Unit General Manager - Private Patient Service

Job overview

The postholder is responsible for the strategic leadership, operational delivery and commercial development of Private Patient Services across the Trust.

The role is accountable for maximising private patient income, ensuring regulatory compliance, and delivering high-quality, patient-centred services, while supporting the Trust’s wider financial sustainability objectives.

The postholder will operate as a senior leader, advising Executive colleagues and leading complex commercial negotiations, service transformation, and external partnerships to grow and optimise the Trust’s private healthcare portfolio.

** Pay banding subject to NHS Job Evaluation **

Main duties of the job

As we continue to develop our private patient services, we are looking for an experienced and commercially focused senior leader to help shape, grow and strengthen this important area of the Trust’s work, supporting both patient choice and the wider financial sustainability of the organisation. The Unit General Manager for Private Patient Services will provide strategic leadership, operational oversight and commercial development across the Trust’s private healthcare portfolio. Working closely with clinical teams, consultants, Executive colleagues, private medical insurers and external partners, the postholder will lead service growth, improve pathways, develop new commercial opportunities and ensure services are delivered safely, efficiently and in line with regulatory requirements. This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and influential leader with strong commercial acumen, stakeholder management skills and a commitment to excellent patient care.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The provision of professional and specialist support to the clinical users of the private patient service demonstrating a high level of organisational ability and leadership

To develop and manage relationships externally with purchasers of healthcare and key influencers, such as private medical insurers, private GPs and other referrers, to understand market requirements and to develop the RJAH private care revenue in line with targets.

To develop and manage relationships with consultants internally on behalf of RJAH to repatriate external private work of established consultants, to grow the volume and revenue of our business

Develop and delivery the Trusts private patient strategy across all services e.g. surgical, diagnostics, therapies

Accountable for the delivery of the Trusts private patient income targets and activity plans along with related expenditure budgets.

Provide strategic advice to Executive and Board-level committees

Lead long-term income growth planning, including scenario modelling and market analysis

Lead on ensuring Trust wide governance is in place for private patient services; developing an expert knowledge of indemnity, risk and private practicing privileges.

To understand the practical constraints and issues for consultants working at RJAH and lead on resolving any issues and encourage growth of private practices at the RJAH, in particular the smooth facilitation of theatre session availability.

Engage and coach staff and consultants to ensure a patient focused delivery of services.

To lead alongside Finance and the Commercial Director in negotiations with the Private Medical Insurers to secure the best tariffs and terms of business for the Trust, and to negotiate favourable terms for any specific agreements outside the usual contracts, for instance network arrangements, preferred provider agreements etc.

To seek new commercial opportunities with new and existing partners, developing innovative services, business models and ways of working to secure additional private income streams.

To lead and manage the service areas whilst developing and sustaining effective working relationships with the unit teams, consultant medical staff, all other internal and external stakeholders to ensure that RJAH private healthcare business is represented appropriately and its objectives are achieved.

To develop a network of external stakeholders, including but not limited to Private Medical Insurers, private GPs, referral agents, medical consultants and other private hospital providers, who are influential in determining where patients access private care

To manage internal and external communications, working with the Head of Communications, using sound judgment to ensure that all communications represent the values and business interests of RJAH

Accountable for the leadership, performance and development of the Private Patient Services workforce, including direct and indirect line management of multidisciplinary teams

Work closely with the Communication Manager to develop a portfolio of marketing products and information consistent with RJAH branding, values and commercial objective

To manage relationships with consultants, ensuring that their views and requirements are understood, acted upon appropriately and that they are engaged and motivated to carry our private work.

To continually question and challenge the status quo looking for new and innovative ways to improve service delivery to make the most effective use of resources and ensure services are patient focused.

To model a collaborative and influencing style of working, negotiating with others to achieve the best outcomes

To maintain a detailed working knowledge of competition law surrounding private healthcare including but not limited to the Bribery Act and guidance from the Competition and Markets Authority

To develop a robust understanding of the information and reporting systems in the Trust and to continuously develop and improve business and activity reports for the COO summarising performance and highlighting risks and issues

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.