Surgical Services Manager – Quality, Resus & ECU
We are seeking an exceptional and experienced healthcare leader to join our Surgical Services Leadership Team as Surgical Services Manager – Quality, Resuscitation & Enhanced Care Unit (ECU).
This is a senior leadership role responsible for providing clinical, quality and operational leadership across the Operating Theatre Department and Enhanced Care Unit, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality peri-operative care.
Working in partnership with the Surgical Services Manager – Clinical Operations, you will hold joint accountability for the overall performance, safety, quality, workforce and operational delivery of the theatre and ECU service. You will lead the Quality, Resuscitation and Enhanced Care portfolio while contributing to the strategic direction and ongoing development of Surgical Services.
The successful candidate will provide leadership for clinical governance, patient safety, risk management, quality assurance, education and workforce development across the peri-operative pathway. You will be instrumental in driving a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring lessons learned from incidents, complaints, audits and patient feedback are translated into improvements in practice and patient outcomes.
A key aspect of this role is maintaining organisational leadership and accountability for resuscitation services. You will oversee emergency preparedness, resuscitation training, compliance, standards and assurance processes, ensuring the organisation maintains the highest standards of patient safety and emergency response.
You will also provide leadership for the Enhanced Care Unit and play a central role in its ongoing development, including supporting the planned expansion of enhanced care services and the future development of a High Dependency Unit (HDU). Working alongside clinical and operational colleagues, you will ensure services are appropriately structured, resourced and developed to meet the needs of patients and the organisation.
Joint Leadership and Accountability
The two Surgical Services Managers will operate as peer leaders, both reporting directly to the Director of Surgical Services.
Together, they will hold joint accountability for the overall performance, safety, quality, workforce and operational delivery of the Operating Theatre Department and Enhanced Care Unit.
Each postholder will lead a defined primary portfolio while maintaining sufficient knowledge, skills and oversight of the wider service to provide effective cross-cover and continuity of leadership.
The postholders will jointly contribute to strategic planning, service development, workforce planning, performance management, clinical governance, financial management, risk management and operational decision-making across the theatre and ECU service.
Neither postholder will have exclusive ownership of their portfolio. Both managers will be expected to understand the key priorities, risks, workforce issues, performance requirements and ongoing work within the other's portfolio.
During annual leave, sickness, vacancy, resignation or any other absence, the remaining Surgical Services Manager will assume responsibility for the absent manager's portfolio in addition to their own, until appropriate interim or substantive arrangements are in place.
The postholders will ensure effective handover and maintenance of shared information, reporting and risk-management systems to support continuity.
No area of theatre operations, quality, governance, resuscitation or ECU should be dependent upon the presence of a particular individual for decision-making or operational continuity.
Professional and Clinical Leadership
Provide visible senior clinical leadership across the Operating Theatre Department and ECU.
Work collaboratively with the Surgical Services Manager – Clinical Operations to maintain high standards of patient safety, clinical quality and professional practice.
Provide professional leadership and oversight to the Peri-operative Lead Practitioner and Practice Development Nurse, ensuring clear accountability and effective delivery of their respective portfolios.
Provide senior clinical leadership in relation to the management and escalation of deteriorating patients across peri-operative services.
Maintain organisation-wide leadership and oversight for resuscitation, ensuring appropriate standards, preparedness, training and response arrangements are in place.
Ensure clinical standards, policies, procedures and evidence-based practice are effectively embedded within day-to-day clinical care.
Liaise with medical, nursing, theatre practitioner and multidisciplinary colleagues to promote safe, effective and patient-centred care.
Act as a senior clinical advisor on matters relating to quality, patient safety, resuscitation, peri-operative care and enhanced care.
Maintain sufficient clinical knowledge and visibility to provide effective leadership during periods of clinical complexity, operational pressure or staffing challenge.
Promote a culture of openness, professional accountability, learning and continuous improvement.
Quality, Clinical Governance, Risk and Patient Safety
Have primary responsibility for senior leadership and oversight of clinical governance, quality assurance, patient safety and risk management across the Operating Theatre Department and ECU.
Jointly with the Surgical Services Manager – Clinical Operations, maintain accountability for safe, high-quality patient care and effective management of clinical and operational risks.
Develop, implement and maintain effective clinical governance systems aligned with regulatory requirements, national guidance, professional standards and organisational policies.
Ensure systems are in place for identification, assessment, monitoring and management of clinical and operational risks, including appropriate risk registers and action plans.
Lead the departmental clinical audit programme, ensuring audits are planned, completed, reported and followed by meaningful action and improvement.
Oversee reporting, investigation and management of clinical incidents, near misses, complaints and other patient safety concerns, ensuring appropriate analysis, action planning and dissemination of learning.
Ensure learning from incidents, complaints, audits, investigations and other sources is translated into sustainable improvements in clinical practice.
Lead development, review and implementation of relevant policies, procedures and Standard Operating Procedures.
Ensure appropriate compliance with CQC requirements, NICE guidance, NCEPOD, NatSSIPs, LocSSIPs and organisational standards.
Work with Clinical Coordinators, Lead TPs, Peri-operative Lead Practitioner and Practice Development Nurse to embed quality and safety standards into everyday practice.
Provide governance advice and support to clinical leaders and staff, promoting professional accountability and a culture of openness and improvement.
Monitor quality and patient safety data to identify trends, emerging risks and opportunities for improvement.
Lead or support organisational and regulatory inspections, reviews and assurance processes.
Provide regular quality, governance, risk and patient safety reports and assurance to the Director of Surgical Services and relevant governance forums.
Resuscitation and Emergency Preparedness
Hold organisation-wide accountability for resuscitation, providing strategic clinical leadership and oversight of resuscitation practice, preparedness and response across the organisation.
Act as the organisation's senior Resuscitation Lead, working with relevant governance structures and clinical teams to ensure appropriate standards, policies and processes are in place.
Ensure resuscitation policies, procedures and emergency response processes are developed, reviewed and implemented in accordance with current national guidance, professional standards and organisational requirements.
Provide oversight and assurance of resuscitation training requirements across the organisation.
Maintain oversight of organisational readiness for emergency situations, including availability, accessibility, checking and maintenance of resuscitation equipment and emergency drugs.
Ensure systems are in place for monitoring, audit and assurance of resuscitation equipment, emergency response arrangements and staff competency.
Lead or support review of resuscitation events and significant deteriorating-patient events, ensuring learning is identified, shared and translated into practice.
Liaise with relevant clinical leaders, the Resuscitation Committee and organisational governance forums to identify risks, monitor compliance and implement improvements.
Provide leadership and support in management of deteriorating patients and emergency situations within peri-operative services, including theatres and ECU.
Work with the Practice Development Nurse and relevant clinical leaders to develop and deliver resuscitation and emergency-response education, including simulation and scenario-based training.
Ensure emergency preparedness arrangements are incorporated into development of ECU and the planned future HDU service.
Education, Practice Development and Workforce Competency
Provide strategic leadership and oversight for education, practice development and clinical workforce competency across the Operating Theatre Department and ECU.
Provide leadership and direction to the Practice Development Nurse, ensuring education and workforce development priorities align with organisational objectives, clinical requirements, service development and patient safety priorities.
Ensure systems are in place to identify, monitor and address mandatory, statutory and role-specific training requirements.
Ensure appropriate competency frameworks and assessment processes are in place for clinical staff, supporting safe practice and introduction of new procedures, equipment, technologies and services.
Work collaboratively with the Clinical Operations Manager, Clinical Coordinators, Lead TPs, Peri-operative Lead Practitioner and specialist clinical leads to identify education, training and competency requirements.
Support development and delivery of clinical education, including induction, preceptorship, simulation, resuscitation, deteriorating-patient management and role-specific clinical training.
Ensure learning identified through incidents, complaints, audits, governance reviews and changes in practice is incorporated into education and competency programmes.
Promote continuous professional development, reflective practice, clinical learning and professional accountability.
Support development of staff at all levels to maintain the skills and competencies required for their roles.
Support succession planning and development of future clinical leaders within Surgical Services.
Maintain oversight of education and competency data and provide appropriate assurance.
Ensure practice development priorities support safe development of ECU and planned future HDU service.
The Practice Development Nurse will have a department-wide remit and will work across Clinical Operations, Quality, Resus and ECU whilst being line managed by this postholder.
People and Workforce Management
Jointly with the Surgical Services Manager – Clinical Operations, provide strategic leadership and accountability for workforce across the Operating Theatre Department and ECU.
Provide effective leadership, support and oversight to the Peri-operative Lead Practitioner, Practice Development Nurse and other directly line-managed staff within the Quality, Resus & ECU portfolio.
Ensure clear lines of accountability and effective delegation of people-management responsibilities across the clinical leadership structure.
Provide leadership and support to the Peri-operative Lead Practitioner in management and development of the Anaesthetic, Recovery and ECU workforce, including staffing, skill mix, competency and succession planning.
Support the Peri-operative Lead Practitioner and Practice Development Nurse in management of attendance, performance, conduct, capability, wellbeing and other workforce matters.
Ensure directly and indirectly managed staff have clear objectives, development plans and regular appraisal and performance review.
Work collaboratively with the Clinical Operations Manager, Clinical Coordinators, Lead TPs and specialist clinical leads to ensure workforce planning reflects current and future service requirements.
Ensure appropriate workforce planning and recruitment strategies support safe development of ECU and planned future HDU service, including clinical expertise, staffing levels, skill mix and competency requirements.
Monitor workforce indicators including establishment, vacancies, sickness absence, turnover, bank and agency usage and retention.
Promote a positive, inclusive and supportive working environment.
Ensure workforce decisions balance patient safety, clinical requirements, staff wellbeing, service demand and financial sustainability.
Ensure appropriate workforce contingency and cross-cover arrangements are in place.
Service Development, ECU and Future HDU
Jointly with the Surgical Services Manager – Clinical Operations, contribute to strategic development of the Operating Theatre Department and ECU.
Have primary accountability for the clinical development, readiness, governance and safe delivery of the ECU and planned future HDU service, drawing on appropriate critical-care expertise.
Provide senior clinical leadership for continued development of ECU, working closely with the Peri-operative Lead Practitioner, Deputy Recovery/ECU Lead, clinical teams and medical colleagues.
Lead development of the clinical model, pathways, standards, staffing requirements, competency framework, escalation arrangements and governance infrastructure required for the future HDU service.
Work collaboratively with the Clinical Operations Manager to ensure operational, workforce, capacity, resource and implementation requirements arising from ECU and HDU development are appropriately planned and delivered.
Support development and implementation of new clinical pathways, procedures and models of care within ECU and future HDU services.
Ensure changes to clinical practice, new equipment, technologies and service pathways are appropriately assessed, implemented and evaluated.
Work with the Practice Development Nurse and clinical leaders to ensure staff have the education, training and competency required.
Monitor quality, safety, clinical outcomes and service performance within ECU and future HDU provision.
Contribute to business cases and service development proposals relating to ECU, HDU and wider peri-operative services.
Ensure service development plans incorporate appropriate emergency preparedness, deteriorating-patient management and resuscitation arrangements.
Maintain oversight of risks, milestones and actions associated with ECU and HDU development and provide assurance to the Director of Surgical Services and relevant governance forums.
Performance and Assurance
Jointly with the Surgical Services Manager – Clinical Operations, maintain accountability for agreed departmental objectives and key performance indicators across the Operating Theatre Department and ECU.
Have primary responsibility for monitoring and providing assurance on clinical quality, patient safety, governance and workforce competency.
Develop and maintain quality and assurance reporting arrangements, ensuring key indicators, risks, incidents, audit outcomes and improvement actions are accurately recorded and monitored.
Analyse quality, safety, governance and clinical performance data to identify trends, emerging risks and opportunities for improvement.
Ensure areas of underperformance or risk have clear action plans, appropriate ownership and effective follow-up.
Provide regular reports and assurance to the Director of Surgical Services and relevant organisational governance forums.
Work collaboratively with the Clinical Operations Manager to ensure quality and safety information informs operational decision-making and service improvement.
Ensure Clinical Coordinators, Lead TPs, Peri-operative Lead Practitioner and Practice Development Nurse have appropriate objectives, measures and assurance processes.
Maintain oversight of compliance with relevant regulatory, professional and organisational standards.
Lead or support inspections, reviews and assurance processes and monitor resulting actions.
Promote a culture of continuous improvement in which performance information is used constructively.
Financial and Resource Management
Jointly with the Surgical Services Manager – Clinical Operations, maintain accountability for effective and financially sustainable use of resources across the Operating Theatre Department and ECU.
Contribute to departmental budgets, business plans and financial forecasts.
Have primary responsibility for resource requirements associated with quality, clinical governance, resuscitation, education, ECU and future HDU development.
Work with the Clinical Operations Manager and Finance, Procurement and operational colleagues to ensure appropriate resources are available.
Identify requirements for clinical, resuscitation, ECU/HDU equipment and other resources required for safe patient care.
Contribute to business cases for significant equipment, service development, workforce or infrastructure requirements.
Ensure expenditure relating to clinical governance, education, resuscitation and enhanced care is appropriately planned and monitored.
Support evaluation and implementation of new equipment and technologies with appropriate training and governance.
Monitor relevant financial and resource indicators and address variances with relevant colleagues.
Ensure financial and resource decisions balance patient safety, clinical requirements, workforce capability, service demand and financial sustainability.
Communication and Stakeholder Management
Develop and maintain effective communication across the Operating Theatre Department and ECU, ensuring staff are informed of quality, safety, governance, clinical and operational priorities.
Work closely with the Surgical Services Manager – Clinical Operations to ensure consistent communication, shared decision-making and integrated leadership.
Maintain effective relationships with surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, theatre practitioners, allied health professionals, senior management and support functions.
Act as a senior point of contact for clinical governance, quality, patient safety, resuscitation, ECU and peri-operative clinical practice.
Represent Surgical Services at relevant organisational governance, quality, safety, resuscitation and clinical forums.
Actively participate in and contribute to the Resuscitation Committee and other relevant organisational governance forums.
Ensure significant clinical, quality, patient safety, resuscitation, workforce or operational risks are communicated promptly to the Director of Surgical Services and relevant Executive Team members.
Promote an open and collaborative culture in which staff can raise concerns and contribute to improvement.
Ensure effective communication and information-sharing with the Practice Development Nurse, Peri-operative Lead Practitioner and wider clinical leadership team.
Maintain effective communication and handover with the Clinical Operations Manager to ensure continuity of leadership.
Ensure the two Surgical Services Managers provide a consistent and coordinated leadership approach.
Cross-cover and Business Continuity
Maintain sufficient knowledge of the Clinical Operations portfolio to provide effective leadership during planned or unplanned absence.
Assume responsibility for the Clinical Operations portfolio during annual leave, sickness, vacancy, resignation or other absence until appropriate cover is established.
Maintain shared records, action plans, risk registers and information necessary to support continuity.
Ensure safe operational continuity across theatres and ECU and escalate significant issues appropriately
Values
Making it Happen Be proactive in reviewing the current service, making recommendations and implementing changes to continuously improve the patient journey.
Stronger Work in partnership with the multi-disciplinary team to challenge and influence clinical and managerial decision making.
Personalised Service Puts customer first (internal or external), keeps up professional development, uses initiative, and solves problems.
