Clinical Governance Advisor

Job overview

The Clinical Governance Advisor plays a key role in supporting and promoting patient safety, clinical governance, and risk management across the Surgical Services Division. Working autonomously and in collaboration with clinical and managerial teams, the post holder will provide expert advice, guidance, and operational support to ensure high standards of safe, effective, and patient-centred care.

The role involves supporting incident management and investigation, risk assessment and mitigation, audit activity, and compliance with national and local patient safety requirements. The Clinical Governance Advisor will analyse patient safety data, identify trends, and help implement improvements in practice, while fostering a positive culture of learning, openness, and continuous improvement.

The post holder will also support staff involved in incidents, complaints, and Coroner’s processes, contribute to training and education, and represent the Division at relevant governance forums. This position requires strong leadership, communication, and analytical skills, alongside the ability to manage a varied workload and engage effectively with staff at all levels.

Main duties of the job

As a Clinical Governance Advisor, you will:

• Promote and support patient safety and clinical governance activity across the Division.
• Lead and support the management of incidents, investigations, and action plans.
• Support the development, maintenance, and review of risk registers and risk assessments.
• Analyse incident and safety data, identifying trends and areas for improvement.
• Provide expert advice and support to staff at all levels on governance, risk, and patient safety.
• Contribute to audits, quality improvement initiatives, and divisional governance meetings.
• Support staff involved in incidents, complaints, and Coroner’s inquests.
• Deliver and support training in risk management and patient safety.
• Deputise for the Clinical Governance Facilitator as required.
• Support business units with all patient safety management activities.
• Monitor incidents and risks.
• Implement and evaluate changes in practice to improve patient safety and patient and staff experience.
• Production of high quality, formal written reports with a high level of detail and accuracy.
• Facilitation of meetings and ability to influence people at all levels within the Trust
• Receipt and communication of sensitive and complex information following an incident and investigation that may involve patients/relatives and or staff and may prove detrimental to them.
• Networking.
• Representation of division at Trust wide meetings.
• Provide training for staff with regard to risk management and patient safety

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This is a varied and rewarding role requiring autonomy, strong communication skills, and the ability to influence and support positive change. The role involves exposure to sensitive and occasionally distressing situations and requires a high level of professionalism, empathy, and resilience.

Although based at the Royal Derby Hospital you will be expected to work across all Trust sites as required.

Flexible working options may be available depending on service needs.

Closing date: 02 June 2026

Interview date: 15 June 2026

Please see attached Job description and Person Specification. To apply please click APPLY FOR THIS JOB – this link will take you to the TRAC Recruitment Site. You will need to register if you do not already have an account.

UHDB is committed to fair and transparent recruitment. We welcome authentic applications that reflect your own skills, experience and motivations for the role. While we understand that candidates may use AI tools for grammar, formatting or accessibility purposes, applications that appear to be substantially AI‑generated may be subject to additional review. If this applies to your submission, we will let you know and may ask for clarification. Please ensure your application accurately represents your experience and is written in your own words.

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Your application (for shortlisting purposes) is assessed based on the Person Specification in the job advert (below).