Deputy Director

Job overview

The Deputy Director (Band 8D) for Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) is a senior leadership role within North London NHS Foundation Trust, accountable to the Chief Operating Officer and deputising for the Care Group Director. The role provides strategic and operational leadership across SDEC and urgent care pathways, ensuring safe, timely and effective care that reduces avoidable admissions and improves patient flow.

The postholder leads a complex portfolio across organisational and system boundaries, working closely with acute trusts, ambulance services, primary care, community services and Integrated Care System partners. A core focus is ensuring patients are assessed and treated in the most appropriate setting, with a strong emphasis on same day pathways and alternatives to Emergency Department attendance.

The role carries accountability for performance, finance, workforce and governance. The Deputy Director will drive transformation, redesign care pathways and embed innovative models to improve access, responsiveness and outcomes. They will promote a culture of continuous improvement, inclusion and co-production, ensuring services reflect the needs of diverse populations.

The postholder will also participate in the senior on-call rota, providing executive-level leadership across urgent and emergency care services.

Main duties of the job

Lead and deputise for the Care Group Director in the delivery of SDEC services, ensuring safe, effective and high-quality care. Drive improvements in patient flow, access and admission avoidance through optimised same day emergency care pathways.

Ensure delivery of operational, quality and performance targets, using data to monitor performance, identify risks and implement improvement actions. Maintain financial control, delivering services within budget and identifying efficiency opportunities.

Provide leadership to multidisciplinary teams, ensuring effective workforce planning, recruitment, supervision and development. Promote a culture of engagement, inclusion and continuous improvement.

Develop and maintain strong partnerships with acute trusts, ambulance services, primary care, community services and ICS partners to deliver integrated care pathways.

Ensure compliance with all governance and regulatory requirements, including CQC standards. Oversee risk management, incident reporting and complaints handling, ensuring learning informs service improvement.

Communicate effectively with stakeholders, managing complex and sensitive issues, influencing across organisational boundaries and ensuring clear escalation processes.

Contribute to Trust-wide objectives, including planning, quality improvement and service transformation, and participate in the senior on-call rota.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Deputy Director provides strategic and operational leadership across SDEC, ensuring delivery of high-performing urgent care services aligned to Trust and system priorities.

They lead service planning, transformation and pathway redesign to improve flow, reduce delays and enhance patient outcomes. The role includes oversight of operational performance, ensuring delivery against key standards through data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.

The postholder holds responsibility for financial management, ensuring services operate within budget while delivering efficiency and productivity gains. They lead cost improvement programmes and optimise workforce and service models.

Workforce leadership includes recruitment, retention, performance management and staff development, ensuring effective multidisciplinary teams and a positive culture of engagement and inclusion.

The Deputy Director ensures strong governance arrangements, compliance with regulatory standards and effective risk management. They provide assurance to senior leadership and the Board.

They work collaboratively with system partners to deliver integrated urgent care pathways and represent the Trust in external forums. The role also includes participation in the senior on-call rota, providing leadership during operational pressures.