Chief Registrar (Medicine)

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated senior doctor in training (above ST4 or equivalent) with an interest in leadership, management and quality improvement to join the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust as a chief registrar.

The chief registrar role provides senior trainees with 40% protected time to develop skills and confidence in leadership, management and quality improvement. Learning that chief registrars gain from the Royal College of Physicians’ (RCP’s) bespoke development programme will be put into practice in a supported environment that provides autonomy, flexibility and support to develop and support projects that address key local challenges and priorities. This may include service improvement, engagement and morale, education and training, workforce, and sustainability.

Main duties of the job

The chief registrar role will suit trainees who:

• Want to learn about leadership and gain senior leadership experience
• Are comfortable working in uncertain environments and across traditional boundaries
• Relish the opportunity to develop their own ideas and initiatives
• Are committed to and passionate about improving the NHS.

The chief registrar will be mentored by Medical Associate Directors within the organisation and gain a unique insight into NHS leadership and management processes, as well as deeper knowledge of NHS structures and stakeholders.

The chief registrar will be expected to attend modules delivered as part of the RCP’s bespoke development programme, which will cover, for example, change management, team culture and development, quality improvement, leadership, influencing and personal resilience.

Applications are open to senior trainees:

• National Training Number (NTN) ST4 level or above
• Locally Employed Doctors (LED) at equivalent experience of ST4 or above
• Working full time or less-than-full-time
• Who have full GMC registration
• Assigned to a rotation at Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust from August 2025

This is a fixed-term role for minimum of 12 months. For those with an NTN, the role must be discussed with your educational supervisor and training programme director (TPD), and permission to apply must be granted by the TPD.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The chief registrar job description is broad in scope in order to allow chief registrars and recruiting organisations to have autonomy and flexibility over the work the chief registrar undertakes. Chief registrars should focus on addressing key local challenges and priorities, which may include some or all of the following:

• Providing a ‘bridge’ between senior clinical leaders, managers and the wider trainee workforce to improve communication, engagement and morale.
• Service improvement, for example redesigning pathways, implementing new technology and establishing new services to improve flow and outcomes for patients.
• Improving the quality of clinical and non-clinical education and training activities, and supporting/mentoring other trainees to engage in quality improvement.
• Involvement in workforce planning and improving the deployment of trainees to meet service needs and improve morale.
• Improving efficiency and reducing waste.
• Working across teams and boundaries to engage stakeholders in quality improvement and influence change.

Involvement in and exposure to senior management and organisational decision-making

The chief registrar should attend departmental and divisional management meetings to gain an understanding of management and the wider social, political and economic influences on healthcare delivery.

Where possible and appropriate, they should attend Board meetings. They should lead any sessions on service development, improvement and transformation for which they have direct responsibility.