Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Deputy Chief Operating Officer

The closing date is 01 March 2026

Job summary

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an exceptional senior operational leader to join us as Deputy Chief Operating Officer (Planned Care).

This pivotal role provides strategic and operational leadership across all planned care services, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, safe, and financially sustainable elective and outpatient services. The postholder will be responsible for driving operational performance, supporting elective recovery, and leading transformation across elective pathways, diagnostic services, theatres, outpatient departments and surgical specialties. This includes playing a central role in achieving national and local access standards, improving productivity, and enhancing patient experience across our planned care portfolio.

Main duties of the job

Based primarily at Wexham Park Hospital, the Deputy COO will form a key part of the senior triumvirate structure on site, offering visible leadership and daily operational support to divisional teams. Working closely with colleagues, the postholder will ensure cohesive site management while fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration and continuous improvement.

Alongside the Deputy COO for Emergency Care, the postholder will act as a critical deputy to the Chief Operating Officer, contributing to Trust-wide operational leadership, strategic planning and delivery.

The role also includes significant involvement in system-level collaboration, working across the three Integrated Care Systems connected to the Trust to support aligned planning, performance, and transformation on a wider scale. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and ambitious operational leader to shape the future of planned care services within a progressive and high-performing Trust.

About us

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is committed to being an inclusive and disability confident employer and has been awarded the Gold for the Armed Forces Employment Recognition Scheme. We provide first class development opportunities for all staff and have a wide range of professional, management and leadership, and clinical skills training available.

Here at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, we know how important it is to have a healthy work life balance; this benefits not only individuals but the patients we care for too.

We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service and its users.

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Details

Date posted

16 February 2026

Pay scheme

Very senior manager (VSM)

Salary

Depending on experience As per Very Senior Managers (VSM) pay framework

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

151-HS-52

Job locations

Wexham Park Hospital

Slough

SL2 4HL


Job description

Job responsibilities

Full job description, person specification and additional details are attached to this advert, or via our Candidate Pack

Job description

Job responsibilities

Full job description, person specification and additional details are attached to this advert, or via our Candidate Pack

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to postgraduate level or equivalent experience
  • Evidence of ongoing senior leadership development

Experience

Essential

  • Significant senior operational leadership experience within a large, complex NHS organization
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to postgraduate level or equivalent experience
  • Evidence of ongoing senior leadership development

Experience

Essential

  • Significant senior operational leadership experience within a large, complex NHS organization

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Wexham Park Hospital

Slough

SL2 4HL


Employer's website

https://www.fhft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Wexham Park Hospital

Slough

SL2 4HL


Employer's website

https://www.fhft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Chief Operating Officer

Tina Benson

tinabenson@nhs.net

07546812720

Details

Date posted

16 February 2026

Pay scheme

Very senior manager (VSM)

Salary

Depending on experience As per Very Senior Managers (VSM) pay framework

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

151-HS-52

Job locations

Wexham Park Hospital

Slough

SL2 4HL


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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