Chief Medical Officer (VSM) - Trust Board - Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Preston; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading healthcare Trust as the Chief Medical Officer, where you will shape the future of healthcare, lead a high-performing team, and drive clinical excellence. This pivotal role requires bold leadership and a commitment to improving patient outcomes across Lancashire and Cumbria.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a senior medical leadership role.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Lead the medical workforce ensuring high-quality care.
• Shape integrated care across Lancashire and South Cumbria.
• Drive transformation and foster a culture of inclusivity.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Medically qualified with full GMC registration

Management or leadership qualification

Job description

We hope to be welcoming you to the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals team soon; we've shown you exactly why we're 'a great place to work', now it's time to see for yourself! Have a look at our current vacancies down below and make the first step to starting a fantastic new career. Need help with your NHS application? We've got you covered! Our brand-new step-by-step NHS Application Help Video will guide you through the process, making it easier, faster, and stress-free to apply. Additionally, you can check out our helpful Application Guide as well!

You can also look at our recruitment flipbook , an interactive brochure showcasing various entry-level roles. It includes a fun quiz to help you find the right role and links to more information about our hospitals and our fantastic staff.

For roles in our corporate services departments including – Digital Services (I.T), Recruitment, Employment Services, Temporary Staffing, Rostering, Procurement and Finance, these departments are now part of OneLSC and can be found on the ELHT website https://elht.nhs.uk/working-us/our-vacancies

Site Royal Preston Hospital Town Preston Salary Competitive salary to attract the best candidate Closing 01/06/2025 23:59

Job overview

We’re not just looking to fill a vacancy—we’re looking for someone who sees the opportunity to shape the future of healthcare in a Trust that’s ambitious, collaborative, and ready for its next chapter. With the retirement of our current Chief Medical Officer, we’re entering a new phase—one that calls for bold leadership, fresh thinking, and a deep commitment to clinical excellence.

This is a pivotal role for someone who thrives on challenge and change. You’ll bring your experience, insight, and courage to help us build on what’s working and improve what isn’t. You’ll be a key driver of our transformation journey—ensuring that our ambition to deliver excellent care with compassion is not just sustained but accelerated.

You’ll join a high-performing, values-driven Executive Team where your strategic and operational expertise will be both respected and relied upon. As a full member of the Trust Board, you’ll share collective responsibility for our decisions and be the principal source of professional medical advice—across medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry. Your leadership will help shape a culture where clinical voices are central to strategy, innovation, and delivery.

The interviews will take place mid-June 2025

Main duties of the job

You’ll lead the medical workforce with clarity and compassion, ensuring we continue to attract, support, and retain outstanding clinicians. You’ll champion modern medical management practices—like e-job planning, digital rostering, and meaningful appraisal—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), working collaboratively with partners to redesign clinical models of care, improve population health outcomes, and support the shift from treatment to prevention and from acute to community-based care.

As a full voting member of the Board, you will play a key role in shaping and delivering the Trust’s strategic vision, driving transformation, and fostering a culture of inclusivity, learning, and excellence.

This is a rare opportunity to leave a legacy—not just in the organisation, but in the wider system. You’ll play a leading role in shaping integrated care across Lancashire and South Cumbria, working with partners to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities.

We’re a Trust that values curiosity, challenge, and difference. We don’t expect everyone to agree all the time—but we do expect respectful debate, shared purpose, and a relentless focus on what’s best for our patients and staff. Your ability to build trust, navigate complexity, and lead with authenticity will be key.

Working for our organisation

We have 10000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever roles our colleagues undertake, we all look after 370,000 people in our local area & give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire & Cumbria.

Our world-class teaching facilities and award-winning education teams are growing the healthcare workforce of the future, supporting every member of our teams to develop and flourish.

We are proud to be in inclusive organisation, that values diversity and promotes equity. We genuinely welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and are committed to supporting flexible working and professional development. We are passionate about creating a culture where everyone feels they belong and can thrive.

We know this advert can only say so much. If you’re curious, ambitious, and ready to make a difference, we’d love to talk. For an informal conversation please contact one of the following:

Applications for this role will be through our dedicated TRAC recruitment system where you will complete some key information, using the Supporting Information section to write a personal statement to support your application and also attach your CV.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & System Collaboration

• Lead the development and delivery of the Trust’s clinical strategy, aligned with ICS and national NHS priorities.
• Lead the Trust’s research and innovation strategy and support the development of research and medical education across the Trust and system
• Act as a system leader, working with ICBs, local authorities, provider collaboratives, and public health to deliver integrated, equitable, and sustainable care.
• Champion the Trust’s contribution to the Acute Services Transformation Blueprint and wider system redesign.
• Shape and influence regional and national policy through active engagement with NHS England, regulators, and professional bodies.

Clinical Governance & Quality

• Serve as the Responsible Officer operating consistently with GMC requirements for medical revalidation, medical performance and disciplinary matters.
• Work in partnership with the Chief Nursing Officer to ensure good clinical governance processes are enacted including but not limited to patient safety safeguarding, infection prevention and control and regulatory compliance(e.g. CQC, GMC).
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, learning from incidents, mortality reviews, and patient feedback.
• Lead the Trust’s clinical effectiveness, mortality and morbidity, medical examiner services, audit and research strategies, ensuring evidence-based practice and innovation.
• Through the line management of the Chief Pharmacist ensure robust medication management.
• Through the professional line management of the radiation lead, ensure robust radiation management.
• Ensure robust arrangements are in place for all clinical services in line with regulatory expectations.

Medical, Dental, Pharmacy Psychology, Medical Associate Professional and Healthcare Scientist Workforce Leadership

• Provide visible, compassionate leadership to the medical, dental, psychology, pharmacy, medical associate professional and healthcare scientist workforce.
• Oversee workforce planning, recruitment, job planning, appraisal, and professional development.
• Promote high standards of conduct, performance, and wellbeing, ensuring a just and inclusive culture.
• Support the development of clinical leaders and succession planning across the Trust.
• Work with the Chief People Officer to ensure that we maintain educational approval for medical student and junior doctor training and support the development of locally employed doctors.
• Working with the Chief Clinical Information Officer, act as the clinical lead for digital transformation, including EPR implementation, data-driven decision-making, and AI adoption.
• Serve as Caldicott Guardian, ensuring robust information governance and ethical data use.
• Champion the use of digital tools to improve patient outcomes, reduce variation, and enhance clinical productivity.

Operational & Corporate Leadership

• Work with executive colleagues to ensure safe, effective, and financially sustainable service delivery.
• Contribute to corporate governance, strategic planning, and performance management as a member of the Unitary Board.
• Participate in the Executive On-Call rota and represent the Trust at regional and national forums.
• Lead on clinical input into capital planning, estates development, and service reconfiguration.

Person specification

Education

• • Medically qualified with full GMC registration and NHS consultant status (or equivalent).
• • Significant experience in a senior medical leadership role within a complex healthcare organisation.
• • Proven track 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 of working across organisational boundaries and in partnership with external stakeholders.
• • Management or leadership qualification (e.g. MBA, NHS Leadership Academy).
• • Experience in digital health, research leadership, or cross-sector collaboration.
• • Experience of leading through major change, including service redesign or hospital redevelopment.
• • Understanding of population health management and health inequalities.

Thanks for taking the time to view this advert; we’re looking forward to receiving your application. You should be aware that the vacancy may close earlier than the published date if sufficient applications are received so it would be best to apply as soon as you can. We’ll contact you by e-mail to update you on the progress of your application so please check the e-mail account that you applied from (including spam/junk) regularly.

We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership, neurodiversity or veteran status are encouraged to apply for this post. Our Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders is available Here

To support you in your application process we’ve created a What we can offer you guide that shows what you can expect when you join our hospitals. The guide includes links to our strategic aims and objectives as well as our values, development support and rewards and benefits. To help you get the best from your application we’ve also put together two guides to help you make your application the best it can be. Just click here and here to go through them, or have themopen as you complete your application.

We recognise that the recruitment process may present barriers for some and you may need personal adjustments to enable you to participate in our recruitment process. Please make contact with the recruitment team at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information.

AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Supporting Information

The supporting information section is an opportunity for you to showcase how your qualifications, knowledge, skill and experiences align with the requirements and criteria outlined in the job description and person.

Our recruiting managers score applications based on the criteria listed in the person specification. They will be looking for evidence of how you meet these criteria. To increase your chances of securing an interview, provide examples of how you have applied your skills and knowledge in real-life situations. Share work-related successes and challenges you’ve navigated that align with the criteria. These could be from various aspects of your life, including work, education, and personal experiences.

Consider structuring your supporting information section with clear headings or bullet points. This approach will help both you and the recruiting manager navigate through your application more effectively.

Working Smarter pledge

We are reminded everyday of how important life is, so as part of our Working Smarter pledge we offer a variety of flexible working options and wellbeing support to enable our people to find and maintain the right work-life balance.

Secondments

If you are applying for a secondment role please ensure you have agreement from your current line manager prior to attending an interview. Also please ensure you have read the LTHTR Secondment Policy. A copy of this can be found on the intranet or by [e-mail]

Please note a young person must be in part-time education or training until they’re 18. therefore if you are under 18 we are unable to employ you on a full time basis, unless it is in an apprenticeship role.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

If the role you’ve applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this on your behalf and the cost will be recovered from your salary, either as a one-off payment, or over 3 months. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £26.40 Standard DBS check £26.40 and Enhanced DBS check £54.40. You should be aware that if you are successful in obtaining a position that requires a DBS check but later withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check. DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here .

In line with guidance from United Kingdom Health Security Agency, all staff and volunteers are required to comply with Trust Infection Prevention and Control processes in relation to safe working. This includes mask wearing and adherence to social distancing at all Trust sites.

NO UNSOLICITED ADVERTISING COMPANY APPROACHES

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Sarah Morrison Job title Chief Nursing Officer/Deputy Chief Executive Email address [e-mail] Additional information

For an informal chat, you can also contact:

Gerry Skailes our current Chief Medical Officer at [e-mail]

Neil Pease our Chief People Officer at [e-mail]

On this page we list our current jobs and vacancies.