Barts Health is seeking an exceptional senior Registered Mental Health Nurse to join the Chief Nurse’s team as Group Director of Mental Health Nursing, initially on a six-month fixed-term contract, providing strategic and professional leadership for mental health and enhanced care across our hospitals.
Reporting to the Deputy Chief Nurse and working in a matrix with Hospital Directors of Nursing and the broader multidisciplinary teams, the immediate priority will be to lead the design, delivery and evaluation of the Acute Enhanced Care Framework pilot at the Royal London Hospital. The role will drive implementation, establish consistent standards and assess impact, providing clear assurance to executive and Board committees on progress, outcomes and risk.
Working closely with clinical teams, mental health providers, system partners, patients and carers will be central to delivering meaningful improvements in quality, safety, equity and patient experience.
This is a unique opportunity to lead change at scale, generate evidence and learning from the pilot, and use this to shape a clear and sustainable forward plan for mental health and enhanced care across Barts Health
Main duties of the job
Drawing on your professional expertise and ability to influence across organisational boundaries, you will provide visible, compassionate and inclusive leadership, role-modelling the Barts Health WeCare values throughout your work.
Key responsibilities include:o Leading implementation and evaluation of the Acute Enhanced Care Framework pilot, with clear measures of impact, robust governance and effective management of risks and issues.o Providing expert professional leadership and advice on mental health nursing, patient safety, quality improvement and clinical governance.o Providing high-quality assurance to executive and Board committees on delivery, outcomes, risks and recovery actions.o Building strong partnerships across acute and mental health services, engaging clinical teams, system partners, patients and carers.o Driving productivity, value and effective use of resources to support a safe and sustainable model of care.o Translating strategy into delivery and leading complex change through sound judgement and collaborative working.o Using evidence, data and learning from the pilot to shape a credible and sustainable forward plan for mental health and enhanced care across Barts Health.
About us
Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain’s leading healthcare providers.
Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.
We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are underrepresented within Barts Health at this band.
Job responsibilities
We are dedicated to being an outstanding place to work and will work with you to get the best experience. We know flexible working is not a one size fits all and will mean something different to everyone. We are inclusive, so if you are interested in flexible working, please speak to the recruiting manager.
The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.
Contact details :Vanessa Saunders- Director of Nursing for Workforce and Professional Standards,vanessa.saunders@nhs.net
Shortlisting will commence on the 16th November and the stakeholder and Interview will be Tuesday 24th November 2026
Person Specification
Experience
- oSubstantial senior nursing leadership experience in complex healthcare settings
- oExperience of partnership working across acute, mental health and wider system services.
- oFormal assurance to executive and Board-level committees, including accountability for recovery action
- oExperience of leading a group-wide, trust-wide or system-wide pilot
Skills
- oAbility to translate strategy and frameworks into credible, deliverable plans
- oAbility to analyse complex information, make sound judgements and communicate risk clearly.
- oAbility to work effectively through a matrix structure and build shared ownership.
- oFinancial and commercial awareness appropriate to the role
Knowledge
- oExpert knowledge of nursing practice, patient safety, quality improvement and clinical governance.
- oStrong understanding of the needs of people experiencing mental ill health in acute hospital settings.
- oUnderstanding of equality, health inequalities, trauma-informed care, safeguarding and least restrictive practice.
- oKnowledge of programme delivery, change management, measurement and evaluation
- oUnderstanding of digital and data-enabled approaches to care and improvement
Qualifications
- oRegistered mental health nurse with current NMC registration
- oMaster’s degree or equivalent postgraduate knowledge and experience relevant to the role
Other
- oVisible commitment to the Barts Health WeCare values
- oCompassionate, inclusive and credible leadership style.
- oAbility to travel regularly between Barts Health sites and work flexibly when required.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
John Harrison House , Royal London Hospital
£103,102 to £117,560 a yearper annum inc
Contract
Fixed term
Duration
6 months
Working pattern
Reference number
259-8409515GSS
Job locations
John Harrison House , Royal London Hospital
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