General Manager - Blood Sciences

North West London Pathology (NWLP) is an NHS pathology partnership joint venture between Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Chelsea & Westminster NHS Foundation Trust and The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. NWLP is modelled as a shared services organisation jointly owned by the three Trusts. The organisation is hosted by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and as the legal entity for NWLP our staff are employed by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

NWLP is based on a 'hub and spoke' structure; the majority of routine, specialist and non-urgent activity is centralised at our hub site at Charing Cross Hospital. Urgent tests required for immediate patient management and treatment are performed in 24/7 Essential Service Laboratories based on-site within the seven hospital sites in the group.

The partnership has created an innovative and sustainable service that delivers outstanding quality to users and patients alike. This innovative approach allows the service to better manage demand, standardise operations, improve value for money and make use of state-of-the-art technology.

Our values are to be patient-focused, collaborative, expert and caring.

Job overview

North West London Pathology (NWLP) is a multi-award winning, innovative and collaborative NHS pathology network serving multiple NHS Trusts and private providers.

We are seeking an experienced General Manager to provide operational leadership and business planning for the Blood Science division. Ensuring the delivery of high quality services to our patients and achieving performance objectives that meet the needs of our owners and clients.

As a key member of the senior management team you will:

Be fully accountable for the operational performance of a large, complex Division. This will include accountability for the delivery of a high quality patient focussed service with clinical safety, governance and quality

Have joint responsibility with the other speciality General Managers and members of the NWLP senior management team for driving forward divisional wide programmes of work and service direction.

Participate in the Senior Managers on-call rota

We are looking for someone with extensive knowledge of the NHS in the acute sector with up to date knowledge of patient services.

Significant experience within the Healthcare sector at General Manager level or equivalent including responsibility for strategic planning and budgetary control for a group of complex medical/surgical/scientific specialities.

Highly developed leadership and influencing skills with the ability to enthuse, motivate and involve staff to meet challenging targets.

Main duties of the job

• Delivery of agreed performance indicators in relation to clinical outcomes, clinical efficiency and service line reporting and ensure that all areas of the Division have clearly defined performance objectives supported by a management regime to deliver continuous improvement.
• Manage the implementation of systems, control processes and risk management arrangements to support monitoring of compliance with clinical governance standards and Trust wide policies. Manage the resolution of complaints, conflicts and issues from patients, staff, suppliers, other internal and external service providers and partner organisations in a timely and appropriate manner in line with Trust policy, procedures and service delivery values and priorities
• Responsible for maximising staff engagement across the Division through effective leadership and the application for best practice in people management. Ensure that staff are deployed in a cost effective way and that controls are in place to meet key workforce performance indicators.
• Be accountable to the Director of Operations for the sound financial management of the Division, in line with Standing Financial Instructions and following the latest Trust guidance. Ensure processes are in place so that all activity is correctly recorded on a timely basis for income purposes and maintain an effective system of controls to manage pay and non-pay costs in line with the Divisional budget.

Working for our organisation

• career development
• flexible working
• staff wellbeing programmes
• staff awards and recognition scheme
• Cycle to Work
• car lease schemes
• season ticket loan
• membership options for onsite leisure facilities

Environmental sustainability
Climate change and poor air quality is a health emergency that harms people's health and wellbeing and widens health inequalities. The Trust is also committed to reducing its impact on the environment by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions to Net Zero by 2045. All our employees have a role to play, and we have an active green network that supports staff to act in ways that ensures that our services are efficient, sustainable and reduce our impact on the environment www.imperial.nhs.uk/about-us/our-strategy/green-plan

NWLP Induction

The NWLP induction will run on the first Monday of each month (provided it does not fall on a bank holiday) and includes laboratory training (for relevant laboratory roles). All new staff must attend the NWLP induction during their first week with NWLP.

For 2026, see below the start dates which you will be able to book once you have completed all your pre-employment checks.

• Monday 5 October 2026
• Monday 2 November 2026
• Monday 7 December 2026

Candidates are advised to consider these start dates before agreeing end of service date with their current employer.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. For both overviews please view the Job Description attachment with the job advert.

Person specification

Qualifications

• First degree or equivalent
• Evidence of other specialist knowledge at higher degree or masters level
• Recognised Postgraduate Management Qualifications or demonstrable experience of managing a complex healthcare service
• Extensive knowledge of the NHS in the acute sector with up to date knowledge of patient services
• Qualifications in Pathology subject matter
• FIBMS/HCPC/minimum of 10 years post registration experience

Experience

• Significant experience within the Healthcare sector at General Manager level or equivalent manager including responsibility for strategic planning and budgetary control for a group of complex medical/surgical/scientific specialities
• Demonstrable success in delivering large scale change and performance with and through management and clinical teams
• Track record of financial delivery
• Experience of writing complex business cases and policies
• Experience of managing and deciding on complex employment issues
• Excellent communications skills, written and oral
• Significant experience in Pathology management

Personal Qualities

• Able to act with integrity, and to value respect and promote equality and diversity
• Ability to manage and deliver to deadlines and within resources

Working with Others

• Ability to build successful teams
• Highly developed leadership and influencing skills with the ability to enthuse, motivate and involve staff to meet challenging targets including individuals and teams in partnership organisations

Managing Services

• Ability to think and plan strategically, tactically and creatively, and to prioritise work programs in the face of competing demands
• Ability to critically analyse complex financial and clinical data sets
• Able to effectively manage performance by holding themselves and others to account for service outcomes

Improving services

• Able to ensure patient safety by assessing and managing risk associated with service developments
• Able to facilitate transformation and change to improve services
• Demonstrable success in service turnaround
• Able to demonstrate sound political judgement and astuteness in understanding the contexts for change
• Ability to analyse highly complex problems and to develop practical and workable solutions using knowledge and evidence

Right to work

If you need sponsorship to work in the UK, please visit the Home Office website for information on sponsorship and visa status before you fill in your application form. Due to recent changes in the UK immigration rules which affect Skilled Worker Visas, Global Business Mobility, Higher Skill Level and Increased Salary Thresholds, please ensure that you are able to meet the requirements to live and work in the UK before applying. Further information about eligibility is available on UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK

Infection control

Please note it is an operational requirement to comply with infection prevention and control procedures within NWLP such as lateral flow testing, handwashing and the wearing of masks, according to the procedures in place at any time or location.

We operate a joint recruitment hub across the North West London Acute Provider Collaborative Group. As part of this, your application and personal data may be shared with partner trusts within the group for recruitment and workforce purposes, in line with general data protection regulation (GDPR).

Vacancy Closing Date

This vacancy may close before the current listed closing date. You are advised not to delay submitting your completed application.

Please ensure you check your emails regularly throughout the recruitment process.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Name Katy Heaney Job title Director of Operations Email address katy.heaney2@nhs.net Telephone number 07557 134 528 Additional information

Alternative contact: Allen Widdowson, Director of Finance, allen.widdowson@nhs.net

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