Hospital Medical Director Full Time

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) are working towards merging as one organisation from July 2026.

This will create an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people.

Should you join NBT as an employee prior to our organisations merging, your employment will be automatically transferred across to UHBW. Should your employment begin after our two Trusts merge, you will be employed directly by UHBW and therefore UHBW terms and conditions of service will apply

Our job adverts may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Considering this, if you are interested in this role, please do apply as soon as you can.

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Job Overview

We are seeking an outstanding Hospital Medical Director to join the Bristol NHS Group, providing senior medical leadership at hospital level and contributing to the strategic leadership of the wider Group.

You will be a key member of the Hospital Management Team, working closely with the Hospital Managing Director, the Chief Medical and Innovation Officer (CMIO), and senior clinical leaders. You will play a pivotal role in ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and equitable care, while fostering the highest professional standards across the medical workforce.

This is a high‑profile leadership role for an experienced medical leader who is motivated by improving patient outcomes, developing people, and shaping the future of hospital services within a complex and evolving healthcare system.

About You

You will be a qualified Doctor or Dentist with a strong track record as a senior medical leader within a large and complex hospital environment. You will bring:

• Extensive knowledge of NHS policy, regulation, quality and patient safety
• Experience of leading service improvement and working collaboratively across systems
• Strong personal credibility and the ability to influence, engage and inspire senior stakeholders
• Strategic thinking skills, with the ability to translate national and regional policy into operational delivery
• Resilience, adaptability and confidence in managing ambiguity and complexity
• A clear commitment to NHS values, equity and inclusive leadership

Main duties of the job

At Hospital Level, You Will

• Provide visible, compassionate and credible medical leadership across all hospital services
• Lead the day‑to‑day professional management of doctors and other medical professionals
• Take responsibility for patient safety, quality of care and professional standards
• Respond to serious patient safety incidents, complaints and concerns relating to medical care
• Provide line management to the Clinical Chairs, and leadership to senior clinicians
• Ensure a culture that supports research, innovation, teaching and continuous improvement
• Represent the organisation in matters relating to capability, conduct, coronial investigations and professional regulation
• Contribute to workforce planning, consultant appointments and workforce sustainability
• Manage the Medical Director budget and support delivery of savings plans
• Role-model organisational values and promote engagement, trust and inclusion across the medical workforce

At Group Level, You Will

• Deputise for the Chief Medical and Innovation Officer when required
• Work collaboratively across hospital sites to promote consistent clinical standards, policies and culture
• Lead or support Group-wide programmes and projects
• Support delivery of the Joint Clinical Strategy, including chairing the Delivery Group and sub-groups
• Contribute to Group strategies relating to research, innovation, medical workforce and education
• Escalate significant clinical or professional concerns through appropriate governance forums

Working for our organisation

North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities. Our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specifications for further details of this position.

Person specification

Qualifications And Training

Essential criteria

• Qualified Doctor or Dentist
• Track record of continuous personal and professional development

Desirable criteria

• Masters level qualification in a related subject or equivalent knowledge, training, and experience

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of NHS policy, particularly related to medical staff, patient experience, quality and safety, and the NHS regulatory framework
• Strong interpersonal skills and personal credibility, with the ability to build confidence and relationships with others

Skills And Abilities

Essential criteria

• Experience as Medical leader within a large hospital
• Track record of leading service improvement in a complex environment, working collaboratively across systems

Aptitudes

Essential criteria

• Committed to NHS values, public service and equity; able to travel across BNSSG and nationally/internationally as required
• Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable with ambiguity; role-models Group values

Please note that if you apply for a position with North Bristol NHS Trust, you may be contacted via TRAC or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your TRAC Account and email accounts including junk and spam folders.

If you apply for this vacancy and have not received a communication from North Bristol NHS Trust within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.

Please note that North Bristol NHS Trust does not reimburse travel expenses relating to interview attendance.

If you feel you meet the requirements of the Disability Act / Two Ticks scheme and require further support/advice, please contact us on tel 0117 414 1151.

North Bristol NHS Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The successful applicant(s) will normally commence at the minimum of the scale unless they have previous NHS service at the same band. Progression through the scale is by annual increments.

At North Bristol Trust (NBT), we know diverse and inclusive environments lead to happier and healthier teams and improved patient care and outcomes. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are currently underrepresented in NBT’s workforce at Band 8a and above. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQIA+ people.

Please note that stringent pre-employment checks are undertaken on all successful applicants prior to commencement in post.