Chief Medical Officer
2 days ago
Cambridge
Job overviewCambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) is seeking an exceptional Chief Medical Officer (CMO) to join its Board and provide dynamic, visible leadership for the next stage of its journey. This is a pivotal opportunity for a senior clinician who combines professional credibility with compassion and can translate ambitious clinical strategy into meaningful delivery through transformation, innovation, and a relentless focus on quality, outcomes, and experience.CPFT delivers a broad range of mental health, learning disability, autism, and community services across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The Trust is proud of both the care it provides and the people who provide it, and is focused on redesigning pathways, improving access and flow, strengthening safety and governance, and making care more personalised, integrated, and equitable. As CMO, you will help set this direction and lead the work that turns strategy into impact.Recognised nationally and internationally for award-winning research, CPFT is a University Teaching Hospital and a member of the University Hospital Association. Partnerships with the University of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin University create a unique environment for shaping the future of healthcare and developing innovation with world-class research capability.Please note online applications are not required for this post. For an application pack and details on how to apply please email [email protected] Salary - VSM / ConsultantMain duties of the jobThis role requires a highly visible and engaging leader: present in services, connected to teams, and able to build momentum with clarity and purpose. You will set the tone for medical leadership across CPFT by modelling behaviours that sustain a learning culture that is open, inclusive, accountable, and kind. You will build confidence in change and enable high-performing teams to deliver at pace while maintaining compassion at the heart of care.You will lead an ambitious clinical strategy aligned to system priorities and population need, ensuring it delivers improved care across community and inpatient settings. You will sponsor clinically led transformation and service redesign, improve pathways, champion innovation, and use data and improvement methods to secure measurable gains in quality, safety, access, and productivity through digital enablement, new care models, and evidence-based practice that strengthen prevention, recovery, and independence.The post provides executive leadership for medical governance, patient safety, and quality improvement, with robust assurance and a just, learning approach to risk. We are seeking an executive-ready clinician with full GMC registration and a proven track record in large-scale transformation. You will bring sound board-level judgement, influence in complex environments, and a clear commitment to visible leadership across diverse teams representing over 50 nationalities for our organisationCambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.Please be advised we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications.Regrettably, we cannot offer sponsorship for all our job roles. If you apply for a role that we cannot offer sponsorship for, unfortunately, your application form will be rejected from the process. For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at job description and main responsibilitiesPlease see attached job description and person specification for full details• Provide strategic leadership to the Trust Board on clinical strategy, quality, safety, outcomes, and transformation.• Be the Executive Lead for clinical governance including audit and clinical effectiveness, ensuring robust assurance frameworks and effective oversight of clinical governance, risk management, incident response and regulatory engagement.• Lead major transformation programmes across mental health and community care, including:o Neighbourhood/community models and integrated teamso Crisis and urgent care pathwayso Inpatient care redesign and therapeutic environmentso Long-term condition management and rehabilitation• Provide professional leadership to the medical workforce, including consultants, SAS doctors, resident Drs and wider clinical leaders. • Lead medical excellence, through oversight of medical education and training governance, including relationships with deaneries, universities and placement providers.• Embed statutory Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act compliance into pathway redesign and quality improvement.• Ensure sound governance over budgets, productivity and resource use within the medical directorate.• As Executive Lead for Mental Health Legislation, oversee all organisational duties relating to the Mental Health Act 1983 and Mental Capacity Act 2005.Person specificationEducation / QualificationEssential criteria- Full professional registration with the GMC (with a licence to practise) and on specialist register, with senior clinical leadership experience- MBBS or equivalent formal qualification- MRCPsych/MRCGP or equivalentDesirable criteria- Approved clinician under Section 12 of the Mental Health Act- Postgraduate qualification in QI. Med ed / research / mental health lawExperienceEssential criteria- Senior leadership experience at or near board level in a complex healthcare organisation (mental health and / or community preferred)- Experience of practising as a consultant in mental health, learning disability or community services and leading high performing services as a clinical director.- Experience of delivering large-scale clinical transformation and measurable improvements in quality, safety and outcomes across complex landscapes and systems.- Performance management of finance and budgetary ownership in a challenging and / or regulatory environment.Desirable criteria- Experience of a medical management and leadership role in a healthcare organisation at board or near board levelKnowledge and SkillsEssential criteria- Knowledge of the professional, educational and statutory requirements of medical staff- Knowledge of the strategic issues facing Mental Health Learning Disability, Autism and community-based care services, focussing on driving better population health outcomes and reducing inequalities.- Knowledge of the clinical and corporate governance frameworks- Ability to ensure the Board prioritises quality in constrained financial environments.Desirable criteria- Knowledge of Mental Health Legislation (Mental Health Act 1983, Mental Capacity Act 2005)----------------------------------------Here at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) we are dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion. We deliver many of the NHS services that are provided outside of hospital and in the community such as physical, mental health and specialist services.We are a health and social care organisation, offering a wide range of services, including:- Integrated physical and mental health services for adults and older people;- Specialist mental health and learning disability services;- Children and young people’s mental health services;- Children’s community services in Peterborough;- Social care;- Ground-breaking researchWe strongly encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people and members of our ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ communities. For further information about our positive equality, diversity and Inclusion work, please visit is looking to build upon its pool of temporary workers with Temporary Staffing Services (TSS). You will be asked at interview if you would be willing to register with TSS. This is an excellent opportunity for those looking to take on additional hours that are flexible around your personal circumstances.Please be advised that in line with the WHO Health Workforce Support and Safeguards List, 2020 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust currently are unable to accept applications from overseas candidates whose country of residence is classed as a ‘Red List’ country.Applicants who require entry into the UK will be required to provide a valid police certificate from the relevant authority from each country (except the UK) where the applicant has been present for 12 months or more, 10 years before the date of visa application, while aged 18 or over. If you are successful at interview you will be subject to pre-employment checks, including a DBS (if appropriate), references and Occupational Health. To ensure a smooth process please bring all identity documents to your interview. A list of required identity documents will be attached to your interview invitation.All communications will be sent to you via TRAC Systems. By applying for this post you are agreeing to CPFT transferring the information contained in this application to TRAC. If you are made an offer, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.