Deputy Chief Operating Officer (Urgent & Emergency Care)
South West Acute NHS Trust
Fixed-Term Contract | 12 Months | Band 9 Equivalent
A major South West Acute NHS Trust is seeking an experienced Deputy Chief Operating Officer (Urgent & Emergency Care) to provide senior operational leadership during a critical period of organisational change.
This is a high-profile executive leadership role focused on Urgent & Emergency Care performance, hospital flow and front-door operations, requiring a credible and highly experienced leader who can provide immediate operational grip and stability in a fast-paced acute environment.
This is not a developmental opportunity. The organisation requires an established senior operational leader with a strong track record of delivering in pressured acute settings.
The Opportunity
Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, the Deputy COO will lead operational oversight of key Urgent & Emergency Care pathways, with a particular focus on:
- Front-door operational performance
- Patient flow across the acute pathway
- Escalation management and operational command
- Ambulance handover performance
- Delivery against national urgent care standards
- Cross-system operational collaboration to improve flow and capacity
This is a highly visible leadership role operating at pace, requiring resilience, credibility and the ability to work collaboratively across clinical and operational teams.
Candidate Profile
We are seeking a senior NHS operational leader with:
- Significant Band 9 / Deputy COO / Divisional Director level experience
- Deep expertise in Urgent & Emergency Care (UEC) and acute hospital operations
- Proven success managing:
- Patient flow
- Front-door demand
- Operational escalation
- Ambulance handover performance
- National UEC performance targets
- Experience operating in a high-pressure command-and-control environment
- A collaborative, confident and politically astute leadership style
- The ability to influence through others and work effectively across complex stakeholder groups
You will be a credible and visible senior leader who can quickly assess challenges, build trust and deliver operational improvement without disrupting established teams.
Role Requirements
- Significant on-site presence is essential – this role cannot be delivered remotely
- Typically 5 days per week on site
- Flexibility required in line with operational pressures, including occasional out-of-hours/weekend presence where necessary
- Immediate or short-notice availability highly desirable
Package
- Fixed-Term Contract
- Duration: 12 months
- Band 9 equivalent remuneration
- Salary circa £119,000, with flexibility up to the top of the AfC for Band 9 for an exceptional candidate
There is also an opportunity to transition into a permanent role.
Confidential Search
This appointment is being managed on a strictly confidential basis. Due to the sensitive nature of the requirement, further organisational detail will be shared with suitably qualified candidates at the appropriate stage of the process.
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