Site And Capacity Manager (Aw)

NHS Borders; Melrose; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

NHS Borders in Melrose is seeking a Site and Capacity Manager to provide senior operational leadership for patient flow, bed capacity, escalation management and site safety across Borders General Hospital and wider acute services.

The post holder will work with clinical teams, senior nurses, medical staff, Hospital at Home, community services, social work, Scottish Ambulance Service and senior operational leaders to improve patient flow and reduce delays.

Qualifications

• Experienced senior nurse or operational leader seeking impact on patient flow and hospital operations.
• Senior oversight of patient flow, bed capacity, escalation management and site safety.
• Collaborates with clinical teams, nursing, medical staff and system partners.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior operational leadership across Borders General Hospital, including days, nights, weekends and public holidays.
• Lead patient flow and capacity management, maintaining real-time oversight of bed availability, demand, occupancy and escalation risks.
• Coordinate timely admissions, transfers and discharges to optimise flow and reduce delays.
• Support delivery of Emergency Access Standards and effective unscheduled care pathways.
• Coordinate escalation responses during periods of operational pressure, surge capacity activation, business continuity incidents and major incidents.
• Undertake dynamic risk assessments and support timely mitigation of clinical and operational risks.
• Maintain oversight of staffing pressures and support safe workforce deployment across inpatient wards and departments.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and system partners to support whole-system flow and safe patient placement.
• Contribute to governance, incident review, quality improvement and service transformation relating to patient flow and operational performance.

Skills

Senior leadership

Capacity management

Patient flow

Bed capacity

Operational leadership

Job description

Advertised location: Melrose
Advertised salary: Band 7 (£52,845 - £61,466)
Employment type: Permanent

Our Values in Action

• Compassion
• Kindness
• Integrity
• Teamwork
• Excellence

Site and Capacity Manager

Acute & Unscheduled Care | Borders General Hospital

• Contract: Permanent
• Hours: Up to 36 per week
• Band: Band 7
• Pattern: 24/7 rotational

Are you an experienced senior nurse or operational leader looking for an opportunity to make a visible impact on patient flow, clinical safety and hospital operations across NHS Borders?

We are seeking a highly motivated and dynamic Site and Capacity Manager to join the Acute & Unscheduled Care team. This is a key Band 7 operational leadership role providing senior oversight of patient flow, bed capacity, escalation management and site safety across Borders General Hospital and wider acute services.

About the Role

The successful candidate will provide visible operational leadership across the hospital site, supporting safe, effective and timely care through proactive capacity management, escalation and whole-system collaboration. The post holder will work closely with clinical teams, senior nurses, medical staff, Hospital at Home, community services, social work, Scottish Ambulance Service and senior operational leaders.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide senior operational leadership across Borders General Hospital, including days, nights, weekends and public holidays.
• Lead patient flow and capacity management, maintaining real-time oversight of bed availability, demand, occupancy and escalation risks.
• Coordinate timely admissions, transfers and discharges to optimise flow and reduce delays.
• Support delivery of Emergency Access Standards and effective unscheduled care pathways.
• Coordinate escalation responses during periods of operational pressure, surge capacity activation, business continuity incidents and major incidents.
• Undertake dynamic risk assessments and support timely mitigation of clinical and operational risks.
• Maintain oversight of staffing pressures and support safe workforce deployment across inpatient wards and departments.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and system partners to support whole-system flow and safe patient placement.
• Contribute to governance, incident review, quality improvement and service transformation relating to patient flow and operational performance.

What We Are Looking For / Why Join Us?

• A visible and influential role supporting clinical safety across the BGH site.
• Opportunity to improve patient flow, reduce delays and support safe discharge planning.
• A key leadership role in strengthening escalation management, organisational resilience and operational decision-making.
• Involvement in service improvement, workforce development and whole-system transformation.
• A supportive Acute & Unscheduled Care team committed to compassionate leadership, accountability and continuous improvement.

Additional Information

• Permanent contract.
• Up to 36 hours per week.
• Rotational working pattern covering days, nights, weekends and public holidays.
• Participation in operational, escalation and site management arrangements will be required.
• Enhanced organisational induction and leadership development opportunities will be supported.

Contact the Recruitment Team

• Diane Keddie, Deputy General Manager – Acute & Unscheduled Care, Borders General Hospital – [e-mail]
• Jamie Bryson Site Manager/Team Lead Acute & Unscheduled Care, Borders General Hospital – [e-mail]

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.

As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here.

For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licenced Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found here.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your application—but your answers must be your own.

• Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience, and motivations authentically.
• Use AI wisely: It’s fine to use AI for ideas or to check spelling and grammar, but don’t let it write your answers.
• Why this matters: Applications that rely on AI-generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.

Tip: Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand you—not an AI tool.