About this role
Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to join Health Innovation East and be involved in theNHS Englands National Patient Safety Strategy. The postholder will be in a position tomake a measurable difference to patient safety outcomeswhile contributing to the wider improvement of health and care services.
Please note that applications submitted through this platform will not be considered. To apply, pleasesubmit your CV and a covering letter, by 31 July 2026, to [email protected] specifying your motivation for applying and how you meet our person specification. For an informal discussion, please contact [email protected] note that CVs without a covering letter will not be considered.
Please note that CVs without a covering letter will not be considered.
Main duties of the job
The Patient Safety Collaborative Team leads on the delivery of quality improvement (QI) programmes in line with NHS England's National Patient Safety Strategy. This includes working primarily with local NHS organisations to support teams to undertake QI projects to improve outcomes for patients, families, and carers. The team is currently working on four national patient safety improvement programmes including maternity and neonatal safety, systems safety (Patient Safety Incident Response Framework), Marthas Rule and managing deterioration and medicines safety.
The Senior Improvement Lead will engage key stakeholders in the work of our programmes, support organisations and their teams to run QI projects, provide practical QI expertise and programme management, and contribute as a key member of the PSC Team. They will both lead and support teams with a variety of interventions, site visits, learning events, improvement clinics and teaching which may require travel. They will also advise, coach, and facilitate discussions with local teams on improvement techniques and best practice to support the successful implementation, measurement and spread in line with the overall programme objectives, ensuring lessons learned are captured and fed into programme reviews.
They will provide project management expertise to ensure successful project delivery with measurable outcomes, that are compliant with corporate and organisational requirements.
About us Great ideas only make a difference for our health when they are put into practice. Whether were working with global companies, pioneering start-ups, universities or health providers we help the best innovations in health and care reach the people, places and problems where they deliver most benefit. As the regions experts in health innovation implementation our team includes healthcare professionals, specialist technologists and commercial advisors; our collective skill set is at the forefront of the advances being made across health and care.
The East of England is home to some of the worlds greatest science and healthcare practitioners, yet it is also characterised by significant health inequalities. We are proud to part of a national network that strives to bring the most promising innovations to those who need them.
Job description Job responsibilities As a Senior Improvement Lead, the post holder will:Ensure projects/programmes are managed effectively, leading and being accountable for their successful delivery from start through to completion.Provide practical hands-on support to clinical teams, networks and others undertaking QI projects and service redesign work, including training/coaching in QI methodologies where appropriate.Build and nurture connections within and between organisations including participate in local working groups, networks, and project meetings to provide information and support for local teams to analyse their data and use that evidence to inform decisions. Present complex information about QI projects to a wide range of stakeholders in a formal setting. Monitor progress across the programme and produce regular reports and updates for national, regional, and local governance mechanisms.Work with the Health Innovation East Programme Management Office to ensure effective and timely financial and performance reporting to SMT, Board and commissioners.Support the Head of Patient Safety, ensuring that programme risks and issues are proactively identified and reported, and develop proposals for resolution, mitigation, and escalation of risks.The post-holder must be able to work under pressure, deliver to a programme plan adopting a flexible/adaptable approach.Key relationships and working with others
Internal all Health Innovation Easts employees will be expected to form key relationships within the organisation relevant to the role.
External in addition, the successful appointee will need to develop and build relationships with external colleagues as relevant to the role. These may include, but are not limited to, relationships with:
Clinical and operational colleagues within partner organisations, may include but not exclusively:
NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts in the East of England Integrated Care Systems and Boards in the East of England NHS England (national and regional) Other Health Innovation Networks Care Quality Commission Local Government Third Sector Organisations Patient Advisory Groups/Services Corporate duties: Promote equal opportunities and affirm that staff, colleagues, patients, and others who encounter Health Innovation East are afforded equality of access, experience and outcomes.
Observe Health Innovation Easts equity, diversity and inclusion pledges in every aspect of your work, avoiding any behaviour which discriminates against colleagues, potential employees, patients, or partners on any grounds
Uphold and promote the organisations values
Work flexibly and collaboratively with others to achieve the organisations goals and support its values
Support the organisation in creating an environment that values risk management and promotes the highest standards of health and safety for Health Innovation Easts employees, supported by policies and procedures as appropriate
Ensure up to date knowledge is maintained and comply with current data protection laws and company data protection and confidentiality policies and procedures
Ensure that we only operate within our remit of not offering clinical advice
Adhere to all company policies and procedures and any applicable legislation
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Knowledge and experience of project management and risk management.
Desirable
Clinical or improvement experience within healthcare
Disposition/Aptitude Essential
Evidence of the ability to work with teams in developing quality improvement projects. Ability to develop good relationships with senior colleagues within and outside of the organisations. Demonstrable interest in healthcare improvement. Ability to maintain credibility of self and the team. Ability to work flexibly both autonomously and within a small team.
Qualifications Essential
Educated to degree level, or with equivalent experience relating to healthcare. Evidence of quality improvement and/or patient safety qualification or demonstrable experience in these fields.
Desirable
A recognised project management qualification.
Skills Essential
Ability to travel within region, with occasional travel to national meetings (eg London, Birmingham, Manchester). Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to adapt and appeal to various audiences. Strong relationship building and management skills with a wide range of stakeholders. Ability to manage own workload, prioritise work, in response to changing requirements and demands and attention to detail. Proficient in use of a range of IT software, including MS Word, Excel and Powerpoint. Good levels of emotional intelligence and resilience.
Desirable
Advanced data skills, particularly around measurement for improvement methodology and interpretation
Knowledge Essential
Excellent knowledge of improvement methodologies and application within healthcare settings.
Desirable
Strong knowledge of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) Awareness of strategic challenges facing the NHS (with a working knowledge of Eastern region preferred).
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.
Employer details Employer name Health Innovation East
Address Unit C, Magog Court
Shelford Bottom
Cambridgeshire
CB22 3AD
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://healthinnovationeast.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)