About this role
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and inspirational Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist to join Somerset NHS Foundation Trust as Clinical Director for Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
This full-time 10 PA leadership post offers the opportunity to shape the future of women's health services across Somerset at both Musgrove Park Hospital and Yeovil District Hospital.
As Clinical Director, you will provide strategic, professional and operational medical leadership across a broad portfolio including maternity, obstetrics, benign and acute gynaecology, specialist women's health services, diagnostics, workforce development and research.
Working closely with clinical, operational, nursing and midwifery colleagues, you will lead service transformation, quality improvement and workforce development to ensure the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate care for women, babies and families across the county.
This is a rare opportunity to influence strategy, drive meaningful change and leave a lasting legacy within one of England's most integrated healthcare organisations. We are committed to appointing the right individual and will work collaboratively to develop a job plan that reflects your experience, strengths and aspirations whilst ensuring the leadership requirements of the service are met.
We would be delighted to discuss the role, introduce you to colleagues across both sites and share our ambitions for the future of Women's Services in Somerset.
Main duties of the job
As Clinical Director for Obstetrics and Gynaecology, you will:
- Provide visible clinical leadership across women's health services, fostering collaboration between Musgrove Park Hospital and Yeovil District Hospital.
- Develop and deliver a clear county-wide strategy for Obstetrics and Gynaecology, aligned with Trust and system priorities.
- Lead on quality, safety and clinical governance, ensuring learning from incidents, reviews, audits and patient feedback drives sustained improvement.
- Support delivery of the Maternity and Neonatal Improvement Plan and provide strategic oversight of maternity, obstetric and gynaecology services.
- Work with multidisciplinary teams to improve patient experience, access standards, elective recovery, cancer pathways and service performance.
- Share accountability for workforce, operational, quality and financial objectives across the service.
- Support recruitment, retention, succession planning and the development of future clinical leaders.
- Lead transformational projects and pathway redesign across acute, community and primary care services.
- Build strong relationships with patients, families, commissioners, education partners and regional networks to support the delivery of high-quality services.
- Promote a culture of inclusion, innovation, research, continuous improvement and compassionate leadership.
About us
At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:
- Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
- NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
- Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
- A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential
Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.
We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.
Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.
The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.
Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This is a county-wide role, with responsibility for shaping the future direction of services across two acute sites serving the population of Somerset. Working alongside an experienced multidisciplinary leadership team, you will be the senior leader for improvements in quality, safety, workforce, performance and patient experience while helping to create a shared vision for women's health across the county.
Significant investment is already underway, including the King's Building theatre complex at Musgrove Park Hospital, the development of a dedicated Early Pregnancy Assessment and Gynaecology Assessment Unit opening in 2027, and the ongoing redevelopment of Women's Services at Yeovil District Hospital. There are few opportunities to influence service strategy, workforce development, pathway redesign and future estate development at this scale at this time.
We are looking for a leader with the credibility to engage clinicians, the judgement to navigate complex challenges and the ambition to shape services for the future. This role would suit an established Clinical Director, Clinical Service Lead or an experienced consultant seeking a broader leadership opportunity.
We are keen to appoint the right individual rather than fit someone into a predefined role. The balance between leadership responsibilities and clinical practice will therefore be agreed with the successful candidate and can be tailored to reflect individual interests, expertise and career aspirations.
A competitive Clinical Director remuneration package, recruitment and retention support, relocation assistance and funded visits to Somerset are available for the successful candidate.
Informal enquiries
Dr James Coulston
Associate Medical Director, Children, Young People and Families.
Email: [email protected]
Zillah Morris
Deputy Service Group Director, Children, Young People and Families.
Email: [email protected]
This is an opportunity to shape services, develop people and leave a lasting legacy for women's health across Somerset.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Full GMC registration with a licence to practise
- Entry on the GMC Specialist Register in Obstetrics & Gynaecology (or within six months of interview).
- Evidence of continuing professional development and revalidation.
Desirable
- Formal leadership, management, quality improvement or educational qualification.
- Participation in recognised leadership development programmes
Experience
Essential
- Substantial consultant experience within Obstetrics & Gynaecology.
- Demonstrable clinical credibility and professional leadership within a complex healthcare environment.
- Broad understanding of maternity, benign gynaecology, emergency gynaecology, elective services and cancer pathways.
Desirable
- Experience leading services across multiple sites or organisations.
- Experience within regional, network or system leadership roles.
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Evidence of successfully leading service improvement, transformation or cultural change.
- Experience of working collaboratively with clinical, operational, nursing and midwifery leaders.
- Ability to set clear direction, deliver outcomes and lead through influence.
- Strong understanding of clinical governance, patient safety, risk management and regulatory requirements.
- Experience of using quality, safety and performance information to drive improvement and provide assurance.
- Ability to balance clinical quality, workforce, operational performance and financial sustainability.
- Experience of interpreting complex information, managing competing priorities and making evidence-based decisions.
- Understanding of current NHS challenges and opportunities.
- Visible, inclusive and compassionate leadership style.
- Ability to build trust, engage clinicians and multidisciplinary teams, and support the development of future leaders.
- Commitment to creating high-performing teams and positive organisational culture.
- Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills.
- Ability to work effectively across professional, organisational and system boundaries.
- Experience of engaging stakeholders and building productive relationships.
- Demonstrates integrity, sound judgement and personal accountability.
- Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Promotes a culture of openness, learning, continuous improvement and psychological safety.
- Self-aware, resilient and able to lead through challenge and uncertainty.
- Ability to travel across Somerset as required.
- Flexible approach to balancing leadership and clinical commitments.
Desirable
- Previous experience as a Clinical Director, Clinical Service Lead or equivalent senior leadership position.
- Experience of major organisational change programmes.
- Experience of responding to external reviews, inspections or national improvement programmes.
- Experience of business planning, productivity programmes, financial management or service redesign at scale.
- Experience of workforce redesign, succession planning or organisational development initiatives.
- Experience representing services within regional or national forums.
- Media, public or Board-level presentation experience.
- Evidence of championing innovation, research or system-wide improvement initiatives.
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
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
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Yeovil District Hospital
Higher Kingston
Yeovil
Somerset
BA21 4AT
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.somersetft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)