Head of Healthcare | Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust; Bristol; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider is seeking a Head of Healthcare for HMP Bristol. This role involves leading the operational management of healthcare services, ensuring high-quality patient-centered care, and managing a multidisciplinary team. Candidates must possess strong clinical knowledge and leadership skills, alongside being willing to undergo National Security Vetting. The position also requires ensuring effective clinical governance and building resilient partnerships with stakeholders to enhance health outcomes.

Qualifications

• Must undertake National Security Vetting for working in a prison setting.
• Experience in managing multi-disciplinary teams in healthcare.
• Strong understanding of clinical governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational management of healthcare services at HMP Bristol.
• Oversee multi-disciplinary team providing patient-centered care.
• Ensure effective clinical governance and participate in contract monitoring.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical knowledge

Decision-making

Effective partnership working

Organizational skills

Education

Proof of right to work documentation

Proof of ID, including one photographic ID

Job description

Overview

We are currently recruiting for a Head of Healthcare at HMP Bristol. This is an exciting opportunity to blend your clinical knowledge, leadership skills and commitment to delivering high standards of care in an extremely rewarding environment.

Important Sponsorship Information for this post: We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post.

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We’re Kind
• We’re Fair
• We Listen
• We Care
• Provide direction and co‑ordination in conjunction with Heads of Departments and relevant managers in shaping and implementing the future provision, quality and performance of services provided.

Responsibilities

You will be responsible for the leadership and operational management of the healthcare service at HMP Bristol, working closely with the Regional Manager, peer Heads of Healthcare, HMP Bristol Healthcare teams, sub‑contractors and HMPPS colleagues, and regularly linking with key stakeholders including commissioners, prison governors and the Independent Monitoring Board.

Within this role, you will oversee and manage a multi‑disciplinary team that includes but is not limited to primary care, substance misuse services, mental health, psychology, psychiatry, administration and GP services.

You will support the leadership team within HMP Bristol to provide safe, effective, high‑quality care; leading and encouraging effective partnership and multidisciplinary working to provide responsive and patient‑centred care.

You will ensure that effective clinical governance is in place, including organising and chairing local Quality Management and HMPPS Local Delivery and Quality Boards meetings, participating in regional management meetings, contract monitoring activity and financial reviews, and liaising with data analysts and quality management colleagues to ensure that all relevant reporting requirements are fulfilled.

You will be required to lead and empower others and demonstrate the ability to plan and implement an innovative practice over a 24/7 healthcare service.

• The post holder will exercise a high degree of personal and professional autonomy and can plan and reach complex and critical judgments and have decision‑making skills to satisfy the expectations of the role.
• To foster and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders including HMPPS senior management team, Governors, staff, NHSE commissioners and sub‑contractors.
• Deputise for the Regional Manager as required.
• To strategically develop, deliver, clinically audit and evaluate the Integrated Healthcare Service for the prison, including acute & primary care, long‑term conditions management, enhanced assessment and diagnostic intervention services and health promotion activities in line with the NHS Plan, public health indicators and National Service Frameworks.

Qualifications & Requirements

All applicants must be willing to undertake National Security Vetting in order to work in a Prison Setting. This will be completed as part of the pre‑employment checks through Oxleas and the prison vetting team.

You will need to provide:

• Proof of right to work documentation
• Proof of ID, including one photographic ID
• Proof of address documentation
• Non‑UK passport holders must have correct documentation (right to work in the UK) and a Home Office Share code.
• Five years of UK address history.
• Applicants that are not UK passport holders who provide less than five years UK address history must provide a Police Certificate in English from the country of residence.
• Applicants who are UK passport holders and have lived abroad for more than six months during the last three years must provide a certificate of good conduct or an overseas police check in English from the countries resided in or visited.
• Information for obtaining a Police Certificate is available from the UK government website and the foreign embassy or high commission of the country.

Important Information

IMPORTANT INFORMATION, PLEASE READ: All applicants must be willing to undertake National Security Vetting in order to work in a Prison Setting. This will be completed as part of the pre‑employment checks through Oxleas and the prison vetting team.

This advert closes on Monday 19 Jan 2026.