We are looking for a registered clinician to join our senior clinical leadership team as Deputy Quality Lead / Deputy Chief Nurse.
What is the role?
- Take operational accountability for clinical quality, regulatory compliance and patient safety across our service footprint, reporting directly to the Chief Nurse.
- Act as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) Registered Manager for our Urgent Care and Community Care services, maintaining inspection readiness and live evidence portfolios.
- Lead the operational delivery of the Integrated Governance Framework, Clinical Effectiveness and Audit Programme, Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) and medicines governance.
You’ll join our senior clinical leadership team. This role is designed as an operational bridge and a stepping stone towards executive clinical leadership. In partnership with the Chief Nurse, you will build substantial governance experience and deputise in system-wide partner forums, clinical committees and integrated governance meetings. We are a not-for-profit, community interest company and our main purpose is to support Primary Care across Suffolk, including support with working collaboratively and at scale. We also deliver a portfolio of NHS services across Suffolk, including Podiatry, Ultrasound, as well as Urgent Care Services including the Out of Hours face-to-face Service in Suffolk.
Is it for me?
We are seeking a clinician registered with the NMC, HCPC or GPhC, with substantial post-registration experience in primary, urgent or community care environments. We will work alongside the successful candidate to ensure they feel safe, supported and sufficiently inducted into the role.
- You will have good knowledge of CQC Fundamental Standards and statutory healthcare regulations, with experience of maintaining inspection readiness.
- You will have a track record of delivering quality improvement projects, clinical audits, risk assessments and incident investigations, including day-to-day PSIRF processes.
- You will bring clinical supervision and multidisciplinary leadership experience, together with a values-led approach that promotes openness, psychological safety, continuous learning and a Just Culture.
Contract type: Permanent, full-time or substantial part-time
Location: Agile worker across the Suffolk
What we can offer you:
- Mentorship, career progression and development under the direct guidance of the Chief Nurse.
- Flexible, agile working arrangements across the Suffolk GP Federation footprint.
- A strong ethos of flexible working, to help us maintain (or reclaim) that work/life balance.
- Innovative teams who strive in forward thinking, with a voice that is heard.
- A visible and supportive management team, with operational support that ‘get it’
- Excellent IT teams & support giving us first class equipment and ‘no wait’ responses
- A commitment to personal development, training, and leadership opportunities, with service-managed training budgets
- Cycle to work scheme
- Death in service cover
- Competitive salaries with annual benchmarking
- 27 days holiday (plus bank holidays) on starting, rising to 29 days (plus bank holidays) after 5 years’ service
- Blue light card employer – Access to the discount service with thousands of discounts online and on the high street.
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.
Use of AI in Applications
We welcome the responsible use of AI to help structure or refine your application. However, your application should reflect your own experience, skills and achievements.
Please ensure any information submitted is accurate and truthful. AI must not be used to exaggerate or misrepresent your qualifications, experience or abilities.
If you use AI tools, you may be asked to discuss how they supported your application during the recruitment process. Any AI-generated content should be reviewed and edited by you, and should not include confidential or sensitive information.
We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment. AI should support your application, not replace your own voice, perspective and contribution.
Interested? Have questions? Just wondering? Please get in touch with Martin Edwards, Chief Nurse, at sgpfed.quality@nhs.net for an informal discussion.