East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Sister/Charge Nurse - Pre-Assessment & Elective Care Centre

The closing date is 21 January 2026

Job summary

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced and motivated Sister /Charge Nurse to lead our Elective Care and Pre-Operative Assessment service, within a Surgical Division recently rated 'Good' by external regulators.

This is an exciting leadership opportunity to manage and develop the nursing team across a multi-specialty pre-operative service including General Surgery, Orthopaedics, and Urology.

You will provide visible leadership, promote multidisciplinary working, and ensure the delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care in line with Trust priorities and the "Every Patient, Every Day" programme.

Main duties of the job

Accountable for the delivery of nursing clinical services within Pre-operative Assessment Unit and to support the General Manager and Matron with service improvements
Responsible for the management of the nursing and administration teams which support the service
In collaboration with the Clinical Lead, will ensure that patient care is undertaken within National Guidelines, provided and supported by the Pre-Operative Association and RCoA
Work with management teams within the variety of specialties to ensure the demands of their capacity are met safely.
Ensure the Flow of current and relevant information to and from hospital meetings, forums and greater healthcare economy for all ward staff
Provide professional and managerial leadership for nursing, nursing support roles and administration & clerical team, in order to be accountable for the safe, efficient delivery of patient care in line with current research, and for ensuring a framework of safe practice within the Pre-operative Assessment Unit and Elective Care Centre.
As a key member of the Division Management Team, be responsible and accountable for facilitating the development, implementation and evaluation of the Trust and Government objectives in line with clinical service delivery.

About us

We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients' own homes.

We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff.

We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.

Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.

Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.

We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what's widely regarded as the world's best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.

Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A

Date posted

08 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

432-HR1122-25

Job locations

Colchester Hospital

Turner Road

Colchester

CO4 5JL

Job description

Job responsibilities

For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Evidence of academic pathway equivalent to Degree in Nursing
Experience that recognises highly developed and complex levels
Demonstration and evidence of personal professional development
Proven experience at Band 6 / Junior Sister / Charge Nurse level or above in an acute setting
oProven experience of leading and managing nursing teams, including managing change
oExperience of ability to manage change quickly & effectively
oProviding advice to specialist and non-specialist staff

Desirable

Holistic Assessment and History-taking qualification Management qualification
Experience of service development, redesign, or strategic working
Experience of service redesign and development
Experience of working strategically
Experience of interpreting national policies and initiatives and implementing these into the workplace

Qualifications

Essential

Registered Nurse with current NMC registration

Desirable

Master's degree or working towards
Management qualification

Knowledge

Essential

oStrong understanding of the pre-operative assessment role within the elective surgical pathway
oHeightened awareness of national nursing and midwifery initiatives
oExcellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills
oAbility to analyse complex situations, prioritise effectively, and make sound professional judgements
oThe ability to work co-operatively with the Senior Management team of the Division and Trust & to develop effective working relationships across Division
oCommitment to quality improvement, equality and diversity, and Trust values

Desirable

Knowledge of strategies for effective change
Carried out research
An understanding and experience of staff and organisational development
Evidence of political awareness and sensitivity to the high profile of the Trust

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Evidence of academic pathway equivalent to Degree in Nursing
Experience that recognises highly developed and complex levels
Demonstration and evidence of personal professional development
Proven experience at Band 6 / Junior Sister / Charge Nurse level or above in an acute setting
oProven experience of leading and managing nursing teams, including managing change
oExperience of ability to manage change quickly & effectively
oProviding advice to specialist and non-specialist staff

Desirable

Holistic Assessment and History-taking qualification Management qualification
Experience of service development, redesign, or strategic working
Experience of service redesign and development
Experience of working strategically
Experience of interpreting national policies and initiatives and implementing these into the workplace

Qualifications

Essential

Registered Nurse with current NMC registration

Desirable

Master's degree or working towards
Management qualification

Knowledge

Essential

oStrong understanding of the pre-operative assessment role within the elective surgical pathway
oHeightened awareness of national nursing and midwifery initiatives
oExcellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills
oAbility to analyse complex situations, prioritise effectively, and make sound professional judgements
oThe ability to work co-operatively with the Senior Management team of the Division and Trust & to develop effective working relationships across Division
oCommitment to quality improvement, equality and diversity, and Trust values

Desirable

Knowledge of strategies for effective change
Carried out research
An understanding and experience of staff and organisational development
Evidence of political awareness and sensitivity to the high profile of the Trust

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).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Colchester Hospital

Turner Road

Colchester

CO4 5JL

Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Colchester Hospital

Turner Road

Colchester

CO4 5JL

Employer's website

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