Director of Digital

The post holder will be responsible for leading, managing and developing the Trust's digital services, ensuring the provision of high quality, safe and effective information systems, digital infrastructure and supporting services. The provision of these services will include the provision of collaborative systems across the region such as radiology and pathology systems and shared care records. The post holder is also expected to take a proactive role in the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Services (ICS) and the development of the wider Digital strategy at the ICS and PLACE level.

The post holder will be accountable to the Chief Digital and Data Officer and expected to operate competently at the executive level, acting on behalf of the Trust at an executive level in all matters relating to digital and data services. The development of the digital and data strategy for the Trust and ensuring the delivery of this is a core component of this role., The post holder will lead the ongoing development of Electronic Patient Record (EPR) and related systems in conjunction with health and care system partners. These ambitious programmes represent a Trust wide clinical and administrative transformation of all services; the post holder will work with senior clinicians and managers, within and without the Trust, to ensure that the programmes are delivered within agreed timescales and ensures the continuation of safe, kind and effective services.

The post holder will be responsible for financial management of the digital and data services, ensuring that all financial targets are delivered, and that the financial management of departmental budgets is proactive. In addition, the post holder will proactively seek to identify and develop digital solutions which maximise the financial efficiency of other Trust departments, enabling greater financial efficiency through delivering better models of care using digital technology.

The post holder will oversee the ongoing development and leadership of the Digital and Data Services ensuring that it is appropriately resourced and managed to deliver the complex agenda within the Trust and the evolving agendas of NHS England, the ICB, Place and digital collaboration with other trusts.

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides services to West Cheshire and to Welsh patients covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Its services are provided from three locations:

• The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 438 general and acute beds


• Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 56 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility


• Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.


The Trust employs over 6258 staff (headcount) which includes temporary bank staff and provides acute emergency and elective services, primary care direct access services and obstetric services to a population of approximately 407,000. This includes 357,000 residents in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire which has a population of approximately 50,000.

The Trust is a busy district general hospital and in 2022/2023, there were more than 503,342 patient attendances (inpatient, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery. This is an increase of nearly 10,000 compared to the previous year when there were 494,387 patient attendances.