role within a surgical setting.
• Strong understanding of clinical governance and quality assurance.
• Ability to inspire, motivate, and develop nursing teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership to the divisional nursing team.
• Champion high-quality, safe, patient-centred care.
• Ensure compliance with CQC standards and governance requirements.

Skills

Compassionate care

Leadership

Nursing excellence

Strategic insight

Collaboration

Education

Registered Nurse qualification

Advanced Clinical Practitioner endorsement

Job description

Overview

A Vacancy at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Deputy Director of Nursing – Surgical Divisions

Are you a passionate, forward-thinking nursing leader ready to help shape the future of surgical services across a vibrant, ambitious Trust? Do you thrive when supporting teams to deliver exceptional, compassionate care? If so, we would love to meet you.

At West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, we are on an exciting journey. With major investment, modernisation, and a clear vision for the future, this is an extraordinary moment to join us. We are proud of our values, our culture of innovation, and above all our people. From Watford General to St Albans and Hemel Hempstead, you’ll find committed teams who care deeply about what they do and who welcome leaders that bring energy, authenticity, and heart. This is more than a senior leadership post. It is a chance to make a profound and lasting difference to our patients, our staff, and our communities. We are looking for a leader who is visible, values-driven, and committed to collaborative working. Someone who brings both strategic insight and emotional intelligence. Someone who genuinely believes in empowering our workforce.

If you are ready to help lead our surgical workforce into the next chapter and to be part of a Trust where your ideas, compassion, and leadership will truly matter we would be thrilled to receive your application.

Come lead with us. Come inspire with us. Come help create the future of surgical nursing at West Herts.

Role and scope

As Deputy Director of Nursing for Surgical Divisions, you will play a pivotal role in shaping high-quality, safe, and patient-centred care across our surgical pathways. Working closely with the Chief Nurse, Divisional Directors, senior clinicians, and our amazing nursing teams, you will:

• Champion excellence in nursing practice and professional standards
• Lead improvement across patient experience, quality, and safety
• Inspire and develop our nurses supporting them to grow, thrive and innovate
• Drive our surgical strategy as we prepare for a transformative future
• Play a key role in delivering high-performing, compassionate services across all three sites

With a new hospital planned for Watford, work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital and plans for a neighbourhood healthcare centre in Hemel Hempstead, this is an exciting time to join us.

We are building on the success of our award-winning virtual hospital and re-imagining models of care, working closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare.

Staff wellbeing and development are a priority, as is the role of innovation in improving clinical care, outcomes and patient experience.

Our vision is Excellent patient care, together and our values are to be empowered, compassionate, professional and inclusive. They capture an important balance across what we must all do as individuals and to support others.

We offer a variety of flexible working options as we recognise the importance of a good work life balance. www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk/flexibleworking

If you have a disability or long-term health condition and require support or guidance please contact [e-mail]

If you are a Service Leaver, Veteran, Military Reserve, Cadet Force Adult Volunteer, or partner/spouse of those serving please tick "Member of the Armed Forces Community" on the application form.

We reserve the right to close this advert early due to the volume of applicants. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. If you do not hear back within 3 weeks of your application, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Responsibilities

• Act as the most senior nurse in the Division; providing a single line of professional accountability and acting as line manager to the Divisional Senior Nursing Team.
• Line management responsibility for multiple departments and teams such as Advanced Clinical Practitioners/Extended Care Practitioners within the division
• To provide inspirational and exemplary leadership as part of the divisional quad/triumvirates so that all staff are engaged and motivated to provide safe and effective patient care.
• Ensure there is a robust process in place for the provision of succession planning and support others in their development.
• In collaboration with the Divisional Triumvirates / Quad provide direction and leadership to the divisional teams ensuring services provided are appropriate and continuously developed and that they contribute effectively to the performance of the Trust.
• Take responsibility for ensuring that robust and comprehensive clinical governance arrangements are in place within the division, that these link appropriately to corporate arrangements and that the governance agenda is delivered within the division. This includes addressing CQC standards, risk management, review of critical incidence, identifying and reviewing key clinical and service indicators and audit outcomes and implementing governance requirements.
• Manage and develop the divisional nursing teams to deliver in line with relevant national standards, frameworks and the local clinical governance agenda e.g., shared professional decision making, ward accreditation, quality metrics.
• Act as an expert in all aspects of nursing practice within the Division.
• Establish and maintain effective communication links with the Chief Nurse providing briefings on current issues as they impact on patient care / nursing including daily operational concerns.

Please refer to the attached job description for a full list of the main responsibilities.

This advert closes on Thursday 4 Dec 2025