Job Description

To apply for this vacancy, please refer to the candidate information pack with details of how to submit your application, as online applications are not being accepted for this vacancy


We are delighted that you may be interested in joining our Board of Directors in the role of Acting Chief Executive Officer.



It is an exciting time to join Gateshead Health as we launch our new 5 year strategy and work collaboratively with partners in the Alliance and at place and neighbourhood levels to support the delivery of the NHS 10 Year Plan.



We are seeking to appoint an Acting Chief Executive to join our Board of Directors as the Trust's Accountable Officer on secondment for a six month period, whilst our substantive Chief Executive is on secondment at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (NCIC) , one of our Alliance partners. The secondment will commence in August/September 2025 and cease at the end of January 2026, or on the return of our substantive Chief Executive (whichever is soonest). The successful candidate's current employer will have to agree to the secondment at short notice



This is an exceptional opportunity to contribute towards the delivery of excellent healthcare and improving population health in our area and region. It is a demanding and exciting role, which provides an opportunity to be at the forefront of change in a progressive NHS provider.



The successful candidate will demonstrate a clear understanding of, and ability to live our Trust's vision and values, including our strong focus on being a clinically-led and management supported organisation, and will embrace the challenges of the NHS and local health and care system in the current environment.



Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.



Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.



We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region.



Our values should be the 'golden thread' which runs through everything we do - they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronym ICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement.



We have a number of staff networks including the Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) network, D-Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women's Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our Armed Forces network is one of our emerging networks.



The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities, and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our 'Balance' programme balancegateshead.com to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.



The Acting Chief Executive is responsible to the Board of Directors for ensuring individual/patient and population needs are at the fore of all we do; and that high-quality outcomes, care and experience are delivered by well-motivated, well led and engaged colleagues.



The Acting Chief Executive is the Foundation Trust's Accountable Officer and will ensure that all services provided are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led and that resources are used with the greatest of care.



The Acting Chief Executive is an Executive member of the Board of Directors and, with other Executive and Non-Executive members of the Board, is responsible for the leadership, strategic direction, and operational excellence of the Trust.



The Acting Chief Executive will be instrumental in implementing the recently agreed new trust strategy and further developing the values and culture of the Trust to deliver our ambitions to be an outstanding organisation.



The post holder will also play a key role at a system level including representing the Trust within the Great North Healthcare Alliance, being a member of the Provider Collaborative Board (and acting as senior responsible officer for workstreams where required), leading engagement with the Integrated Care Board as well as working closely with partners at a Place and neighbourhood level across Gateshead.