Programme Head, Community Diagnostic Centres, Dorset

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust; Bournemouth; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional health trust in Dorset is looking for a Programme Head to lead the development of Community Diagnostic Centres. The role involves strategic leadership, service transformation, and stakeholder collaboration to improve diagnostic services across the region. Candidates should have strong communication, operational, and improvement skills. This is a pivotal position for enhancing patient care and optimizing resources.

Qualifications

• Experience in leading major service transformation.
• Ability to develop local strategies aligned with broader plans.
• Commitment to Trust values and high-quality care.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Community Diagnostic Centres programme in Dorset.
• Drive innovation and improvement in diagnostic services.
• Engage diverse stakeholders to deliver service changes.

Skills

Exceptional communication skills

Operational improvement skills

Ability to influence and coordinate

Job description

Overview

Are you looking for a new challenge? An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and dynamic person to be a pivotal part of developing and expanding diagnostic services across Dorset. We are looking for someone to take on the Programme Head role for the Dorset wide Community Diagnostic Centres (CDC) Programme.

The post holder will lead the continuation and future development of the CDC programme, working closely with executive teams, clinicians, operational managers and other stakeholders across the Dorset system and partner organisations to develop and deliver complex service change reflecting national CDC guidance, and national and local strategies.

This is a high-impact role requiring exceptional communication, operational, and improvement skills, with the ability to influence, coordinate and implement change at pace. The post also recognises the increasing need to enable new models of care and support cross-site service realignment in a dynamic, agile environment.

Base Location: Poole Hospital, working across Dorset as required and working from home.

Interview Date: 17th October 2025

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for the Dorset Community Diagnostic Centres programme and lead the transformation of services within the CDC portfolio across Dorset as agreed through relevant board(s).
• Lead the development of local strategies relevant to the CDC portfolio, using local and national material to understand needs and engage with stakeholders.
• Collaborate with System, Trusts, independent sector colleagues and other stakeholders across the Dorset system and partner organisations to develop and deliver service changes that reflect an agreed target operating model and national and local strategies, supporting efficiency, demand management and improved outcomes.
• Provide leadership to support teams in developing services for the Dorset system within the context of national programmes and local plans, ensuring stakeholder engagement in the programme.
• Act as a visible and influential change champion for Dorset, delivering the CDC programme as it develops, driving innovation, improvement and consistency, and increasing access to diagnostics across the county.

Qualifications and Attributes

• Exceptional communication, operational and improvement skills, with the ability to influence, coordinate and implement change at pace.
• Experience in leading major service transformation and cross-site realignment in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to develop local strategies aligned with system-wide plans and engage diverse stakeholders.
• Commitment to the Trusts’ values and to delivering high-quality care.

Our values define who we are as #TeamUHD. They underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients, visitors, and each other, our valued teammates and colleagues.

UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme.

This is an exciting time to join our hospitals in Dorset. We are in line to receive a significant national investment of £147 million to help transform our services and redevelop Poole Hospital and the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals, now merged as University Hospitals Dorset. We have been able to access these national funds because we have such a good plan in Dorset.

Our vision is to join up our services so they can be delivered in a more integrated way. We have a great opportunity to improve outcomes for patients, make better use of resources, and ensure our services can be provided on a sustainable basis. For developing our workforce, the aim is to establish modern, well-equipped centres of excellence with sustainable roles for staff, standardisation of education and training so that we can attract and retain skilled clinical and non-clinical staff to Dorset. This is a great opportunity for you to be part of the transformation as our two hospital trusts also merge.

To understand the role in more detail please read the full job description and person specification documents which are attached to this advert.

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