Sub-National West Director of Unscheduled Care

Only employees of NHS Scotland Boards can apply

Director of Unscheduled Care

Sub-National West

Shape urgent and unscheduled care across the West of Scotland

24-month secondment opportunity Full-time or part-time applications considered

Current Terms and Conditions will apply

Sub-National West is bringing NHS Boards and partners together to support a more connected, sustainable and effective approach to urgent and unscheduled care across the region.

We are looking for an accomplished senior leader to join this work as Director of Unscheduled Care, providing strategic leadership and influence across the West of Scotland.

This is an opportunity to work at scale and across traditional organisational boundaries, bringing together NHS Boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships, NHS 24, the Scottish Ambulance Service and national partners to support transformational change across urgent and unscheduled care.

The Director will have a key role in shaping a coordinated regional approach, supporting delivery of the National Flow Plan, improving patient flow, reducing avoidable hospital admissions, strengthening discharge performance and developing community and virtual alternatives to hospital-based care.

This is a role centred on system leadership, partnership and influence. You will help connect organisations around shared priorities, provide strategic challenge and assurance, and support the development of approaches that improve how patients move through urgent and unscheduled care services.

Who we are looking for

We are interested in hearing from experienced senior leaders who can demonstrate the credibility, judgement and leadership required to operate effectively across complex health and care systems.

You should be able to demonstrate:

• Significant senior leadership experience within urgent and unscheduled care or a relevant complex healthcare environment.
• Successful leadership of major transformation, service redesign or improvement programmes.
• A strong understanding of patient flow, admission avoidance, discharge and the challenges associated with delivering sustainable urgent and unscheduled care.
• The ability to influence, build consensus and achieve progress across organisational boundaries.
• Experience of working collaboratively with senior clinical, operational and strategic leaders.
• The ability to build strong partnerships across health and social care.
• The confidence to provide constructive challenge, strategic advice and assurance.
• A collaborative and inclusive leadership style, with the ability to turn strategic priorities into meaningful improvement.

Above all, we are looking for someone who can bring people and organisations together around a shared ambition for urgent and unscheduled care across the West of Scotland.

The opportunity

This appointment provides an opportunity to contribute directly to the continued development of the Sub-National West model and the future direction of urgent and unscheduled care across the region.

The successful candidate will:

• Undertake the role on secondment for 24 months in the first instance.
• Remain employed by their substantive NHS Scotland Board.
• Retain their existing grade and terms and conditions for the duration of the secondment.
• Be able to undertake the opportunity on either a full-time or part-time basis, subject to agreed arrangements.

The operating model and infrastructure supporting Sub-National arrangements continue to develop. The substantive Job Description will therefore be subject to further development and evaluation.

Following evaluation of the substantive Job Description, recruitment to permanently evaluated posts will be undertaken in accordance with nationally agreed arrangements for Sub-National roles.

Secondment approval

Candidates who are shortlisted will be required to confirm that they have secured, or are able to secure, secondment approval from their employing NHS Board before progressing through the recruitment process.

I interested in finding out more?

We recognise that senior leaders considering a secondment of this nature may want to understand more about the developing Sub-National West arrangements and the expectations of the role.

For a confidential and informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact:

• Sub-National West Point of Contact: Russell Coulthard, Interim Chief Operating Officer Subnational West
• Email:
• Telephone:

Our commitment to equality and inclusion

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. Our aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for every employee to feel respected and able to give their best.

NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

We will fully support disabled candidates, candidates with long-term conditions and candidates who are neurodivergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices.