General Manager - Medicine

General Manager - Medicine

POST DIMENSIONS

Job Summary:

The General Manager is a key member of the Trust management team and will work closely with the Clinical Director, executive team and colleagues to develop a culture within the Business Centre that facilitates excellence in clinical services through patient centred multi-professional team-based care. They will ensure quality of services to patients, visitors and staff, including management of clinical governance, healthcare standards and risk

Key objectives will include accountability for the delivery of financial, performance, productivity and human resource management targets, agreed at the start of each financial year as part of the appraisal and personal development process. The postholder will monitor the performance of the Business Centre against agreed objectives and be responsible for taking corrective action when performance is not in accordance with performance plans.This includes the achievement of all operational performance targets including access, activity, finance, targets, and staff performance and governance standards.

Working in partnership with the Clinical Director, the General Manager will be responsible for the provision of leadership, direction and governance for all services in the Business Centre. This will include delivery of local and national strategic and operational service objectives developed by the Business Centre and agreed by the Trust Board. They will work with their senior team to identify suitable benchmarking opportunities for improved productivity, efficiency and clinical quality.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1.0Strategic Planning and Organisation

1.1Contribute to ensuring that the corporate aims and vision of the Trust are achieved.

1.2To set the vision and determine the objectives of the Business Centre, monitor performance against these and taking corrective action on poor performance.

1.3To lead, manage and develop a culture and environment where safe and high quality patient care is consistently delivered across the Business Centre.

1.4To lead the Business Centre in the planning of service developments which most appropriately meet the needs of patients and achieve the maximum service return on the resources invested.

1.5Take responsibility for strategy and policy development related to the Business Centre areas including the implementation of legislative requirements and risk management arrangements.

1.6In conjunction with others, agree capacity and efficiency plans and be responsible for delivering agreed activity levels to enhance performance.

1.7Develop an annual Business Centre business plan, ensuring that the strategy is fully implemented.

1.8Be responsible for leading the development and implementation of improved and innovative capacity planning, including bed management arrangements to enable more flexible use of clinical capacity.

1.9Identify new opportunities for developments within and across the Business Centre services, which may arise from changes to the internal or external environment.

1.10Work with the senior team to identify suitable benchmarking opportunities for improved productivity, efficiency and clinical quality.

2.0Operational Planning and Delivery

2.1Be responsible for the operational management of all services within the Business Centre on behalf of the Trust.

2.2Work closely with internal teams to devise systems proactively to manage service demands and ensure that these are fully implemented.

2.3Initiate regular review of services within the Business Centre, and ensure new developments are appropriately resourced through the business planning process.

2.4Monitor activity in relation to agreed SLAs and national access targets, and implement immediate corrective action in relation to any significant underperformance/ over-performance.

2.5Respond, in a timely fashion, to frequent and unpredictable day-to-day operational issues as required. Liaise directly with patients and staff to resolve urgent concerns, including resolving stressful or distressing situations.

3.0Governance and Risk

3.1Actively involve Business Centre staff in the delivery of clinical governance, in accordance with the Trust Clinical Governance Strategy.

3.2Establish and maintain a system of internal control within the Business Centre that supports an integrated approach to governance. This will include ensuring a comprehensive and robust mechanism across the Business Centre for reporting on and learning from incidents and complaints that promotes a culture of openness and honesty.

3.2Ensure that Business Centre responsibilities with respect to external assessments e.g. CNST and the Care Quality Commission are fulfilled.

3.3Support the Clinical Director in the provision of strong clinical leadership to facilitate a robust governance culture within the Business Centre and at a corporate level.

3.4Ensure that all incident reviews led by the Business Centre are undertaken in a timely manner, resultant action plans completed to an agreed timetable with feedback regarding the progress made.

3.5To ensure full compliance within the Business Centre with the Trust’s complaints and litigation procedures, taking action where necessary to improve the quality of service to patients.

3.6To assume overall responsibility within the Business Centre for ensuring compliance with Health & Safety regulations.

4.0Performance and Resource Management

4.1To take overall budgetary responsibility within the Business Centre, ensuring it meets its financial targets and contribute to the Trust meeting its own corporate financial obligations.

4.2To lead the preparation of annual cost improvement programmes across the Business Centre and be responsible and accountable for the delivery of savings and to support processes which improve financial information and budgetary control.

4.3To operate within the Trust’s standing orders, standing financial instructions and schemes of delegation.

4.4To develop and manage service level agreements with other NHS Providers as appropriate.

4.5To lead the development of strategic plans for departments within the Business Centre and the creation of business plans to support service delivery.

4.6To agree activity levels and produce capacity plans for the Business centre which achieve delivery of key targets.

4.7To monitor the performance of the Business centre against agreed objectives including the analysis of complex data and be responsible for taking corrective action when performance is not in accordance with performance plans.

4.8To advise on, and where appropriate to ensure implementation of, new practice/developments within the Business Centre which may have an impact on the effective and efficient delivery of activity targets.

5.0Leadership

5.1To oversee the workforce planning, recruitment, selection and development of all staff within areas of responsibility.

5.2To ensure appropriate communication and staff involvement structures are in place for all staff within areas of responsibility.

5.3Ensure that all staff are appropriately managed and developed and that they are therefore efficient, effective, engaged and highly motivated to deliver the business plan and reform agenda whilst improving patient experience.

5.4Create a supportive organisational culture across the Trust in which people feel empowered and committed to high standards of care within the context of Trust’s management culture.

5.5To promote effective leadership by empowering individuals to take appropriate decisions and encourage team working.

6.0Information Management

6.1To support the continuous improvement of data and information quality across the Trust.

7.0Communication and Relationships

7.1To develop and maintain productive relationships using effective pro-active communication mechanisms with staff maximising the opportunity for staff involvement.

7.2To develop excellent relationships with clinicians to ensure that professional staff have an opportunity to influence the planning, management and development of services within the Business Centre.

7.3To develop effective partnerships with other Business Centres and corporate functions in order to develop the Trust business strategy and operations of the Trust.

7.4To develop productive relationships with all external stakeholders including PCTs, NHS London and Local Authorities.

7.5Investigate and action complaints made by members of staff, the public, patients representatives or other organisations, including face-to-face meetings with all parties (including patients) as necessary.

8.0Professional and Personal Development

8.1To undertake continued professional development activity to maintain and develop management competencies.

8.2To participate in Trust mandatory training.

8.3To participate fully in the Trust appraisal programme.

8.4To undertake appropriate coaching, mentoring, training and development activities will all line-managed staff and a variety of other more junior managers across the Trust as necessary.

9.0General

9.1The post holder is required to actively promote the Trust’s equal opportunities policies and procedures and equality schemes.

9.2The postholder must at all times respect service user and staff confidentiality and the requirements of the Data Protection Act and Freedom of Information Act.

9.3The postholder is expected to be familiar and comply with all Trust policies including risk management and IT policies.

9.4The postholder is expected to develop their IT and research skills within the post.

9.5The job description is intended as a guide to the main responsibilities of the post and is not an exhaustive list of duties. The postholder may be required to undertake other duties appropriate to the grade.

September 2009

1. Attitude, Behaviour and Values

• Positive Mental Attitude

• Willingness to take on challenges and comfortable with constructive challenge

• Seeks out, and takes, opportunities for improving the service offered

• Flexible in their attitudes and behaviours to support team working and delivery of objectives

• Customer focus

• Takes pride in their work and has the ability to complete projects to a satisfactory conclusion

• Respects, values and cares for others

• Supports learning and development of self and others

• Supports and promotes equality and diversity

• A strong sense of personal and team accountability coupled to a clear understanding of the boundaries around delegated authority, responsibility and accountability

1. Skills and Aptitudes

• Proven success in business planning and in the development and effective implementation of complex strategic plans.

• A proven record of success in managing significant operational change while also developing and maintaining high standards of quality.

• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to liaise and negotiate effectively at a senior level.

• The ability to both work co-operatively within the senior management team of the Trust and to develop effective working relationships within the business centre.

1. Education / Qualifications

• A formal management qualification, which has been tested in a management post or appropriate equivalent managerial experience.

• Degree and/or an appropriate professional qualification or equivalent

1. Experience

• Minimum of 5 years previous senior managerial experience in a large and complex organisation preferably within the NHS.

• Experience of service redesign and development.

• Significant experience of effective management of budget and effective leadership of staff.

1. Knowledge

• A strong understanding of multi-disciplinary issues and commitment to multi-disciplinary work.

• Evidence of political awareness and sensitivity to the Trust profile

1. Physical

• Ability to carry out the duties of the post with or without adaptations.

September 2009

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General Manager – September 2009