Deputy General Manager - Outpatient Booking

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust; London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust seeks a Deputy General Manager to lead its Patient Services Centre. This strategic role involves overseeing outpatient functions, leading a large administrative team, and improving patient access. Successful candidates will have strong NHS operational leadership experience and a passion for patient-centered care.

Benefits

Career development opportunities

Flexible working options

Staff recognition scheme

Membership options for onsite leisure facilities

Qualifications

• Strong NHS operational leadership experience.
• Proven ability to manage complex change programmes.
• Experience of managing a large administrative team in NHS services.

Responsibilities

• Lead modernisation of outpatient booking and contact centre operations.
• Design and implement KPIs and training programmes.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to improve patient access and experience.

Skills

Operational excellence

Customer Service Excellence

Team Building

Lean/Six Sigma

Complaint Investigation

Education

Relevant first degree

Management qualification at postgraduate level

Continuous improvement skills course

Job description

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

Fulfil your potential in hospitals that make history:

Charing Cross, Hammersmith, St Mary's, Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea and Western Eye.

With five world-renowned hospitals, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is full of opportunity if you are looking to develop your healthcare career.

We are an NHS Trust of approximately 16,000 people, providing care for over a million and a half patients from north west London and beyond every year.

We have a rich heritage and an ambitious vision for the future of our patients and local communities.

With our partners, Imperial College London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, we form Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre, one of 6 academic health science centres in the UK, working to ensure the rapid translation of research for better patient care and excellence in education.

We are proud of our heritage in innovation and we are early adopters of new insights in technologies, techniques and treatments for improving health.

Job overview

We are seeking a strategic and driven Deputy General Manager to lead our Patient Services Centre (PSC) at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for overseeing all outpatient booking functions, internal and external referrals, and our outpatient call centre.

You will lead a large administrative workforce and be accountable for operational performance, digital transformation, and quality assurance across the PSC.

The post-holder will be expected to modernise booking systems, optimise workflows, and implement clear KPIs, audit structures, and staff training programmes to ensure efficient and patient-centred services. You will work closely with clinical, digital, operational, and corporate colleagues to align service delivery with Trust strategy, national access standards, and patient experience goals.

This role is ideal for someone with strong NHS operational leadership experience, a proven ability to lead complex change programmes, and a passion for improving patient access through data-driven service design.

If you are ready to lead one of the most ambitious outpatient access programmes in the country and make a measurable difference to how patients experience care, we want to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

• Lead and modernise a large-scale booking and contact centre operation with over 50+ WTE staff.
• Oversee call centre, internal/external referrals, office management and digital booking systems.
• Design and implement robust KPIs, quality frameworks, and training programmes.
• Collaborate with clinical, operational, and digital stakeholders to improve access and experience.
• Deliver cost reduction programmes while maintaining excellence in service quality.
• Lead HR processes and performance management with fairness, clarity, and confidence.

Working for our organisation

At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care.

Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You'll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career.

Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to Work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities.

We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part time or job share. Please talk to us at interview.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required.
For both overviews please view the Job Description attachment with the job advert.

Person specification

EDUCATION

Essential criteria

• Relevant first degree
• Recognised management qualification at postgraduate level and/or experience
• Completion of a continuous improvement skills course, e.g. Lean Six Sigma

Desirable criteria

• Relevant postgraduate qualification

EXPERIENCE

Essential criteria

• Senior services level management experience
• Experience of managing a large administrative team within NHS (WTE 50+) with complex, high volume, front and back office support
• Experience in managing complex HR workload within NHS services. Managing and deciding on complex employment issues including handling grievances and disciplinary issues
• Experience of writing complex business cases and project plans with evidence of delivery

Desirable criteria

• At least 2 years' experience in managing NHS services
• Experience in setting up new NHS service
• Experience of operational and staff management in the NHS

SKILLS / ABILITIES

Essential criteria

• Expert in the skills and disciplines of operational excellence including demand and capacity management, lean/continuous improvement methods and practices, development of the quality and audit framework
• Passionate about Delivering Excellence in Customer Service & Satisfaction to internal and external customers
• Leads and Promotes Excellence in People, Processes & Technologies Strong Team Builder & Promoter of Teamwork
• Ability to co-ordinate and investigate complaints, including experience of dealing with distressed patients / relatives / staff.

Please ensure you check your emails regularly as this is how we will communicate with you throughout the recruitment process. If you are shortlisted you will be contacted by email and text message (if you provide a mobile contact number).

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

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.

Documents to download

• Job Description (PDF, 413.0KB)
• Functional Requirements Form (PDF, 272.6KB)
• Our Strategy 2023-25 (PDF, 230.4KB)