Deputy Chief Medical Officers

A Vacancy at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Deputy Chief Medical Officers (Effective Care, Timely Care and Safe Care) Job Overview We are strengthening our senior medical leadership structure and are seeking exceptional senior medical leaders to join us as Deputy Chief Medical Officers for:

• Effective Care
• Timely Care
• Safe Care
Working directly with Professor Derek Tracy, Chief Medical Officer, and alongside the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for People, these newly established roles offer an exciting opportunity to shape the future of care across South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. The Deputy Chief Medical Officers will provide visible, inclusive, and clinically credible leadership across the Trust, helping to improve the quality, safety, effectiveness and timeliness of care for patients and service users. These influential roles will work across clinical, operational, and corporate boundaries, supporting organisational strategy, service transformation, and continuous improvement. Successful candidates will join a strengthened senior medical leadership team and play a key role in delivering the Trust's ambitions for outstanding care, innovation, research and clinical excellence. Each role comprises six management programmed activities (PAs) and forms part of a newly strengthened medical leadership structure. Prospective applicants are warmly encouraged to arrange an informal and confidential discussion, or informal visit, with Professor Derek Tracy, Chief Medical Officer, to learn more about the opportunities and the future direction of medical leadership within the Trust. Appointment Arrangements Each Deputy Chief Medical Officer appointment comprises six management programmed activities (PAs) and is intended to be undertaken alongside a substantive consultant appointment within the Trust. Existing SLaM consultants appointed to the role will incorporate the Deputy Chief Medical Officer responsibilities into their agreed consultant job plan. External applicants are welcome to apply. Arrangements for external candidates will be discussed as part of the recruitment process and would be subject to securing an appropriate substantive consultant appointment and agreed job plan within the Trust. Applicants may apply for one, two or all three Deputy Chief Medical Officer portfolios. Candidates wishing to be considered for more than one portfolio will be required to indicate this within their application. Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities The Deputy Chief Medical Officers will provide senior medical leadership across the Trust and work collectively with the Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Chief Medical Officer for People to support the delivery of the Trust's strategic objectives and continuous improvement ambitions. Whilst each postholder will contribute to the collective leadership of the medical workforce and broader organisational priorities, each role will hold a distinct portfolio of responsibilities. Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Effective Care The postholder will provide strategic leadership for clinical effectiveness, outcomes, quality improvement, innovation and research. Key responsibilities include:
• Promoting evidence-based practice and reducing unwarranted variation in care.
• Supporting implementation of the Trust's Care Improvement System.
• Improving outcomes using audit, benchmarking, and outcome measures.
• Strengthening the translation of research and innovation into clinical practice.
• Supporting improvement in quality, effectiveness, and patient outcomes across services.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Timely Care The postholder will provide strategic leadership for access, patient flow, productivity, and pathway improvement. Key responsibilities include:
• Improving access to services and reducing delays in care.
• Supporting improvements in patient flow and pathway effectiveness.
• Working with clinical and operational leaders to optimise demand and capacity management.
• Leading programmes that improve service responsiveness and patient experience.
• Supporting the development of sustainable and equitable models of care.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Safe Care The postholder will provide strategic leadership for patient safety, quality governance, and organisational learning. Key responsibilities include:
• Leading the development and delivery of the Trust's patient safety priorities.
• Promoting a culture of openness, learning, and continuous improvement.
• Strengthening organisational learning from incidents, complaints, and patient feedback.
• Supporting Trust-wide quality and safety improvement programmes.
• Providing expert advice and assurance on safety, governance, and clinical risk.
All three postholders will be expected to work collaboratively across portfolios, support Trust-wide priorities and provide visible and influential leadership across the organisation.