NHS Blood and Transplant

Chief Medical Officer

The closing date is 26 January 2026

Job summary

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is responsible for ensuring that NHSBT has an effective clinical strategy and has executive lead responsibility for the development of the Medical Workforce. Responsible for developing an ethos and culture within the medical community which drives sustainable improvement in the quality of clinical services for patients and donors.

An Executive Team and Board member.

Main duties of the job

  • The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) is responsible for ensuring that NHSBT has an effective clinical strategy and has executive lead responsibility for the development of the Medical Workforce.
  • Responsible for developing an ethos and culture within the medical community which drives sustainable improvement in the quality of clinical services for patients and donors.
  • An Executive Team and Board member.
  • Collaborates with clinical colleagues and other stakeholders to develop clinical quality initiatives and establishing monitoring systems for the achievement of local and national standards, including being the lead for Safety Policy.
  • Meet the criteria as a Fit and Proper Person as defined by the Care Quality Commission.
  • As an executive Board member, the CMO will contribute to the development and implementation of NHSBTs corporate strategy, leading the medical input in its development and implementation.
  • As an Executive Director the CMO will contribute to all aspects of the work of the organisation.
  • All Directors work as part of a cohesive team and are expected to take lead responsibility for corporate and organisational wide outcomes above and beyond their immediate responsibilities; particularly to develop, drive and deliver strategic transformation across the organisation using innovative practise and championing the improvements in data technology and automation.

About us

It takes all types of people to deliver the kind of service that saves and improves lives. At NHS Blood and Transplant, youll join a team of more than 6,000 people who are making a genuine difference to communities, families, friends, relatives and more across the UK. We play a unique and special role in the NHS by helping people do something extraordinary- donate blood, blood products, organs, tissues, or stem cells to save someone in need.

Our three core values are what set us apart. They guide and inspire everything we do. By being caring, expertly meeting the needs of our patients and our people, and accepting nothing less than the best quality, we can do extraordinary work and help our people to do something extraordinary in their career, too. Three small words, one big difference - Caring, Expert and Quality. Together we'll save and improve more lives than ever.

You will join us on our journey to create an inclusive workplace and aim to reflect the diverse communities we work with, and we positively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

Details

Date posted

08 January 2026

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£174,000 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

008104

Job locations

NHSBT - Filton

500 North Bristol Park

Northway

Bristol Filton

BS34 7QH


NHSBT - Colindale

Charcot Road

Colindale

London

NW9 5BG


NHSBT - Manchester

Plymouth Grove

Manchester

M13 9LL


NHSBT - Newcastle

Holland Drive off Barrack Road

Newcastle

NE2 4NQ


NHSBT - Barnsley

Capitol Way

Dodworth

Barnsley

S75 3FG


NHSBT - Tooting

75 Cranmer Terrace

Tooting

London

SW17 0RB


NHSBT - Birmingham

Vincent Drive

Edgbaston

Birmingham

B15 2SG


NHSBT - Liverpool

14 Estuary Banks

Speke

Liverpool

L24 8RB


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Compliance with legislation regarding medical licencing and revalidation as defined by the General Medical Council, along with advice to the Board on medical workforce development.
  • Ensuring professional direction, performance management and supervision to the Medical Directors and through them all doctors employed by NHSBT, across all disciplines; pathology, cell, apheresis and gene therapies, transfusion and organ and tissue transplantation and donation.
  • Ensure that the statutory Responsible Officer (RO) duties are fulfilled in NHSBT.
  • Lead on addressing health inequalities in the patients we serve.
  • Advice to the Board on changes and innovations in clinical practice or policy in relation to Transfusion and Transplantation.
  • Making an active contribution to the development of national, European Union and international health care safety policy in respect of transfusion and transplantation medicine and Science. This will be done through roles on JPAC, SaBTO and the ABO (Alliance of Blood Operators) CMO group and chairing of NHSBT Therapeutic Products Safety Group (TPSG).
  • Ensure that clinical advice to the legal clinical claims department is given in a timely manner.
  • Accountability for the Deputy Chief Medical Officer who acts as NHSBT Caldicott Guardian and contribute to the information governance agenda.
  • Act as executive lead for Research and Development and research governance. Ensure relationships with our partner universities, NIHR and other stakeholders such as UKHSA are maintained.
  • Lead responsibility, through the CSO, for Research Governance to ensure high standards of practice, performance and ethics
  • Ensure scientific horizon scanning processes are developed. Drive the translation of innovative research into development of viable products and services for patients.
  • Through the work of the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), ensure scientists in the organisation have clear career pathways and training.
  • Joint responsibility with the Chief Nursing Officer for clinical governance to ensure high standards of clinical practice and performance. Ensure learning from serious incidents is embedded in the organisation.
  • Representing NHSBT with key transfusion medicine and transplantation stakeholders, both nationally and internationally. Sitting on external advisory boards as invited and relevant.
  • Liaising with Ministers and senior government officials as a representative of NHSBT. Attendance at accountability meetings as required.
  • Liaising with DHSC CMO team as required.
  • Liaising with NHSE as a representative of NHSBT as required, member of NHSE Medical Directors Medical Advisory Group.
  • Chairing the DHSC analytical team of health economists to prioritise work.
  • Communications with the media, as required.
  • Participate in the UK Forum meetings and work and contribute to the SHOT/JPAC/Systematic Review Initiative.
  • Oversee the UK haemovigilance scheme on behalf of the UK Forum, Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT), and the Joint Professional Advisory Committee, which sets policies for the four UK Blood Services through the line management of the Medical Director SHOT and Professional Director JPAC.
  • Lead and manage key external stakeholder relationships: UKHSA, NHSE including National Clinical Directors and Specialty Advisors, Genomics England, Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), Office for Life Sciences, Genomics Medicines Service, National Institute Health Research, and Anthony Nolan as required.
  • To work with the wider executive team to capitalise on income generation opportunities.

Other Duties

  • Participate in the NHSBT Executive Director on-call rota.
  • Operate within NHSBTs standing orders, standing financial instructions and schemes of delegation.
  • Undertake special projects by agreement with the Chief Executive.

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • Compliance with legislation regarding medical licencing and revalidation as defined by the General Medical Council, along with advice to the Board on medical workforce development.
  • Ensuring professional direction, performance management and supervision to the Medical Directors and through them all doctors employed by NHSBT, across all disciplines; pathology, cell, apheresis and gene therapies, transfusion and organ and tissue transplantation and donation.
  • Ensure that the statutory Responsible Officer (RO) duties are fulfilled in NHSBT.
  • Lead on addressing health inequalities in the patients we serve.
  • Advice to the Board on changes and innovations in clinical practice or policy in relation to Transfusion and Transplantation.
  • Making an active contribution to the development of national, European Union and international health care safety policy in respect of transfusion and transplantation medicine and Science. This will be done through roles on JPAC, SaBTO and the ABO (Alliance of Blood Operators) CMO group and chairing of NHSBT Therapeutic Products Safety Group (TPSG).
  • Ensure that clinical advice to the legal clinical claims department is given in a timely manner.
  • Accountability for the Deputy Chief Medical Officer who acts as NHSBT Caldicott Guardian and contribute to the information governance agenda.
  • Act as executive lead for Research and Development and research governance. Ensure relationships with our partner universities, NIHR and other stakeholders such as UKHSA are maintained.
  • Lead responsibility, through the CSO, for Research Governance to ensure high standards of practice, performance and ethics
  • Ensure scientific horizon scanning processes are developed. Drive the translation of innovative research into development of viable products and services for patients.
  • Through the work of the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), ensure scientists in the organisation have clear career pathways and training.
  • Joint responsibility with the Chief Nursing Officer for clinical governance to ensure high standards of clinical practice and performance. Ensure learning from serious incidents is embedded in the organisation.
  • Representing NHSBT with key transfusion medicine and transplantation stakeholders, both nationally and internationally. Sitting on external advisory boards as invited and relevant.
  • Liaising with Ministers and senior government officials as a representative of NHSBT. Attendance at accountability meetings as required.
  • Liaising with DHSC CMO team as required.
  • Liaising with NHSE as a representative of NHSBT as required, member of NHSE Medical Directors Medical Advisory Group.
  • Chairing the DHSC analytical team of health economists to prioritise work.
  • Communications with the media, as required.
  • Participate in the UK Forum meetings and work and contribute to the SHOT/JPAC/Systematic Review Initiative.
  • Oversee the UK haemovigilance scheme on behalf of the UK Forum, Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT), and the Joint Professional Advisory Committee, which sets policies for the four UK Blood Services through the line management of the Medical Director SHOT and Professional Director JPAC.
  • Lead and manage key external stakeholder relationships: UKHSA, NHSE including National Clinical Directors and Specialty Advisors, Genomics England, Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), Office for Life Sciences, Genomics Medicines Service, National Institute Health Research, and Anthony Nolan as required.
  • To work with the wider executive team to capitalise on income generation opportunities.

Other Duties

  • Participate in the NHSBT Executive Director on-call rota.
  • Operate within NHSBTs standing orders, standing financial instructions and schemes of delegation.
  • Undertake special projects by agreement with the Chief Executive.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Full and specialist registration and a licence to practise with the General Medical Council (GMC)
  • Applicants that are UK trained, must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT),
  • Applicants that are non-UK trained, will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT
  • Membership of a Royal College e.g. MRCP or equivalent postgraduate qualification.

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrates substantial experience in transfusion medicine and/or organ and tissue transplantation
  • Ability to offer expert opinion on transfusion and transplantation clinical issues to the Executive Team and Board.
  • Experience of clinical governance and good knowledge of corporate governance
  • Experience of leading Safety Policy with outstanding leadership in clinical risk assessment and management for patients and donors
  • Senior medical leadership experience, preferably at Board or equivalent level
  • Proven experience of managing and leading clinical teams.
  • Knowledge of the professional requirements of doctors and the roles of the Responsible Officer and Caldicott Guardian
  • Ability to teach/present to all grades of clinical staff, including those in training.
  • Publications/ presentations in national/ international meetings in fields relevant to this post.
  • Clinical trial and/or research experience
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Full and specialist registration and a licence to practise with the General Medical Council (GMC)
  • Applicants that are UK trained, must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT),
  • Applicants that are non-UK trained, will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT
  • Membership of a Royal College e.g. MRCP or equivalent postgraduate qualification.

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrates substantial experience in transfusion medicine and/or organ and tissue transplantation
  • Ability to offer expert opinion on transfusion and transplantation clinical issues to the Executive Team and Board.
  • Experience of clinical governance and good knowledge of corporate governance
  • Experience of leading Safety Policy with outstanding leadership in clinical risk assessment and management for patients and donors
  • Senior medical leadership experience, preferably at Board or equivalent level
  • Proven experience of managing and leading clinical teams.
  • Knowledge of the professional requirements of doctors and the roles of the Responsible Officer and Caldicott Guardian
  • Ability to teach/present to all grades of clinical staff, including those in training.
  • Publications/ presentations in national/ international meetings in fields relevant to this post.
  • Clinical trial and/or research experience

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.

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Blood and Transplant

Address

NHSBT - Filton

500 North Bristol Park

Northway

Bristol Filton

BS34 7QH


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Blood and Transplant

Address

NHSBT - Filton

500 North Bristol Park

Northway

Bristol Filton

BS34 7QH


Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Consultant

Carmel Gibbons and Peter Mason

vicky.graham@odgers.com

Details

Date posted

08 January 2026

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£174,000 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

008104

Job locations

NHSBT - Filton

500 North Bristol Park

Northway

Bristol Filton

BS34 7QH


NHSBT - Colindale

Charcot Road

Colindale

London

NW9 5BG


NHSBT - Manchester

Plymouth Grove

Manchester

M13 9LL


NHSBT - Newcastle

Holland Drive off Barrack Road

Newcastle

NE2 4NQ


NHSBT - Barnsley

Capitol Way

Dodworth

Barnsley

S75 3FG


NHSBT - Tooting

75 Cranmer Terrace

Tooting

London

SW17 0RB


NHSBT - Birmingham

Vincent Drive

Edgbaston

Birmingham

B15 2SG


NHSBT - Liverpool

14 Estuary Banks

Speke

Liverpool

L24 8RB


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