V2/Jan 06/SSt
Whittington Hospital NHS Trust
Surgical Division
Job Description
1. General Information
Post: Clinical Service Manager – Theatres and Critical Care
Hours of duty: As required, necessary to post but not more than 48 hours per week
Annual leave: 27 days rising to 29 days after 5 years NHS service and 33 days after 10 years NHS service
NHS Pension: 6% of salary (optional)
Terms & Conditions: National Terms & Conditions
Responsible to: Divisional Manager/Head of Nursing
Professionally Accountable to: Director of Nursing & Clinical Development
Key working relationships: Patients, unit/department staff, directorate team, divisional board, theatre board, facilities department, PALs, bookings/admissions and finance activity services
2. Job Summary
To undertake the responsibilities of the Matron role and contribute fully to the senior management team within Operations with specific service management responsibility for Theatre, Anaesthetics, ITU, Endoscopy and Day Care within the Surgical Division. The post has some external relationships in principle with this will be, Strategic Health Authority (SHA), Local Health Authorities and local acute NHS trusts in a professional advisory capacity. The underpinning principle of the role is for the post holder to be a professional leader who is accountable for co-coordinating safe, high quality care to improve patients’ NHS experience within the critical care environment.
The three main objectives of the role are:
o Providing leadership to clinical and direct care staff within the ITU (11 beds), theatre (6 units), day surgical (16 beds), endoscopy unit (12 beds) and anaesthetic department, to ensure high standards of care.
o Ensuring that all support services for the unit support the delivery of high standards of care, i.e. cleaning, administration and technical support.
o Provide a visible, accessible and authoritative presence in the theatre, day surgery, endoscopy and ITU areas for patients their families and clinical carers.
With the aim of continual service improvement to ensure delivery of high quality care and customer services, activities include service re-design and development, managing staff performance, and providing professional advice on service improvements. The Clinical Manager will work with colleagues in the Operations Directorate and Clinicians within the Surgical Division in the development of services, including redesign of services and may work in collaboration with colleagues externally within other parts of the health community.
Working with the Divisional Manager, Head of Nursing and Clinical Leads the post holder will contribute to an agreed strategic direction for critical care services that are in accordance with best practice and the needs of the Trust.
The post holder will be directly responsible for providing support to medical consultants, matrons and their teams in addition to other clinicians in the utilisation of the departments. Activities will include assisting with service delivery, the development of business cases, staff performance management, activity monitoring and clinical delivery, quality control and budget management in line with The Trust Standing Financial Arrangements.
There is line management responsibility for staff from a range of disciplines. The post holder is expected to deputise for the Divisional Manager as necessary. The post holder will work with the Lead Clinicians (x2 posts) for Anaesthetics and ITU in the management and leadership of services.
This post is an essential part of the surgical division with responsibility for managing the resources within these areas where there is an intensive and demanding responsibility. This post recognises the need for prior knowledge of these clinical areas with specialist clinical skills required in addition to the experiential and general management skills and knowledge.
2. Matron role
The post holder will be expected to work and deliver against the ‘Matron’s 10 Key Responsibilities’:
1. Leading by example
2. Making sure patients are given quality care
3. Ensuring staffing is appropriate to patient needs
4. Empowering nurses to take on a wider range of clinical tasks
5. Improving hospital cleanliness
6. Ensuring patients nutritional needs are met (only measured in ITU, endoscopy and Day Care)
7. Improving wards for patients (Measured against ITU, theatre, endoscopy and DSU)
8. Making sure patients are treated with respect
9. Preventing hospital-acquired infection
10. Resolving problems for patients and their relatives by building closer relationships
3. Budgetary – Resource Management
· This post has an impact on trust reference costs and will contribute to the operational effectiveness of operations, including the possibility of attracting funding for the Trust through activity and the achievement of performance targets.
· The post holder will be responsible for managing the resources allocated to each of the services within budgetary constraints. Having responsibility for ensuring that the most efficient use of resources is undertaken and the units are contributing to the financial objectives as set out by the Trust.
· As directed by the Divisional Manager produce business cases for any service developments ensuring that the financial implications of service changes or developments have been accurately assessed.
· Provide monthly summaries of financial and critical care activity performance for divisional and specialty meetings.
· Aim not to need to use temporary staff but if needed then ensure not only the efficient use of these staff but also ensure that temporary staff are a reflection of the expected standard of nursing/theatre care.
· Act as a budgetary signature to authorise expenditure up to a limit of £5,000 in line with Trust Standing Financial Arrangements.
4. Staff Management
· Reporting to the Divisional Manager the post holder will provide line management to staff working in within these critical care areas across a range of disciplines (see organisational chart)
· Ensure the smooth running of administrative support for consultants through appropriate secretarial support in anaesthetics and pain services.
· Provide the support for administrative and clerical staff to ensure the efficient delivery of administration needs supporting the ITU, theatre, endoscopy and day care activities.
· With lead consultants for anaesthetics and ITU manage and monitor junior medical staff working for the Division within the unit and ensure the anaesthetic rota is adequately staffed and ensure EWTD compliance.
· Be responsible for the professional development of nursing and operating department practitioner staff within ITU, Theatre, Endoscopy and Day Surgery.
· Ensure the development of nursing/theatre practice is in line with the NHS and Trusts modernisation agenda.
· Support clinical supervision for nursing/operating department practitioner staff
· Ensure business continuity at times of staff leave and absence within the theatre, endoscopy, day care and anaesthetic teams.
· Responsible for working with the Head of Nursing / Director of Nursing to ensure that the nursing/theatre establishments has adequate numbers and skill mix to enable optimal care to be delivered to patients
· Devise, develop and implement skill-mix reviews and other manpower planning strategies.
· Ensure that appropriate recruitment and selection of staff takes place within the specified area.
· Ensure that appropriate performance management and discipline of the multidisciplinary staff group takes place in line with Trust policy.
· Ensure that regular appraisal take place and that Personal Development Plans are in place for all the multidisciplinary staff group.
· Manage sickness absence to within agreed targets and ensure accurate records are kept in the critical care service areas in line with Trust policy.
· Assist in the implementation of the ‘Investors in People’ standard and in “Improving Working Lives”
5. Modernising Services
· Work with clinicians, other managers and staff to implement the Trust Strategic Direction in order to continuously improve the quality and timeliness of services to enhance the patient’s experience, reduce waiting times and minimise inefficiencies
· As directed by the Divisional Manager/Head of Nursing project Manage specific modernisation work streams that fit with the Divisional and Trust strategy and Business Plan.
· Provide support for projects involving the modernisation and redevelopment of the critical care services. Work with the Sister/Charge Nurses and Senior Operating Department Practitioners to give guidance and support to identify staff who are able to take on a wider range of clinical skills, and then ensure that adequate resources are available to enable this.
· With the Divisional Manager produce high quality bids for service developments.
· Mange the implementation and further roll out national standards and strategies which affect the critical care areas.
· Monitor and ensure that appropriately trained staff are available to deliver safe, high quality patient care.
· Develop and monitor clinical performance standards, in conjunction with department sisters/charge nurses/senior operating department practitioners.
· To monitor and manage risk, supporting department sisters/charge nurses/senior operating department practitioners in the undertaking of assessments in their local areas of responsibility in accordance with the Trust Risk Strategy.
· Contribute to the development of new nursing/theatre knowledge and support the implementation of evidence-based practice.
6. Communication
· Contribute to communication and public relations within and external to the Directorate by ensuring good communication flows ensure that there is excellent visibility of the post and a good rapport with patients and relatives.
· Encourage a culture of staff involvement and openness. Ensure that all concerns raised are dealt with appropriately, swiftly and meeting clients needs.
· Identify risks and potential incidents that affect business continuity and escalate to relevant member of staff as necessary
· Deal effectively with verbal and written complaints within the critical care unit taking rapid action to rectify difficulties immediately wherever this is possible. Engender an ethos which tries to solve complaints / concerns locally, being easily involved in this process. Investigate and formulate responses to written complaints within Trust timescales and ensure that action is taken to avoid recurrence where appropriate. Report trends in complaints to Divisional Manager/Head of Nursing and ensure that staff learn and change following complaints being raised.
· When directed represent the Trust at external meetings with the PCT and other agencies
7. Contract & Activity Management
· Provide support to the Divisional Manager in meeting performance targets and on business and contracting issues, providing advice, analysis and information as required.
· Co-ordinate the production of Divisional plans in conjunction with the Divisional Manager, other Service Managers, HR, Facilities, IM&T and Finance managers.
· Be responsible for the timely production of standard and ad hoc information requests to enable the Division to plan appropriate service delivery against targets and service agreement levels.
· Provide regular feedback on service performance to consultants, clinical staff and the Divisional Management Team.
· Be responsible for the implementation of the Controls Assurance framework and to monitor compliance within the critical care unit.
· Work with Directors and IM&T when required to ensure that the Trust complies with the NHS Performance Assessment Framework and NICE guidance and to monitor activity performance relevant to Operations.
· As directed by the Divisional Manager produce reports on activity performance for the Director of Operations and Executive Board.
· Be responsible for ensuring data quality in service areas.
· Ensure corrective action taken where data quality problems are detected.
· Ensure that all Trust activity within the critical care unit is being recorded accurately to ensure compliance with Trust financial priorities.
8. Capital planning
· As necessary represent the critical care unit at the capital equipment replacement programme.
· Project manages capital schemes within the critical care unit as required.
· As directed by the Divisional Manager develop new capital schemes Project Initiation Documents and Financial Analysis for the critical care unit.
· Ensure that all contracts are purchased centrally for the critical care unit through the Trust procurement team.
9. Divisional Management Team
· Work as a full member of the Division Senior Management Team.
· Deputise for the Divisional Manager and other members of the team as necessary.
· Take responsibility for own continued professional development and ensuring skills
and knowledge are updated as required.
· Develop and maintain relationship with the Divisional clinical leads and assist
where directed with changes to service which may impact on workforce planning
· To participate in the Senior Managers’ “Silver Team” on-call rota on a 1:9 basis.
· Support the implementation of the Divisions saving plan
· To work with the Clinical Director, Divisional Manager, Head of Nursing and Service Managers on improvement projects as necessary to facilitate the implementation of the NSF’s and NHS plan. Initiate changes as directed to ensure efficient service delivery and the provision of patient centred care
10. Specific responsibilities designated to this post
· To have day to day responsibility for the operational management of ITU, Anaesthetics, Theatres, Endoscopy & Day Care Services, ensuring that clinical standards are maintained and that effective and high quality care is provided at all times.
· To ensure that guidance, recommendations and standards set by appropriate bodies (NMC, NAFPP, AODP, HPC, RCA) are implemented or evaluated against clinical and financial risk.
· To manage the day to day operation of the acute and chronic pain services. Assisting the organisation to reduce its average length of stay and provide valuable support across the trust to other specialists.
· To provide effective management support to the intensive care department, thus combining critical and elective care management.
· Ongoing critically evaluate current practices across all the areas of responsibility and provide recommendations and be an active change agent. To ensure that both clinical and non-clinical quality standards are developed and maintained.
· To ensure that all relevant policies and procedures for the units are up to date and adhered to.
· Responsible for ensuring that the patient environment is well maintained, clean and safe establishing a culture which promotes cleanliness across the units recognising the importance of the facilities staff role and that they feel part of the unit team
· Spend time talking to patients concerning their satisfaction with the service and the level of cleanliness and clinical support they receive.
· Ensure that nursing, facilities and dietetics meet the needs of patients in their nutritional balance. Involve all clinical staff /ward mangers and take appropriate action with any other department as required ensuring that these standards are met minimising risks to the patient.