Job summary
We have an excellent opportunity for a highly motivated and enthusiastic experienced Matron to join the Senior Nursing team in the Gastrointestinal and Surgical Directorate on a full time 18 month secondment contract.
Closing date: 25th June 2025
Interview date: 7th July 2025
Main duties of the job
We are seeking a forward-thinking Senior Nurse with a strong background in leading Nurse Specialist teams, underpinned by excellent interpersonal and leadership skills. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of progressive leadership and service development, acting as an effective role model who inspires and supports colleagues. You will be self-motivated, adaptable, and passionate about delivering high-quality care in a dynamic and evolving healthcare environment. This role requires someone who can confidently lead change, support innovation, and drive the ongoing development of our nursing teams.
A strong commitment to high-quality, evidence-based practice is essential, with the ability to enhance the patient experience through clinically visible and credible leadership. You will be self-motivated, adaptable, and passionate about driving standards of care in an ever-evolving healthcare environment. Upholding our Trust values, you will work in partnership with patients, carers, and staff to ensure services remain safe, effective, and of the highest quality.
As part of the Cancer & Surgery clinical group, you will join a team of two other Matrons covering Surgical and Endoscopy services. You will work collaboratively across the group, sharing responsibility for operational effectiveness and contributing to the strategic leadership of nursing across the wider division.
About us
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust comprises five of the UK's best known hospitals - Guy's, St Thomas', Evelina London Children's Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield - as well as community services in Lambeth and Southwark, all with a long history of high quality care, clinical excellence, research and innovation.
Gastrointestinal and Surgery Directorate covers a large range of specialities including Upper and Lower GI cancers, Pelvic Floor, Endoscopy, benign disease of the GI tract and Stoma services. The role will include working closely with our Ward Managers, Clinical Nurse Specialists & Advanced Nurse Practitioners.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Through strong clinical leadership the Matron will support the Ward and Departmental Sisters/Charge Nurses to promote excellence in nursing and midwifery care to maintain and improve clinical standards. The post holder will ensure that all patients are treated with compassion, dignity and respect placing value on the diversity of the local community and beyond.
The Matrons key responsibility is to ensure that the patient experience is of the highest quality inspiring patient and public confidence. This will be achieved through high visibility, accessibility and surveillance.
The Matron role involves working closely with the Head of Nursing for Gastrointestinal surgery to ensure service delivery, quality and safety and provide cross cover when appropriate.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Through strong clinical leadership the Matron will support the Ward and Departmental Sisters/Charge Nurses to promote excellence in nursing and midwifery care to maintain and improve clinical standards. The post holder will ensure that all patients are treated with compassion, dignity and respect placing value on the diversity of the local community and beyond.
The Matrons key responsibility is to ensure that the patient experience is of the highest quality inspiring patient and public confidence. This will be achieved through high visibility, accessibility and surveillance.
The Matron role involves working closely with the Head of Nursing for Gastrointestinal surgery to ensure service delivery, quality and safety and provide cross cover when appropriate.
Person Specification
Values & Behaviour
Essential
Skills/Knowledge/ Ability
Essential
- Well developed leadership and influencing skills with the ability to enthuse, motivate and involve individuals and teams, and have them understand the Trust's and your performance expectations.
- A commitment to improving patient services through an ability to sustain a clear performance focus on achieving demanding goals.
- Ability to be intellectually flexible and to look beyond existing structures, ways of working, boundaries and organisations to produce more effective and innovative service delivery and partnerships.
- Sound political judgement and astuteness in understanding and working with complex policy, and diverse interest groups, and common sense in knowing when to brief "up the line".
Qualifications/ Education
Essential
- First level registered Nurse.
- Broad clinical experience relevant to the post.
- Evidence of equivalent knowledge and experience to Masters level.
- A proven track record of operational service management at a senior level in an acute hospital environment, including staff management, financial management and change management.
Desirable
- A Masters level qualification in nursing or a post graduate qualification is desirable but not essential.
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable previous success in leading and delivering change and performance with and through clinical teams, by engaging them in the strategic direction and delivery plans, establishing clear work priorities with them, delegating effectively, ensuring a capability to deliver, monitoring performance and giving feedback.
- Proven ability to analyse complex problems and to develop and successfully implement practical and workable solutions to address them
Person Specification
Values & Behaviour
Essential
Skills/Knowledge/ Ability
Essential
- Well developed leadership and influencing skills with the ability to enthuse, motivate and involve individuals and teams, and have them understand the Trust's and your performance expectations.
- A commitment to improving patient services through an ability to sustain a clear performance focus on achieving demanding goals.
- Ability to be intellectually flexible and to look beyond existing structures, ways of working, boundaries and organisations to produce more effective and innovative service delivery and partnerships.
- Sound political judgement and astuteness in understanding and working with complex policy, and diverse interest groups, and common sense in knowing when to brief "up the line".
Qualifications/ Education
Essential
- First level registered Nurse.
- Broad clinical experience relevant to the post.
- Evidence of equivalent knowledge and experience to Masters level.
- A proven track record of operational service management at a senior level in an acute hospital environment, including staff management, financial management and change management.
Desirable
- A Masters level qualification in nursing or a post graduate qualification is desirable but not essential.
Experience
Essential
- Demonstrable previous success in leading and delivering change and performance with and through clinical teams, by engaging them in the strategic direction and delivery plans, establishing clear work priorities with them, delegating effectively, ensuring a capability to deliver, monitoring performance and giving feedback.
- Proven ability to analyse complex problems and to develop and successfully implement practical and workable solutions to address them
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
