Lead Practitioner

UHDB; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust in Derby is recruiting for a Band 7 Lead Practitioner to join the Surgical Theatre Suite at Royal Derby Hospital. You will lead a multidisciplinary team, shape clinical delivery and drive service improvement across multiple theatres.

The post requires senior leadership, excellent communication and organisational skills, and the ability to manage budgets and ensure compliance with national standards to deliver high-quality patient care.

Qualifications

• Experience leading surgical theatre teams.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to develop and implement service improvements.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and operational oversight of the Surgical Theatre Suite.
• Manage departmental budget and financial governance.
• Ensure compliance with national standards and audit requirements.
• Drive innovation and efficiency in theatre utilisation.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Organisational skills

Interpersonal skills

Job description

Main area Theatres Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Days and nights) Job ref 320-SURG-1487

Site Royal Derby Hospital Town Derby Salary £49,387 - £56,515 pa Salary period Yearly Closing 15/10/2026 23:59 Interview date 29/10/2026

As a trusted organisation at the heart of our communities, we recognise the important role we can play in supporting the public, patients, our own people and local partners in achieving the best of health for the local population and the communities in which they live by providing Exceptional Care Together.

Our fundamental Values of Compassion, Openness and Excellence underpin how we intend to work as a Trust and the associated behaviours are becoming embedded in all aspects of how we work.

With over 14,000 members of staff you can expect huge variety and new opportunities every day! Our staff go above and beyond and take pride in caring for our patients.

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust is fully committed to promoting inclusion, equality, diversity and human rights in employment and delivery of its services. The Trust is committed to providing an environment where all employees, patients, carers and visitors experience equality of opportunity by means of understanding and appreciating the value of diversity.

As a Trust we promote an inclusive environment and welcome applications from a diverse pool of talent and backgrounds. All individuals are valued and given every opportunity to succeed based on merit.

The Trust actively encourages applications from members of our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. These groups are under-represented in our organisation, and it’s important to us that our workforce reflects the diversity of our communities as much as possible.

Armed Forces and Disability Confident guaranteed interview scheme

To further support the pledges in the Armed Forces Covenant and to make a positive contribution to support ex-armed forces personnel (veterans) make the transition to civilian life, the Trust has introduced a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for veterans who meets the essential criteria set out in the person specification, to help them overcome barriers to find civilian employment. The scheme will operate for all external recruitment.

The Trust is a Disability Confident Employer and committed to both employing and retaining people with disabilities. This commitment is to guarantee an interview for any candidate that has disclosed a disability under the Equality Act 2010 and who meets the essential criteria set out in the person specification. Reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 will be considered upon request.

if you are blind or visually impaired and require application material in an alternative format- such as Braille, large print, audio or accessible electronic formats oryou require support/adjustments with your application please contact the recruitment team on 01332 788466

The Trust is proud to be a signatory of the Care Leavers Covenant and is committed to supporting care-experienced people into employment.

Applicants who identify as a care leaver and who meet the essential criteria for the role, as detailed in the person specification, will be guaranteed an interview.

Join us and help make a real difference to our Trust.

Here’s more about the role and what we’re looking for;

Job overview

We are delighted to offer an exciting Band 7 Lead Practitioner opportunity within the Surgical Theatre Suite at Royal Derby Hospital. We are seeking a professional and experienced individual to support the development and delivery of our surgical theatre service.

Our Surgical Theatre Suite provides care across a range of specialties, including ENT, OMF, Vascular Surgery, Bariatric Surgery, Urology, Colorectal Surgery, Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery and Emergency Surgery.

The successful candidate will play a key leadership role within the multidisciplinary team, contributing clinically and operationally. The department comprises 10 theatres, including a state-of-the-art Vascular/Radiology Hybrid Theatre, a dedicated Robotic Theatre and a 24-hour emergency service.

Applicants should possess experience within a surgical theatre environment and demonstrate excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills. As a senior leader, you will provide visible and enthusiastic leadership, fostering a positive team culture while driving high standards of patient care, safety and service delivery.

You will have the ability to inspire and lead theatre teams, support staff development, manage challenges effectively and contribute to the strategic development of the service. This is an excellent opportunity for a forward-thinking practitioner seeking to further develop their leadership career within a progressive theatre environment.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work in partnership with the Theatre Manager to provide effective leadership, operational management and professional oversight of the Surgical Theatre Suite, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care.

The role will involve managing operational demands, resolving service issues and working with multidisciplinary teams to optimise theatre utilisation and service efficiency. The successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to innovation and continuous improvement, with enthusiasm for driving the ongoing development of the Surgical Theatre service.

The post holder will be responsible for departmental budget management, working closely with the Finance Team to ensure effective financial governance.

A key aspect of the role will be ensuring compliance with national standards, Trust policies, infection prevention measures, quality assurance frameworks and audit requirements. Through the analysis of audit findings, performance metrics and quality indicators, the successful candidate will lead the implementation of evidence-based improvements, ensuring practice is embedded and sustained.

The successful candidate will provide