UEC & Flow Commissioning Director

NHS Kent & Medway; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The UEC & Flow Commissioning Director will provide senior strategic leadership for the design, commissioning and delivery of an integrated urgent and emergency care pathway across Kent and Medway.

You will lead the transition from commissioning a collection of individual services to commissioning a coordinated pathway focused on preventing avoidable emergency department attendance and hospital admission, improving flow and ensuring residents receive the right care in the right setting first

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of the urgent and emergency care elements of the ICB's five-year strategy, commissioning intentions and planning processes.
• Lead the multidisciplinary team responsible for UEC and flow commissioning, ensuring population needs are met through the strategic framework.
• Own and lead strategic relationships with local government partners on the social care interface, delivering a joint commissioning strategy for UEC and flow.
• Lead the 2026/27 review of urgent treatment centres to clarify their future role within the integrated pathway.
• Commission and mobilise an integrated Kent and Medway Single Point of Access and Clinical Assessment Service.
• Rebalance commissioned activity away from emergency departments by strengthening neighbourhood health and community services.
• Hold and manage the budget and contracts for UEC and Flow services, ensuring value for money and provider performance.

Job description

The UEC & Flow Commissioning Director

The UEC & Flow Commissioning Director will provide senior strategic leadership for the design, commissioning and delivery of an integrated urgent and emergency care pathway across Kent and Medway.

You will lead the transition from commissioning a collection of individual services to commissioning a coordinated pathway focused on preventing avoidable emergency department attendance and hospital admission, improving flow and ensuring residents receive the right care in the right setting first time.

The Director will lead the UEC and Flow Commissioning Multidisciplinary Team, shape system-wide relationships with local government and NHS partners, and ensure services are safe, effective, financially sustainable and aligned with statutory duties, national policy and local population need, including the needs of children.

As a senior leader within the ICB, the post holder will deputise for the Deputy Chief Commissioning Officer and Chief Commissioning Officer as required.

• Lead the development and delivery of the urgent and emergency care elements of the ICB's five-year strategy, commissioning intentions and planning processes, including implementation of the integrated pathway commissioning model.
• Lead the multi disciplinary team responsible for UEC and flow commissioning, ensuring population needs are met through delivery against the strategic commissioning framework and commissioning policies (including for children).
• Own and lead strategic relationships with local government partners on the social care interface, shaping and delivering a joint commissioning strategy for UEC and flow.
• Lead the 2026/27 review of urgent treatment centres to clarify their future role within the integrated pathway and ensure that provision is targeted to genuinely urgent presentations and population need.
• Commission and mobilise, an integrated Kent and Medway Single Point of Access and Clinical Assessment Service providing clinically led assessment, navigation and coordination across urgent care services.
• Rebalance commissioned activity away from emergency departments, wherever clinically appropriate, by strengthening neighbourhood health, multi-neighbourhood care, community services (UCR and Virtual Ward) and proactive management of high-intensity users.
• Hold and manage the budget and contracts for UEC and Flow services, ensuring PSR compliance, value for money and effective provider performance management.

• Our ability to improve outcomes for our population depends on how effectively clinical, operational, financial and strategic professionals work together to make informed commissioning decisions. That's why our workforce works a minimum of two days-a-week on-site, with the expectation that all one-to-ones are held face-to-face and that colleagues will regularly visit the services we are commissioning to understand more about them.
• We believe regular on-site working supports stronger collaboration, faster problem-solving, peer learning, visible leadership and the integration of colleagues into our organisation. We also know that culture is built through shared experiences and day-to-day interactions.
• We are a flexible working friendly organisation; we aim to support you to work flexibly in a way that will suit you and us.
• We work with staff to agree objectives through regular supervision, annual appraisal and access to training opportunities.

We are committed to a culture that supports all staff at NHS Kent and Medway to be the best version of themselves.

We are committed to equal opportunities and diversity. In order to reflect the diversity of our population, we positively encourage applications from all areas of the community regardless of gender, race, faith, disability, age or sexual orientation.

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Mandy Cordwell Job title: Executive Assistant Email address: [e-mail]