Emergency Department Matron

Medway Nhs Foundation Trust; Gillingham; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Medway NHS Foundation Trust in Kent is seeking an Emergency Department Matron to provide strategic nursing leadership in a busy ED, supporting Band 7 senior nurses and overseeing day-to-day management and operational delivery.

The Matron will champion patient safety, experience, and clinical governance within an Acute and Emergency Medicine division, driving service improvement and workforce development in line with NHS standards.

Qualifications

• First level registered nurse with broad clinical specialist experience.
• Post-graduate specialist qualification in Nursing.
• Masters level qualification or working towards.

Responsibilities

• Lead clinical leadership in the Emergency Department to support Senior Charge Nurses.
• Promote patient safety, infection prevention and high-quality care.
• Contribute to divisional service development and nursing initiatives.

Job description

Job summary
Emergency Department Matron
Division: Medicine & Emergency Care
Care Group: Acute & Emergency Medicine
Band: 8a
Salary: £57,528 - £64,750 per annum/pro rata
Interview Date: Week commencing 26th October 2026
Please note sponsorship is currently unavailable
We are recruiting for an Emergency Department Matron who shares our ambition and vision to deliver the Best of Care by the Best People and has the drive to take us forward, by ensuring that the Trust continues to be the first choice for patients and our staff.
We are looking for a dynamic leader with a solid foundation in leadership within the acute and emergency speciality.
The successful applicant will support an experienced team of Band 7 senior nurses and will be central to the day-to-day management and operational responsibilities of our department and the wider Trust.
Main duties of the job
Key responsibilities as identified by NHSE:

• Inclusive leadership, professional standards and accountability
• Governance, patient safety and quality
• Workforce planning and resource management
• Patient experience and reducing health inequalities
• Performance and operational oversight
• Digital and information technology
• Education, training and development
• Research and development
• Collaborative working and clinical effectiveness
• Service improvement and transformation

Our values are Bold, Every Person Counts, Sharing and Open and Together. It is important that you understand and to refer to our values when completing your application and always reflect our values throughout your employment with the Trust.
We are committed to endorsing diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion; our policies / procedures ensure that all applicants are treated fairly at every stage of the recruitment process.
About us
Do you have the ambition and vision to deliver our mission of the Best of Care by the Best of People providing excellent care, every time?
Here at Medway, we pride ourselves on working together as one to ensure that our shared vision is achieved for our patients.
As a key partner in the healthcare of our local population, we are keen to deliver this as an outcome of our Trust-wide strategy - Patient First. Using an Operational Excellence approach to align our priorities and operational management structures, we are just over a year and half into our Patient First deployment. We are looking for creative, skilled people to join our team and further support us on this journey.
Our culture and values define us here at Medway NHS Foundation Trust and are the heartbeat of who we are as an organisation.
Our BEST values underpin Patient First and are at the core of the care we give to our patients, the support we offer to our staff and our overall leadership approach:
B - Bold
E - Every person counts
S - Sharing and open
T - Together
Our Trust is a great choice for people who want to develop their career in an ambitious and dynamic environment; our employees are able to choose the coverage and supplemental benefits that best fit their needs and those of their families. This includes the promotion of flexible working opportunities across the Trust.

Details
Date posted
15 September 2026
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 8a
Salary
£57,528 to £64,750 a year
per annum/pro rata
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time,
Part-time
Reference number
275-26090MATRON-ED-1
Job locations
Medway Hospital
Windmill Road
Gillingham
ME7 5NY
United Kingdom

Job description
Job responsibilities
Through effective and demonstrable clinical leadership, the Matron will facilitate the Emergency Department Senior Charge Nurses to deliver excellence in nursing practices and continually improve the patient experience. The post holder will ensure that all patients are treated with compassion, dignity and respect placing value on the diversity of the local community and beyond.
The Matron will promote best practice in the prevention of infection through ensuring a clean and safe environment. The Matrons key responsibility is to ensure that the patient experience is of the highest quality inspiring patient and public confidence. This will be achieved through high visibility, accessibility and surveillance.
In collaboration with the Chief Nurse, Divisional Director of Nursing and Nursing Lead and the other senior nurses, the post holder will be closely involved in the planning and implementation of nursing initiatives and patient pathways throughout the division. He / she will be expected to contribute to the divisional service development strategy.
Please refer to the job description for further responsibilities.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• First level registered nurse. Broad clinical specialist experience
• Recognised post-graduate specialist qualification in Nursing
• Evidence of a Masters level qualification or working towards.
• Knowledge and experience of standard setting, benchmarking & audit.
• Extensive knowledge of speciality and key priorities
• Proficient to expert knowledge of speciality
• A minimum of 12 months' experience at Band 7 or above within an Emergency Department, or experience working as a Matron within an acute clinical area
• Extensive knowledge of speciality and key priorities
• Proficient to expert knowledge of speciality
• Organisation and management skills
• Teaching & facilitating others
• Articulate advanced written & oral communication skills

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Medway NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Medway Hospital
Windmill Road
Gillingham
ME7 5NY
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.medway.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
Employer contact details
Head of Nursing Acute and Emergency Medicine
Anna Antwi
[e-mail]
01634975965