Operational Manager

The Operational Manager for Urgent and Emergency Care at the Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust is a key role focused on the daily management of patient flow across urgent and emergency care services. This position ensures compliance with NHS standards, including the 4-hour ED quality standard and ambulance handover times. Working closely with clinical teams, this operational lead addresses and resolves operational challenges while supervising and supporting the operational and administrative junior staff within the services. The role reports directly to the Directorate Manager, who will hold them responsible for service delivery standards. Additionally, the role is expected to develop an expertise in urgent and emergency care, contributing to the Trust's strategic service improvements in this area. The role is particularly operational and will need to handle complex, high-pressure situations in ahealthcare environment.,

• Design, implement, and maintain efficient patient flow pathways to maximize productivity and minimize waste, ensuring consistent application of best practices.
• Benchmark and collaborate with clinical teams to develop optimal patient pathways and achieve high-performance business standards in assigned areas.
• Manage business performance and compliance targets across service areas, focusing on quality, risk, and governance.
• Oversee operational management and development of support staff, while fostering a values-driven, safe, and effective workplace culture.
• Handle financial responsibilities, including budget management, capital planning, procurement, and resource allocation to meet financial and performance targets.
• Lead team motivation and engagement, promote staff wellbeing, and participate in strategic service improvements aligned with Trust values and goals.
  
  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.