Days Matter Performance Improvement Lead - 8A

United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; Lincoln; Hybrid; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking a Days Matter Performance Improvement Lead (NHS AfC: Band 8a) to drive a targeted cancer pathway improvement programme at Lincolnshire's largest acute trust. The role focuses on senior leadership, programme management and delivery against national cancer standards, with a 12-month fixed-term contract.

The post requires robust governance, stakeholder engagement and the ability to manage complex improvement initiatives across hospital

Qualifications

• Experience leading cancer pathway improvement programmes.
• Proven ability to manage complex NHS transformation projects.
• Strong leadership, stakeholder engagement and governance skills.
• Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma or quality improvement methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of the Days Matter Improvement Programme and monitor progress.
• Analyse pathways, identify bottlenecks and design improvement plans.
• Establish governance, risk registers and performance reporting.
• Collaborate with clinical and operational teams across sites.
• Support evaluation and sustainability planning post-programme.

Skills

Programme management

Leadership

Quality improvement

NHS knowledge

Education

Degree or equivalent

Tools

Lean

Six Sigma

Data visualisation

Job description

Main area Days Matter Performance Improvement Lead Grade NHS AfC: Band 8a Contract 12 months (Fixed Term) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 357-LN-587-26-B

Employer United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site Lincoln County Hospital Town Lincoln Salary £57,528 - £64,750 Per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 16/11/2026 23:59

Days Matter Performance Improvement Lead - 8A

NHS AfC: Band 8a

We recognise that outstanding care can only be delivered through our people. We want to attract people who can help us deliver our vision. We want in return to help people achieve what they wish in their careers in the NHS at ULTH.

We are always keen to welcome highly skilled, committed and compassionate individuals to our hospitals – people who put patients at the heart of everything they do and are ready to help us achieve our vision.

Our Group values guide everything we do. They are:

Compassionate - We care about people - Compassionate is the act of showing empathy, kindness, and respect to others, recognising their individual needs and circumstances. It involves listening, understanding, and supporting others in a way that makes them feel valued, safe, and cared for.

Collaborative - We work together as a team - Collaborative is working inclusively and respectfully with others to achieve shared goals. It involves open communication, valuing diverse perspectives, and building trust to create a supportive and effective team environment.

Innovative - We strive to improve - Innovative is the process of exploring new ideas, approaches, and technologies to improve care, services, and working practices. It involves creativity, curiosity, and a willingness to take risks in a safe and supportive environment.

If you believe in them too, then you are ready to join the ULTH team.

We’ve taken great pride in building working environments where staff always feel valued, cared for and part of a team. Without doubt this is a challenging yet very rewarding job that is at the centre of health and care in Lincolnshire - making a positive difference to our patients.

Our Trust is situated in the beautiful county of Lincolnshire and is one of the biggest acute hospital trusts in England, serving a population of more than 700,000 people. We provide acute and specialist services to people in Lincolnshire and neighbouring counties. We have an annual income of £710 million (22/23) and we employ nearly 8,600 people.

Our Group Board have recently agreed a new vision statement – “Caring and building a healthier future for all” – stating their ambition for our Trust and the wider group to be among the best.

We also have a five year Integrated Improvement Plan setting out how we will achieve our strategic objectives, for patients, services, people and partners, the last recognising that our future success depends on our ability to ensure the Lincolnshire healthcare system is successful in achieving its ambition to help people live healthier lives and provide care closer to where people live.

Our latest CQC report increased our ratings for being effective and well-led from ‘Requires Improvement’ to ‘Good’. Our rating for caring remained as ‘Good’.

This is in recognition of the huge amount of work that our amazing staff have done to improve the quality of care for our patients in recent years.

We are committed to helping our staff balance their work and home lives and ensure they feel supported, valued and appreciated.

So,what is in it for you?

• Flexible working: Depending on the needs of your role, we will consider requests for flexible and/or part-time working for whatever reason you should need it. We recognise flexible working will not look the same for everyone, because it depends on the nature of the role and the needs of the individual.

Types of flexibility could include:

• Part-time - less than 37.5 hours per week.
• Off-site/remote working - working from home or other sites for part or all the week.
• Compressed hours – usually full-time hours but over fewer days or shifts.
• Staggered hours – having different start and finish times.
• Set shift patterns – to allow for predictability
• NHS Pension: A generous and flexible pension scheme with contributions from us as your employer fully protected against inflation and guaranteed by the government
• Annual Leave: Starting at 27 days a year, rising to 33 days after 10 years plus eight bank holidays (for staff covered by Agenda for Change) For Medical Workforce positions (Consultant and Specialty Doctor), the full-time entitlement commences from 32 days per annum. For all other Medical Workforce positions, the full-time entitlement commences from 27 days per annum.
• Bank working: The chance to work extra hours at enhanced rates and we will pay you weekly too, ideal if your income needs a quick boost.

In addition, there ismore.

• Family & Childcare: Including on-site nurseries at Lincoln County Hospital and Pilgrim Hospital Boston, maternity, paternity, adoption & shared parental leave following a set period of employment.
• Health & Wellbeing : including counselling, mental health first aid, physiotherapy, eye tests.
• Learning & Development including Lincolnshire Talent Academy, leadership training, medical education, clinical education, Lincolnshire clinical research
• Financial support and benefits including Cycle2Work, car lease scheme, home electronics. Free on-site parking and free tea and coffee and the ability to save and borrow through your salary.
• Rewards & Recognition including staff awards, long service awards, retirement awards, examples of excellence and staff lottery.

Enjoy a better quality of life in one of the UK’s most welcoming counties. Whether you’re taking the first exciting steps in your career, itching for a new challenge or searching for a better place to raise a family, Lincolnshire welcomes everyone. Discover a range of rewarding health and social care careers in a county that’s friendly, fascinating, affordable and brimming with everything you need to live a happy life.

Job overview

The Days Matter Improvement Lead is a 12-month fixed-term/secondment opportunity responsible for leading and delivering a targeted programme of cancer pathway improvement at United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Working as part of the Cancer Centre team, the post holder will provide senior leadership and programme management expertise to identify, design, implement and evaluate improvement initiatives aimed at reducing delays across cancer pathways and improving compliance with national Cancer Waiting Time standards, including the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), 31-Day and 62-Day standards.

The post holder will work collaboratively with clinical, operational and executive teams to analyse performance, identify pathway bottlenecks and lead service redesign using recognised improvement methodologies. Through effective stakeholder engagement, performance management and transformation approaches, the role will support sustainable improvements in patient experience, clinical outcomes and operational performance.

The role requires the ability to work autonomously, influence senior leaders and manage complex programmes across organisational boundaries. The post holder will establish effective governance arrangements, monitor delivery against agreed objectives and provide assurance through high-quality reporting and evaluation. This role will drive measurable improvements in cancer pathways and support delivery of national, regional and local cancer priorities.

Main duties of the job

Lead delivery of the Days Matter Improvement Programme, supporting cancer pathway performance and compliance with national Cancer Waiting Time standards, including the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), 31-Day and 62-Day standards. Analyse cancer pathways to identify bottlenecks, variation, capacity constraints and opportunities for improvement. Develop, implement and monitor improvement plans to deliver measurable outcomes and benefits.

Work with clinicians, operational teams and senior leaders to design and implement pathway redesign and service improvement initiatives. Apply recognised improvement methodologies, including Lean, Model for Improvement, process mapping and demand and capacity analysis, to improve patient flow and reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment.

Establish and maintain programme governance arrangements, including plans, risk registers, action trackers and performance reporting. Analyse performance data, prepare reports and present findings to Trust, system and regional stakeholders. Facilitate workshops and meetings to support delivery of agreed objectives.

Provide expert advice and support to clinical and operational teams, promoting best practice and evidence-based approaches. Monitor progress against milestones, ensure risks and issues are identified and escalated appropriately, and contribute to programme evaluation and sustainability planning to embed improvements beyond the life of the programme.

Working for our organisation

Lincoln Hospital is a thriving university city and with the opening of the medical school, it provides all major specialties and a 24-hour major accident and emergency service.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has been granted teaching hospital status, after demonstrating evidence to significant teaching commitment. From now on it will be known as United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Pilgrim Hospital is situated in beautiful countryside and serves the communities in the South Lincolnshire area. It provides all major specialties and a 24-hour major accident and emergency service.

Grantham and District Hospital serves the communities of Grantham and the local area. It provides ambulatory paediatric and accident and emergency services.

Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) have come together in a Group arrangement, with the goal of improving the care provided to patients across the county.

This will not constitute a formal merger of the two organisations, but will bring the Trusts together under a single Board and Executive Leadership Team, with the goal of improving the care that is provided to patients both in the community and in hospitals across Lincolnshire. Both Trusts will retain their separate statutory names and legal obligations.

The Group will be known as Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group (LCHG).

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Days Matter Improvement Lead will provide senior leadership and programme management expertise to support the delivery of cancer pathway improvement and sustainable performance against national Cancer Waiting Time standards. The post holder will lead the identification, design, implementation and evaluation of improvement initiatives aimed at reducing delays across cancer pathways and improving compliance with the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS), 31-Day and 62-Day standards.

Working closely with clinical, operational and executive colleagues, the post holder will undertake detailed pathway analysis to identify bottlenecks, unwarranted variation and opportunities for service improvement. They will lead the development and delivery of improvement plans, applying recognised quality improvement and service redesign methodologies to support measurable and sustainable change.

The post holder will establish and maintain effective programme governance arrangements, including programme plans, risk registers, action plans and performance reporting processes. They will analyse complex performance information, monitor progress against agreed objectives and provide assurance through high-quality reports and presentations to Trust and system-wide governance groups.

The role requires significant stakeholder engagement and the ability to influence senior leaders across organisational boundaries. The post holder will facilitate multidisciplinary workshops, support implementation of best practice, and promote collaboration to drive improvement in patient outcomes and experience.

The post holder will also support evaluation of programme outcomes, benefits realisation and sustainability planning, ensuring that improvements are embedded within operational services and maintained beyond the life of the 12-month programme.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience in a relevant field
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Training in service improvement, quality improvement or transformational change methodologies
• Lean, Six Sigma or Quality Improvement qualification
• Management or leadership qualification

Experience

• Experience of cancer services, cancer pathways or cancer performance management
• Experience of influencing senior clinical and operational stakeholders
• Experience of analysing and interpreting complex performance data
• Experience of presenting complex information to senior leadership teams and governance groups
• Significant experience of leading complex service improvement or transformation programmes within the NHS.
• Experience of working across organisational and professional boundaries to deliver improvement.
• Experience of delivering complex improvement or transformation programmes within defined timescales and achieving measurable performance outcomes.
• Experience of regional or system-wide transformation programmes
• Experience of business case development and programme budget management.
• Experience of leading quality improvement initiatives within cancer services.

Knowledge

• Detailed knowledge of NHS performance frameworks.
• Knowledge of Cancer Waiting Time standards and cancer pathways
• Knowledge of programme governance and risk management
• Knowledge of service improvement and transformation methodologies
• Understanding of NHS operational and performance management processes.
• Knowledge of Cancer Alliance arrangements and regional cancer performance
• Knowledge of diagnostic and treatment pathway design.
• Excellent programme and project management skills.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to interpret, analyse and present complex performance information.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills.
• Ability to lead complex change programmes across organisational boundaries.
• Facilitation and workshop leadership skills.
• Advanced data visualisation and reporting skills.

Specific Requirements

• Ability to travel across organisational sites.
• Ability to work independently and prioritise competing demands.
• Professional credibility and confidence to challenge and influence senior stakeholders.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.
• Membership of a relevant professional body.
• Experience of working with NHS England, Cancer Alliances or Integrated Care Boards.

Personal Qualities

• Ability to work in line with and role model Group values.
• Highly motivated and self-directed.
• Resilient and adaptable.
• Collaborative and supportive approach to leadership.
• Commitment to improving patient outcomes and service quality.

ULTH recognises that everyone is different, and values the unique contribution that individual experiences, knowledge and skills make in delivering quality healthcare and becoming a model employer. We are committed to transforming our organisational culture by actively committing to implementing the Trust Single Equality Scheme, and other policies, such as the Dignity in Care policy and the Dignity at Work policy. We will continue to promote equality and challenge discrimination in all service provision, recognising and meeting the needs of the diverse communities we serve. We will strive to provide an environment in which people want to work and to be a model employer leading in good employment practice.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, ULTH reserves the right to close this advert prior to the closing date.

We welcome applications from the UK Armed Forces Community. On the application form please tick “Member of the Armed Forces Community” if the below applies to you.

You are:

• A Veteran
• A Military Reserve
• Partner/Spouse of those Serving NB: partners/spouses are only eligible whilst their partner is serving in the Armed Forces

All new employees will be subject to a charge for the DBS check that is required for the post. The Disclosure & Barring Service application form (formerly CRB) will be provided by ULTH and the fee will be deducted from your salary over a 3 month period.

Candidates are advised to read the attached guidance on using AI technology. When you complete your application, you are required to declare that the information in your application form is true and complete.

Please note, for applicants with previous NHS service: If successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post will require a submission for Disclosure to be made to check for any unspent criminal convictions.