About this role
Job summary
The Clinical Lead provides clinical leadership across I:HUB, ensuring safe, effective and high-quality patient care whilst supporting service development, innovation and transformation within a changing commissioning environment.
Main duties of the job
Working in close partnership with the Operations Manager, the postholder will lead clinical governance, workforce development and service improvement activities and will act as the CQC Registered Manager for the service.
The service is delivered through a multidisciplinary workforce comprised predominantly of sessional clinicians. The Clinical Lead will be responsible for fostering a consistent clinical culture, maintaining high standards of practice, and promoting engagement across a workforce that operates outside traditional line-management arrangements.
In addition to the I:HUB responsibilities, one protected session each week will be allocated to IGPF-wide clinical quality responsibilities. The postholder will provide structured clinical supervision for non-medical prescribers working across IGPF services and provide objective clinical scrutiny through a planned programme of clinical records audit. These responsibilities extend beyond I:HUB and will support assurance, learning, professional development and continuous improvement across the Federation.
About us
Islington GP Federation (IGPF) is a growing organisation representing 31 practices; we have established ourselves as a leader in new ways of working, including running Islingtons extended access primary care services (I: HUB) as well as supporting the Islington Primary Care Networks (PCNs).Our current range of services include the Extended Access Service, I: HUB, Community Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), Integrated Community Gynaecology, practice-based pharmacists, and a range of practice support mechanisms.
IGPF works very closely with a range of partners including the regional commissioning group, NHS England, Healthy London Partnership, Public Health, local hospitals such as UCLH, Whittington Health and the London Borough of Islington.
IGPF is the host organisation for the Primary Care Network (PCN) workforce and the Islington Training Hub and has been working for over two years to create training and development programmes that meet the needs of staff working in primary and community care settings.IGPF runs four Islington GP practices. City Road Medical Centre is a GMS practice; two are APMS contracts and one caretaking contract.
Job description Job responsibilities
I:HUB Clinical Lead and IGPF Clinical Quality Lead
Reports to:Chief Executive Officer
Responsible to: Medical Director
Working hours: 4 sessions per week, including 1 protected session for IGPF-wide clinical supervision and clinical records audit
Job Responsibilities
Clinical Leadership and Governance
Provide clinical leadership across all aspects of I:HUB. Work in partnership with the Operations Manager to ensure the safe, effective and sustainable delivery of the service. Serve as the CQC Registered Manager for I:HUB, ensuring ongoing compliance with regulatory requirements and readiness for inspection. Lead the clinical governance framework for I:HUB, including audit, incidents, complaints, safeguarding, quality improvement and clinical performance review. Lead the development, implementation and review of clinical pathways, protocols and operating procedures. Ensure appropriate systems are in place to identify, monitor and mitigate clinical risk. Monitor patterns of clinical practice, including referral quality, prescribing, clinical documentation and adherence to agreed pathways, taking appropriate action where improvement is required. Provide advice and support in relation to clinical issues arising within the service. Chair regular I:HUB clinical meetings and ensure agreed actions are delivered. Attend Federation clinical governance meetings and other relevant governance forums. Lead and deliver a proportionate, risk-based programme of clinical records audit across IGPF services, providing objective scrutiny that is independent of the day-to-day management of the service being reviewed. Agree the scope, standards, methodology, sampling approach and schedule for audits with the Medical Director and relevant service leads, taking account of contractual, regulatory, patient-safety and organisational priorities. Review the quality and completeness of clinical documentation, clinical decision-making, prescribing, referrals, follow-up, coding and adherence to relevant pathways, policies and professional standards. Analyse audit findings to identify good practice, unwarranted variation, recurring themes and actual or potential clinical risk; escalate urgent patient-safety or professional concerns promptly through the appropriate governance route. Produce clear service-level and organisation-wide audit reports, present findings to the Medical Director and relevant IGPF governance forums, and make practical, evidence-based recommendations for improvement. Agree and monitor improvement actions with responsible leads, ensure learning is shared appropriately across services, and complete re-audit to provide assurance that required changes have been embedded. Maintain confidentiality, professional objectivity and appropriate information-governance controls throughout the audit process. Operational Partnership
Work collaboratively with the Operations Manager and I:HUB Operations Team to support effective day-to-day service delivery. Provide clinical input into operational planning and decision-making. Support the management of demand, capacity, workforce planning and service resilience. Maintain positive working relationships with host practices, Federation colleagues and partner organisations. Support the review and resolution of clinical aspects of complaints, incidents and service concerns. Contribute to service reporting and performance review processes. Maintain a clear work programme for the protected IGPF-wide session, balancing planned supervision and audit activity with emerging clinical risks and agreed organisational priorities. Provide regular assurance updates on delivery of the supervision and audit programme, including themes, risks, actions and evidence of improvement, while preserving individual confidentiality where appropriate. Workforce Leadership and Development
Lead the clinical induction and onboarding of new clinicians working within I:HUB. Ensure clinicians receive clear and timely communication regarding clinical updates, governance matters and service developments. Provide clinical leadership to a workforce comprised predominantly of sessional clinicians and support consistent engagement with service priorities, governance processes and clinical standards. Foster a shared culture, values and clinical approach across the workforce to support consistency in patient care and service delivery. Support clinicians to understand and adhere to agreed pathways, referral criteria and service protocols. Develop effective mechanisms for communication and engagement with clinicians who work varying numbers of shifts and may have limited regular contact with the wider service. Lead the review of concerns relating to clinical performance, professional behaviour or clinical practice, ensuring appropriate feedback, support and escalation processes are followed. Support the integration and development of multidisciplinary clinical teams, including ARRS-funded staff and other emerging workforce models, to ensure that patients are seen by the most appropriate clinician Support the development of I:HUB as a training environment, including the successful integration of GP trainees and other learners. Provide planned, structured clinical supervision for non-medical prescribers across IGPF services, with supervision arrangements proportionate to role, experience, scope of practice and service risk. Use supervision to support safe prescribing, clinical reasoning, case review, reflective practice, professional development and consistent application of evidence-based guidance and local pathways. Agree supervision objectives and frequency, maintain an appropriate confidential record of supervision, and ensure actions and development needs are followed through. Support non-medical prescribers to work within their professional competence and agreed scope of practice, identifying where additional training, competency assessment, mentorship or service support is required. Identify and respond to concerns arising through supervision, providing constructive feedback and support and escalating patient-safety, performance, conduct or capability concerns to the Medical Director and relevant operational or professional lead in line with IGPF policy. Work with service leads, operational managers and relevant professional leads to address recurring supervision themes and strengthen multidisciplinary learning, prescribing governance and clinical consistency across IGPF. Stakeholder Engagement
Build and maintain strong relationships with member practices, Primary Care Networks, neighbourhood teams, commissioners and provider partners. Support the development of effective borough and neighbourhood-based models of care through collaborative working with partners across the health and care system. Represent I:HUB at relevant borough-wide and North Central London meetings and forums. Act as a clinical ambassador for the service internally and externally. Present relevant IGPF-wide audit and supervision themes at clinical governance and other assurance forums, supporting transparent organisational learning and effective follow-through of actions. Digital Innovation and Service Improvement
Support the ongoing development of digital access routes into I:HUB. Promote innovative approaches that improve patient access, experience and operational effectiveness. Work with operational and digital teams to design, implement and evaluate new ways of working. Support the safe and effective adoption of new technologies and digital solutions. Use service data, patient feedback and clinical insight to identify opportunities for improvement. Champion continuous improvement and innovation across the service. Use aggregated findings from clinical records audit and supervision to identify cross-service improvement priorities, inform training and pathway development, and evaluate whether changes have improved quality and safety. Strategic Development and Service Transformation
I:HUB operates within a changing primary care and commissioning environment. The Clinical Lead will play a key role in ensuring the service remains clinically effective, adaptable and sustainable.
Responsibilities include:
Support the strategic development of I:HUB alongside Federation leaders and operational colleagues. Contribute to service redesign, mobilisation and transformation programmes. Support the development of clinically excellent, operationally sustainable and financially viable workforce models, including multidisciplinary and ARRS-led approaches where appropriate. Contribute to discussions regarding future commissioning and recommissioning opportunities. Identify opportunities to improve quality, productivity, value and patient outcomes through innovation, technology and new models of care. Advise Federation leaders on organisation-wide clinical quality priorities arising from audit and supervision, helping to shape governance, workforce development and service transformation plans.
Person Specification
Skills & Knowledge Essential
Strong understanding of safeguarding, clinical governance and regulatory requirements. Excellent communication, influencing, written reporting and presentation skills across a wide range of stakeholders. Detailed knowledge of clinical audit methodology, including standard setting, proportionate sampling, analysis, action planning and re-audit. Ability to analyse information, exercise independent clinical judgement, recognise material risk and escalate concerns proportionately. Ability to provide constructive and appropriately challenging clinical supervision while maintaining psychological safety and clear professional boundaries. Knowledge of prescribing governance, professional accountability, scope of practice and the supervision needs of non-medical prescribers. Understanding of confidentiality, UK GDPR, information governance and secure handling of patient-identifiable information in audit and supervision. Strong organisation and prioritisation skills, including delivery of supervision and audit within protected time and support for change across a predominantly sessional workforce.
Desirable
Knowledge of the North Central London primary care landscape and relevant commissioning and contractual frameworks. Knowledge of CQC fundamental standards and the responsibilities associated with being a Registered Manager. Knowledge of clinical governance across extended access, urgent care and other at-scale primary care services. Understanding of professional standards and competency frameworks for non-medical prescribing roles. Understanding of digital innovation and modern models of primary care access.
Experience Essential
Clinical leadership and clinical governance experience within primary care, including risk management, audit and quality improvement. Experience of managing clinical incidents, complaints, safeguarding concerns and clinical risk. Experience of developing and reviewing clinical policies, pathways, protocols or standards. Experience of structured clinical supervision for non-medical prescribers or other autonomous multidisciplinary clinicians. Experience of designing and delivering clinical records audits, analysing findings and completing the audit cycle through action planning and re-audit. Experience of presenting clinical quality or assurance findings to senior clinical leaders or governance committees. Experience of identifying and appropriately escalating patient-safety, prescribing, performance or capability concerns. Experience of collaborative, cross-service working and influencing improvement without direct line-management authority.
Desirable
Experience within I:HUB or a comparable extended access, urgent care or at-scale primary care service. Experience as a CQC Registered Manager. Experience of service redesign, mobilisation or transformation programmes. Experience of working with multidisciplinary teams incorporating ARRS roles. Experience of organisation-wide clinical assurance, prescribing governance or support for a multidisciplinary non-medical prescribing workforce. Experience of using digital technologies to improve access, clinical safety or service efficiency.
Personal Attributes & Abilities Essential
Collaborative and inclusive leadership style with a commitment to high-quality patient care. Flexible, adaptable and committed to innovation and continuous improvement. Calm and effective under pressure, with the credibility and resilience to lead through influence. Objective, professionally independent and confident in providing external scrutiny and constructive challenge. High level of integrity, discretion and respect for confidentiality. Commitment to reflective practice, multidisciplinary learning and the development of others.
Desirable
Able to build trust across different professional groups while retaining appropriate independence and accountability.
Qualifications Essential
GP registered with the GMC and included on the NHS England Performers List. Minimum three years post-CCT experience. Evidence of clinical leadership within primary care. Current licence to practise, satisfactory appraisal and revalidation, and appropriate professional indemnity. Evidence of training, competence or substantial experience in the clinical supervision of healthcare professionals.
Desirable
Continuing professional development relevant to clinical leadership, governance and patient safety. Recognised clinical educator, trainer or supervisor qualification. Formal training or qualification in clinical audit, quality improvement, patient safety or healthcare leadership.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Islington GP Federation
Address Unit 16-18
The Studios, Hornsey Street
Holloway
London
N7 8EG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.islingtongpfederation.org/ (Opens in a new tab)