Head of Healthcare Contracts & Overseas Patients

Job description

Job responsibilities

To advise, negotiate and complete all legally binding highly complex contracts for NHS commissioners (NHSE and West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB)), Private sector organisations, Local Authority and Provider contracts.

To demonstrate and use in-depth highly developed specialised knowledge of contracting processes, specifications, policies, including NHS guidance and legislation.

To be familiar with and support the use of technology and to be able to progress and complete contract agreements using technology.

To liaise with key very senior Trust staff on the mandatory information, quality and performance requirements within the standard contract; to facilitate contract sign off and ensure delivery of these.

To manage and lead Trust wide on NHSE specialised and screening activity projects, prime contractor model of care, derogation exercises liaising with Chief Operating Officer, Divisional General Managers, clinicians and operational staff.

To analyse, manage and prepare contracts for sub-contracting with private sector organisations and other providers; ensuring all contractual requirements have been followed and the necessary service specifications are agreed and followed to ensure optimum quality and efficiency.

To be able to advise and use in-depth highly developed specialised knowledge of the NHS Standard Contract management process (General conditions GC9), including contract query notices, excusing notes, joint investigations and remedial action plans, exception reporting and withholding and retaining payments.

To work with commissioners as required on the operational and contractual processes in the development of Prime Contractor models

To validate, check and complete contract service variations for service improvements, liaising with internal key senior staff, before sending to the Director of Finance for signature.

To have in depth knowledge of the contract and service termination process and notice periods, preparing letters to terminate for signature from the Director / Assistant Director of Finance.

To support and advise clinical and operational staff on the presentation, contractual mechanisms and processes required to progress service improvements where the Executive Team have approved them to be presented to Commissioners.

To oversee or deal with difficult complex individual funding requests (IFRs) liaising with the commissioner and Trust clinical staff as required.

To manage in year relationships with commissioners including a process of formal review meetings, ensuring that all contractual and highly contentious issues are raised and resolved promptly and effectively.

To provide advice, information and prepare strategic reports and briefings for directors and stakeholders.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Highly developed management experience in a healthcare contracting or commissioning role with highly developed specialist knowledge of contracting and commissioning procedures and guidance.
• In depth, broad experience of negotiating, agreeing and performance managing contracts, including the ability to fully complete contract documentation and variations following service improvement /redesign.
• Proven success at managing complex programmes of organisational change while maintaining service quality.
• Financial experience with high levels of numerical and analytical skills to manage and monitor large contracts
• Experience in providing, receiving and presenting highly complex, sensitive or contentious information about services, contracts, performance and quality requirements to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders in formal settings where there can be a hostile atmosphere and clear resistance and opposition to change
• Experience of s taff management and motivation, including the setting of objectives, individual appraisals, recruitment and disciplinary issues.

Skills

Essential

• Innovative. Demonstratable achievement of using innovative approaches to deliver continuous improvement and/or deliver efficiencies.
• Ability to identify and advise on service improvement and business planning by reconfiguring services or pathways in line with the contractual counting and coding framework and changing national requirements.
• Highly developed negotiation, persuasive and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and seal agreements when negotiating contracts and support and conclude year-end positions with commissioners.
• Ability to analyse, and present highly complex facts or information during discussions with commissioners, providing and receiving highly complex and sensitive information, comparing a range of options, where expert opinion differs.
• Ability to proactively prioritise work and record information, meet strict tight deadlines with high levels of pressure and frequent concentration requirements, whilst working on ones own initiative to manage conflicting demands and priorities
• Full range of IT skills including spreadsheet analysis and an understanding of local systems such as Patient Administration Systems and Electronic Staff Records.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to communicate diplomatically to develop lasting professional relationships with a wide range of staff with different levels of responsibility and professional backgrounds both internally and externally.
• Interpret National guidance and Influence the development of Trust policies and procedures,

Knowledge

Essential

• Highly developed specialist knowledge of health service management, change management, including service pathway redesign and collaborative working across a range of sectors and health economy.
• Broad and in depth knowledge of the quality and performance agenda within the NHS locally and nationally and associated guidance relating to strategic planning, service provision and commissioning; including key national and local targets.
• Highly developed specialist knowledge of services, specifications and policies for services commissioned by NHSE (specialised commissioning, screening and dental).
• A good understanding of current guidance relating to Payment by Results, 'Who pays' including, Overseas Visitor Regulations and reciprocal arrangements

Qualifications

Essential

• Highly developed specialist knowledge and training to master's level or equivalent experience*
• Evidence of continued professional development in contracting, commissioning, quality and performance agenda and financial payment flows (PbR), including tariff variations and modifications.

other requirements

Essential

• Flexible approach to work is required together with some cross site travel; including travel to regional / national meetings and events and to commissioners' premises

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Daisy Bank

Duckworth Road

Bradford

BD9 6RL

Employer's website

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