Quality Improvement & Clinical Audit Lead

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust; Manchester; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the United Kingdom is seeking a knowledgeable leader for the role of Quality Improvement & Audit Lead. The successful candidate will lead the Trust's Quality Improvement Plan and play a key role in enhancing patient outcomes. Responsibilities include overseeing quality audits, providing strategic leadership in patient experience, and ensuring alignment with national standards. The Trust values a diverse workforce and promotes equal opportunities across all levels.

Benefits

Diverse and inclusive work environment

Commitment to equal opportunities

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of Quality Improvement methodologies.
• Experience in project management and transformation.
• Ability to negotiate challenging situations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and delivery of the Quality Improvement Plan.
• Provide leadership to the Trust's Quality Improvement Strategy.
• Produce audit reports and dashboards for assurance.

Skills

Quality Improvement methodologies

Project management

Communication

Leadership

Clinical effectiveness

Job description

We are seeking an experienced, knowledgeable, and driven leader for the role of Quality Improvement & Audit Lead at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. The right person will have an ambitious approach to leading the quality improvement and audit programmes to drive the very best patient outcomes and experience. Supporting the Associate Director of Quality Governance, this role will play an important part in continuing to drive forward and provide leadership to the Trust's Quality Improvement Strategy.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, delivery and evaluation of the Trust's Quality Improvement Plan.
• Lead on the Clinical Audit programme in alignment with local and national standards.
• Support the Associate Chief Nurse for Quality & Standards to deliver the aims of the Christie Involvement & Engagement Plan.
• Act as Lead officer, supporting the Chair(s) of Patient Experience Committee and Clinical Research & Effectiveness Committee.
• Day-to-day management of the Quality Improvement & Clinical Audit Team.
• Strengthen organisational capability through the NHS Elect training framework (Levels 1-3).
• Ensure improvements align with Safe, Effective, Experience and PSIRF learning themes.
• Champion a culture of system learning, psychological safety, co-production, and continuous improvement across the Trust.
• Support the Associate Director of Quality Governance in delivering Trust-wide improvement plan.
• Lead the development, implementation and monitoring of the Trust-wide Quality Improvement Programme.
• Provide strategic leadership for the patient experience agenda, embedding co-design and "You Said, We Did" processes.
• Work with senior leaders to embed QI across clinical, operational and corporate services.
• Drive alignment of QI, audit and patient experience within ICS and cancer alliance networks.
• Lead the adoption and implementation of the NHS Model for Improvement across the Trust.
• Provide expert QI coaching using PDSA, driver diagrams, process mapping, measurement for improvement and SPC.
• Lead and expand the QI Faculty, building a strong internal coaching and improvement capability.
• Coordinate delivery of the NHS Elect training programme (Level 1 Intro, Level 2 Practitioner, Level 3 Coach).
• Lead the design and delivery of QI training, workshops and coaching programmes.
• Support PSIRF learning responses, ensuring improvement methodology underpins all action plans.
• Provide methodological oversight of complex Trust-wide improvement programmes (e.g. pathways, safety, governance).
• Lead and modernise the Clinical Audit Programme, ensuring compliance with HQIP standards, NICE, NCAPOP, national and local audit requirements.
• Advise divisions on audit prioritisation, standards selection, methodology and data interpretation.
• Produce quarterly audit dashboards and exception reports for board assurance.
• Oversee the integration of audit outcomes into QI and service improvement cycles.
• Lead the Trust's patient experience strategy, working with Associate Chief Nurse for Quality & Standards on patient and carer involvement, co‑design in QI projects, regular thematic analysis of patient feedback, delivery of FFT requirements, production of "You Said, We Did" improvement outputs and ensuring inclusion, equity and diverse voices inform improvement activity.
• Provide monthly and quarterly QI and Audit performance reports to Divisional and Trust‑wide assurance committees.
• Maintain the QI and Audit dashboard systems, working with CODU.
• Produce the Annual Quality Improvement & Clinical Audit Report.
• Support organisational learning through mentoring, coaching and training.
• Lead the Trust‑wide improvement capability framework linked to the People Strategy.
• Develop the QI and audit team's competencies and succession planning.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, psychological safety and learning.
• Facilitate improvement collaborations, workshops and communities of practice.
• Engage patients, carers and staff in co‑production.
• Represent the Trust at IC S, GM Cancer Alliance or national QI forums.

Qualifications

The successful applicant should demonstrate a solid understanding and evidence of implementation of a range of Quality Improvement methodologies and project/program management experience. The role requires success in delivering Quality Improvement methods and strategies with a solid background in project management and transformation. The candidate should be a subject matter expert on quality improvement, clinical effectiveness and patient experience, a confident communicator who models civility and compassion, resilient, self‑motivated, politically astute, and able to negotiate challenging situations and interactions.

Benefits

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. The Trust welcomes applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. Workplace diversity and inclusion are key to the Trust’s mission to transform the cancer experience for all patients and families.