Head of Patient Safety, Governance & Risk
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The Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth Head of Patient Safety, Governance & Risk
The closing date is 21 September 2026
Job summary
We are looking for an exceptional Head of Patient Safety, Governance & Risk to provide senior operational leadership across patient safety, clinical governance, quality improvement, risk management, information governance and health & safety across our Hospital and Hospice.
Main duties of the job
Reporting directly to the Chief Nursing Officer, you will be the organisational lead and operational expert for these critical functions, ensuring robust systems, effective assurance and a strong culture of safety, learning and continuous improvement.
This is a high-profile leadership role, working closely with the Chief Nursing Officer, Medical Director, Medical Governance Lead and Heads of Departments. You will provide the expertise, insight, data and assurance needed to support executive and Board-level decision-making and the organisation's regulatory responsibilities.
About us
St John & St Elizabeth Hospital is a leading private hospital in London, offering a comprehensive range of specialist medical treatments, clinics and diagnostic services from a team of world-class consultants, supported by a dedicated team of clinical and non-clinical staff.
We are known for our exceptional standards of care, excellent nursing standards, and cutting-edge medical treatments.
We have 170 years of history and are looking for people to join us for the next chapter. We are very unique as the only truly charitable private hospital in London and as a charity, every private patient treated helps support our on-site community hospice
Details
Date posted
14 September 2026
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
Depending on experience
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
B0263-26-0403
Job locations
60 Grove End Road
St John’s Wood
London
NW8 9NH
United Kingdom
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Lead the Charity's patient safety, quality improvement, clinical governance, risk, information governance and health & safety functions.
- Lead the full implementation and ongoing operation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), ensuring patient-centred investigations and meaningful organisational learning.
- Drive a programme of quality improvement initiatives that deliver measurable improvements in patient safety and quality of care.
- Provide operational accountability for the organisational risk register and clinical risk management.
- Lead and develop a high-performing governance and patient safety team, including oversight of information governance, medical records and health & safety functions.
- Provide high-quality data, analysis, dashboards, governance reports and assurance papers for the Executive Management Board, Quality & Governance Committee, Board of Trustees and other senior forums.
- Support the Chief Nursing Officer in their role as Registered Manager and the Chief Executive Officer as Nominated Individual in relation to CQC registration and regulatory obligations.
- Oversee clinical audit, governance systems, incident reporting and regulatory compliance.
- Ensure safety alerts, national guidance and regulatory requirements are implemented effectively.
- Maintain robust information governance arrangements, including compliance with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and relevant information governance standards.
- Build strong relationships with clinical leaders, consultants, operational teams and external stakeholders.
- Champion an open, transparent and supportive safety culture where reporting, learning and continuous improvement are actively encouraged.
Job responsibilities
- Lead the Charity's patient safety, quality improvement, clinical governance, risk, information governance and health & safety functions.
- Lead the full implementation and ongoing operation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), ensuring patient-centred investigations and meaningful organisational learning.
- Drive a programme of quality improvement initiatives that deliver measurable improvements in patient safety and quality of care.
- Provide operational accountability for the organisational risk register and clinical risk management.
- Lead and develop a high-performing governance and patient safety team, including oversight of information governance, medical records and health & safety functions.
- Provide high-quality data, analysis, dashboards, governance reports and assurance papers for the Executive Management Board, Quality & Governance Committee, Board of Trustees and other senior forums.
- Support the Chief Nursing Officer in their role as Registered Manager and the Chief Executive Officer as Nominated Individual in relation to CQC registration and regulatory obligations.
- Oversee clinical audit, governance systems, incident reporting and regulatory compliance.
- Ensure safety alerts, national guidance and regulatory requirements are implemented effectively.
- Maintain robust information governance arrangements, including compliance with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and relevant information governance standards.
- Build strong relationships with clinical leaders, consultants, operational teams and external stakeholders.
- Champion an open, transparent and supportive safety culture where reporting, learning and continuous improvement are actively encouraged.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- You will be an experienced senior healthcare leader with a strong track record in clinical governance, patient safety and/or quality improvement within a UK healthcare setting.
- You will bring:
- Significant senior experience leading patient safety, clinical governance and/or quality improvement.
- A proven record of delivering measurable improvements for patients.
- Experience leading, managing and developing governance or patient safety teams.
- Strong practical experience of PSIRF, incident investigation and organisational learning.
- Experience of risk management, clinical audit, policy development and regulatory compliance.
- Knowledge and experience of information governance, GDPR compliance and data security.
- Experience of health & safety management within healthcare or another complex organisation.
- Experience preparing and presenting reports and assurance papers to senior committees and Boards.
- Expert knowledge of patient safety and quality improvement methodologies, including systems thinking and human factors.
- Thorough knowledge of the CQC regulatory framework and the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
- Strong knowledge of UK patient safety, risk, governance and regulatory requirements.
- Excellent analytical skills, including the use of data, SPC processes and graphical reporting.
- Outstanding communication, facilitation, negotiation and influencing skills.
- The resilience, judgement and credibility to operate effectively in complex and demanding situations.
- A degree-level qualification or equivalent professional training is required, alongside relevant quality improvement/patient safety and leadership or management qualifications or experience. Clinical registration, such as NMC or HCPC registration, is also identified within the person specification.
- Experience of working in a private healthcare environment, practising privileges and relevant project/programme management qualifications would be valuable
Experience
Essential
- You will be an experienced senior healthcare leader with a strong track record in clinical governance, patient safety and/or quality improvement within a UK healthcare setting.
- You will bring:
- Significant senior experience leading patient safety, clinical governance and/or quality improvement.
- A proven record of delivering measurable improvements for patients.
- Experience leading, managing and developing governance or patient safety teams.
- Strong practical experience of PSIRF, incident investigation and organisational learning.
- Experience of risk management, clinical audit, policy development and regulatory compliance.
- Knowledge and experience of information governance, GDPR compliance and data security.
- Experience of health & safety management within healthcare or another complex organisation.
- Experience preparing and presenting reports and assurance papers to senior committees and Boards.
- Expert knowledge of patient safety and quality improvement methodologies, including systems thinking and human factors.
- Thorough knowledge of the CQC regulatory framework and the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
- Strong knowledge of UK patient safety, risk, governance and regulatory requirements.
- Excellent analytical skills, including the use of data, SPC processes and graphical reporting.
- Outstanding communication, facilitation, negotiation and influencing skills.
- The resilience, judgement and credibility to operate effectively in complex and demanding situations.
- A degree-level qualification or equivalent professional training is required, alongside relevant quality improvement/patient safety and leadership or management qualifications or experience. Clinical registration, such as NMC or HCPC registration, is also identified within the person specification.
- Experience of working in a private healthcare environment, practising privileges and relevant project/programme management qualifications would be valuable
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.
Employer details
Employer name
The Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth
Address
60 Grove End Road
St John’s Wood
London
NW8 9NH
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.hje.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
Employer details
Employer name
The Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth
Address
60 Grove End Road
St John’s Wood
London
NW8 9NH
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.hje.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Recruitment Coordinator
Divya Melekandy
Details
Date posted
14 September 2026
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
Depending on experience
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
B0263-26-0403
Job locations
60 Grove End Road
St John’s Wood
London
NW8 9NH
United Kingdom
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Support links
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