Chief Medical Officer

NHS; Preston; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Lancashire is seeking a Chief Medical Officer to lead clinical strategy and transformation. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, a commitment to quality, and experience in senior medical roles. This pivotal position involves collaboration across systems to enhance patient care and outcomes, fostering a culture of inclusivity and innovation. Join a dedicated team to shape the future of healthcare in the region.

Benefits

Flexible Working

Professional Growth

Inclusive Culture

Qualifications

• Significant experience in senior medical leadership.
• Proven record of delivering clinical transformation.
• Understanding of population health management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the medical workforce ensuring high-quality care.
• Drive transformation and promote inclusivity.
• Collaborate with partners to improve health outcomes.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Collaboration

Innovation

Clinical Governance

Education

Medical Qualification

Management Qualification

Job description

Go back Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Chief Medical Officer

The closing date is 01 June 2025

We're seeking a visionary leader to shape the future of healthcare at our Trust, which is ambitious, collaborative, and poised for its next chapter. With the retirement of our current Chief Medical Officer, we are looking for someone with bold leadership, innovative thinking, and a deep commitment to clinical excellence.

This pivotal role requires someone who thrives on challenges and change. You will bring your expertise, insight, and courage to enhance our strengths and address areas for improvement. You will be a key driver of our transformation, ensuring that our goal of delivering excellent, compassionate care is not only maintained but accelerated.

You will join a high-performing, values-driven Executive Team, where your strategic and operational expertise will be highly valued. As a full member of the Trust Board, you will share collective responsibility for decision-making and serve as the principal source of professional medical advice across medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry. Your leadership will foster a culture where clinical voices are central to strategy, innovation, and service delivery.

Find out more at our dedicated microsite and hear from our Chief Executive: https://www.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk/chief-medical-officer

The interviews are scheduled for mid-June 2025.

Main duties of the job

You will lead the medical workforce with clarity and compassion, ensuring the attraction, support, and retention of outstanding clinicians. You will champion modern medical management practices—such as e-job planning, digital rostering, and meaningful appraisals—and ensure our systems and culture support high-quality, safe, and inclusive care.

You will also play a key role in system leadership across the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS), collaborating with partners to redesign clinical models, improve population health outcomes, and shift focus from treatment to prevention and from acute to community-based care.

As a full voting member of the Board, you will help shape and deliver the Trust's strategic vision, drive transformation, and promote a culture of inclusivity, learning, and excellence.

This is a unique opportunity to leave a legacy both within the organization and the wider health system. You will help shape integrated care across Lancashire and South Cumbria, working with partners to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities.

We value curiosity, challenge, and diversity. While consensus isn't always necessary, respectful debate, shared purpose, and a focus on patient and staff wellbeing are essential. Your ability to build trust, navigate complexity, and lead authentically will be vital.

About us

Our dedicated team of 10,000 staff delivers quality services to 370,000 local residents and provides specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire and Cumbria.

Our world-class teaching facilities and award-winning education teams are developing the healthcare workforce of the future, supporting growth and development for all our staff.

We are proud to be an inclusive organization that values diversity and promotes equity. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and support flexible working and professional growth. We aim to foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and can thrive.

If you're curious, ambitious, and eager to make a difference, we would love to hear from you. For an informal discussion, please contact:

• Sarah Morrison, Chief Nursing Officer/Deputy Chief Executive, at [e-mail]
• Gerry Skailes, current Chief Medical Officer, at [e-mail]
• Neil Pease, Chief People Officer, at [e-mail]

Applications are via our dedicated TRAC recruitment system, where you will provide key information, write a personal statement, and attach your CV.

Job responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & System Collaboration

• Develop and deliver the Trust's clinical strategy, aligned with ICS and NHS priorities.
• Lead research and innovation strategies, supporting research and medical education within the Trust and system.
• Act as a system leader, collaborating with ICBs, local authorities, provider collaboratives, and public health to deliver integrated, equitable, and sustainable care.
• Contribute to the Acute Services Transformation Blueprint and wider system redesign efforts.
• Engage with NHS England, regulators, and professional bodies to influence regional and national policy.

Clinical Governance & Quality

• Serve as Responsible Officer, ensuring GMC compliance for medical revalidation, performance, and disciplinary matters.
• Partner with the Chief Nursing Officer to uphold clinical governance, including patient safety, safeguarding, infection control, and regulatory compliance (e.g., CQC, GMC).
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, learning from incidents and patient feedback.
• Lead strategies for clinical effectiveness, mortality and morbidity reviews, medical examiner services, audits, and research.
• Manage medication and radiation safety through direct oversight of respective leads.

Workforce Leadership

• Provide compassionate leadership to medical, dental, psychology, pharmacy, medical associate professionals, and healthcare scientists.
• Oversee workforce planning, recruitment, job planning, appraisal, and professional development.
• Promote high standards of conduct, performance, and wellbeing, supporting a just and inclusive culture.
• Support clinical leadership development and succession planning.
• Ensure the maintenance of educational approvals for medical training and support development of local doctors.
• Lead digital transformation efforts, including EPR implementation, data-driven decision-making, and AI adoption, in collaboration with the Chief Clinical Information Officer.
• Serve as Caldicott Guardian, ensuring data governance and ethical data use.
• Champion digital tools to improve patient outcomes, reduce variation, and enhance productivity.

Operational & Corporate Leadership

• Ensure safe, effective, and sustainable service delivery in collaboration with executive colleagues.
• Contribute to governance, strategic planning, and performance as a Unitary Board member.
• Participate in the Executive On-Call rota and represent the Trust regionally and nationally.
• Lead clinical input into capital planning, estate development, and service reconfiguration.

Person Specification

Education

• Medically qualified with full GMC registration and NHS consultant status (or equivalent).
• Significant experience in senior medical leadership within complex healthcare settings.
• Proven record of delivering clinical transformation, quality improvement, research, and workforce development.
• Deep understanding of clinical governance, system working, and NHS policy.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and influencing skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Experience working across organizational boundaries and with external stakeholders.
• Management or leadership qualification (e.g., MBA, NHS Leadership Academy).
• Experience in digital health, research leadership, or cross-sector collaboration.
• Experience leading major change initiatives, including service redesign or hospital redevelopment.
• Understanding of population health management and health inequalities.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This role is subject to DBS checks under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, requiring a DBS check for any previous convictions.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Depending on experience, a competitive salary will be offered to attract the best candidate.