General Manager – General Surgery & Services

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust; Aylesbury; On-site; GBP 67,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is seeking a General Manager for General Surgery and Central Services at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury. The role includes operational management, service development, and leading improvement projects across General Surgery and Centralised Services.

The post holder will report to the Head of Operations, with accountability for performance, quality standards, and patient experience. Flexibility and strategic leadership are essential.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree level or equivalent.
• Recognised leadership and/or management qualification or equivalent experience.
• Significant experience of general or service management at senior level with improvements in service standards and patient experience.
• Experience of budget management and cost improvement plans.
• Experience of involving patients and the public in service improvement and development.

Responsibilities

• Develop local delivery plans aligned with annual planning and corporate objectives.
• Plan and manage projects to modernise services and improve facilities and working practices.
• Ensure strong financial performance and take corrective action when needed.
• Ensure effective communication systems across SDUs and other areas for safe, effective care.
• Oversee day-to-day operational management of defined service areas and report to the Head of Operations.
• Lead on delivering change to improve patient experience and service delivery.

Skills

Communication

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Reporting

Staff engagement

Education

Master's degree

Leadership qualification

Job description

General Manager – General Surgery & Services

Band 8b

Main area General Surgery and Central Services Grade Band 8b Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time
• Job share
• Flexible working
• Other

37.5 hours per week (The Trust supports Flexible working, all requests will be considered.) Job ref 434-SCC8229549

Site Stoke Mandeville Hospital Town Aylesbury Salary £66,582 - £77,368 Per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 06/09/2026 23:59

Be part of our BHT family

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) is an integrated provider of acute hospital and community services for people living in Buckinghamshire and the surrounding area.

We care for over half a million patients every year:

• Provide specialist spinal services at our world renowned National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, the birthplace of the Paralympics
• Nationally recognised for urology and skin cancer services
• Regional specialist centre for burns, plastic surgery, dermatology, stroke and cardiac services
• Deliver community services in health centres, schools, patients’ own homes, community hospitals and community hubs.

More than 6,500 people from different nations, cultures and backgrounds work for us.

We would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options. We strive to be a family friendly, inclusive employer.

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work and invite you to join our BHT family.

Job overview

The General Manager will have responsibility for the operational management and business development of the following service/ portfolio areas:

General Surgery (includes the Vascular, colorectal and breast services alongside core services)

Centralised / Core Services (includes Pre-Operative Service, business & activity planning support)

The post-holder will assist the Director of Operations, CDU Leads and senior nurses by providing efficient and effective operational and general service management in each area, ensuring that services are responsive, innovative and provided to the highest possible clinical and performance standards. They will also take forward projects to improve service delivery and patient experience in key areas, and lead on ensuring that all performance and quality targets are met.

Main duties of the job

Develop and implement local delivery plans that will meet service needs and contribute to the annual planning process of the Trust in line with agreed corporate objectives and priorities.

Plan and manage the implementation of projects to modernise services and to improve facilities and working practices to meet organisational and service delivery plans.

Ensure strong financial service performance against plans through identificationofproblems at an early stage and the initiation of corrective action.

Ensure effective communication systems are in place throughout the SDUs in portfolio, and between and across other relevant service areas, where relationships are key to the delivery of safe and effective care to patients

Be responsible for the day-to-day efficient and effective operational management of the defined service areas, reporting to the Headof Operations in all matters affecting the delivery of core services.

Ensure that clinical teams within the CDUs respond to operational issues on a day-to-day basis, and ensure issues are swiftly resolved.

Develop and implement longer-term solutions to issues raised. These will include complex approaches requiring the support and agreement of large teams of people and management of projects that deliver change

For full list of duties, please refer to Job Description

What does Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust offer you?

• As part of our BHT family, you’ll benefit from learning and development opportunities to support your career progression.
• We offer flexible and agile working opportunities, alongside your NHS benefits of generous annual leave entitlement, pension and access to NHS discount schemes.
• We provide a range of health and wellbeing services to promote a healthy, happy workforce.

Why work for us?

• We are committed to promoting inclusion and making sure all colleagues feel they belong. We encourage new colleagues from a diverse range of backgrounds to apply.
• As an employer, we aim to create a workplace where differences are valued and colleagues treat one another with dignity and respect.
• Greater diversity within our BHT family improves positive outcomes for the people and

What do we stand for?

• Our vision is to provide outstanding care, support healthy communities and be a great place to work.
• Our mission is to provide personal and compassionate care every time.
• Our CARE values are collaborate, aspire, respect and enable.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For a comprehensive list of responsibilities and duties, please kindly refer to the Job Description and Person Specification by downloading the JD and PS attachment in the advert.

If you are an internal applicant there is the option for secondment, all applicants must have the endorsement/support of their line manager prior to application.

Person specification

EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING:

• Educated to Master’s degree level or equivalent
• Recognised leadership and/or management qualification or equivalent experience

EXPERIENCE

• Significant experience of general or service management of clinical services at senior level, including a track record of Achieving improvements in service standards and patient experience, Ensuring that services meet local and national performance and quality standards, Developing innovative and lasting solutions to problems and difficulties
• Experience of staff management and team development
• Achieving improvements in service standards and patient experience
• Ensuring that services meet local and national performance and quality standards
• Developing innovative and lasting solutions to problems and difficulties Experience of budget management and effectively using resources
• Experience of designing and delivering cost improvement plans and related efficiencies
• Experience of involving patients and the public in service improvement and development
• Experience of budget management and effectively using resources

SKILLS, ABILITIES & KNOWLEDGE

• Highly effective verbal and written communication to facilitate effective working with clinical staff, patients and carers, and work colleagues
• Ability to analyse and interpret complex and varied information in order to identify issues and develop solutions
• Ability to produce high quality management reports / business cases and present these to senior audiences
• Effective leadership skills, including the ability to set direction and strategy in conjunction with others, and to lead / motivate staff
• Understanding of the importance of staff engagement and effective human resource practice

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

• Willing and able to travel between sites and elsewhere, as required by the post

PPE requirements: Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust requires all colleagues to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with our infection prevention and control procedures.

Flu vaccinations remain the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the viruses when working in our healthcare settings. We encourage our staff to be vaccinated when recommended.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Name Daniel Mellett Job title Head of Operations Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 07867442059 Additional information Informal visits are encouraged and can be arranged via: [e-mail]