Theatre Manager

Job summary
Clinical Theatre Manager - Risk, Equipment & Education Lead Are you an experienced Theatre Nurse or ODP looking for a leadership role, where you can make a real impact? We are seeking a dynamic Theatre Manager - Governance, Risk, Quality, Equipment & Education Lead to provide clinical, operational and professional leadership across our theatre services. You will lead on governance, patient safety, staff education and equipment management, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality patient care.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead governance, risk and patient safety programmes.
• Drive quality improvement, audits and service development.
• Lead staff education, training and competency programmes.
• Oversee medical equipment procurement, maintenance and replacement.
• Support incident investigations and embed learning into practice.
• Act as a visible clinical leader within the theatre team.

About You

• Registered Nurse or Operating Department Practitioner.
• Significant theatre leadership and management experience.
• Strong knowledge of governance, risk management and patient safety.
• Passion for education, quality improvement and service excellence.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills.

This is an exciting opportunity to influence patient safety, develop staff, improve services and help shape the future of perioperative care at Bristol Children's Hospital.

Main duties of the job
Main Duties Summary - Theatre Manager (Governance, Risk, Equipment and Education Lead)

The post holder provides clinical, professional and operational leadership across theatres, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality patient care. Key responsibilities include:

Governance, Risk and Patient Safety

Education and Workforce Development

Equipment and Medical Device Management

Leadership and Service Improvement

Financial and Resource Management

Information and Assurance

About us
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of 2.6 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom.

Chaired by Ingrid Barker and led by Maria Kane as Chief Executive, Bristol NHS Foundation Trust aims to transform the way healthcare is delivered locally with a clear focus on making a difference for what we call our Four Ps:

• Better outcomes for our Patients
• More opportunities for our People
• Fairer more consistent care for our Population
• Best Value for Public Purse

Our vision for five years from now:

• Patients will wait less time to be diagnosed and treated, and they will have the same high-quality experience and outcomes, regardless of who they are or where they live.
• We will meet rising demand by maximising the use of our available resources.
• More care will be delivered nearer to patients, in their homes or the community.
• Digital technologies will have transformed the way we work and the way we deliver care.
• Our people will feel engaged, energised and empowered by their work.
• We will be known as a place where people enjoy working, training and building a career.
• Our volume of globally renowned research and innovation will have grown significantly.
• We will contribute to system financial balance

Job responsibilities
Interpersonal and communication skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with multidisciplinary teams, patients, relatives and external stakeholders.

Ability to present complex clinical, governance and performance information in a clear and meaningful way to a range of audiences.

Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build positive working relationships across departments and professional groups.

Confident in leading meetings, delivering presentations, facilitating training sessions and chairing governance discussions.

Skilled in managing difficult conversations, providing constructive feedback and supporting conflict resolution in a professional manner.

Demonstrates emotional intelligence, empathy and professionalism when dealing with staff wellbeing, patient concerns and service issues.

Ability to influence and negotiate effectively to achieve service improvements and organisational objectives.

Promotes a culture of civility, inclusion, psychological safety and collaborative working.

Able to motivate, coach and develop staff to achieve high standards of performance and patient care.

Maintains confidentiality and demonstrates professionalism when handling sensitive information.

Highly organised with the ability to prioritise competing demands and work effectively under pressure.

Demonstrates resilience, adaptability and sound judgement within a complex and rapidly changing clinical environment

Ability to communicate governance, patient safety, educational and equipment-related requirements in a way that supports engagement and compliance. Establishes credibility and trust through visible leadership, integrity and consistent professional behaviour. Effective networking and partnership-working skills, enabling collaboration across the Trust and with external organisations.

Professional Knowledge and Expertise

Registered Nurse or Operating Department Practitioner with current professional registration.

Extensive experience of clinical leadership and management within a clinical setting.

Comprehensive knowledge of governance, clinical risk management and patient safety processes.

Detailed understanding of incident reporting, investigation, and the implementation of learning from incidents.

Sound knowledge of national clinical standards, regulatory requirements and healthcare legislation.

Experience of leading quality improvement programmes, clinical audit and service development projects.

In-depth knowledge of medical device management, equipment safety, maintenance requirements and asset management processes.

Experience of developing business cases and managing equipment replacement programmes and capital bids.

Knowledge of infection prevention and control, health and safety legislation, and safe systems of work.

Experience of developing, implementing and reviewing policies, standard operating procedures and clinical guidelines.

Understanding of workforce planning, establishment management, performance management and staff wellbeing initiatives.

Experience of managing change and supporting service transformation within a complex healthcare environment.

Knowledge of educational principles, competency-based assessment and workforce development strategies.

Experience of delivering training, competency assessments, mentorship and clinical education programmes.

Ability to analyse and interpret quality, safety and performance data to support decision-making and service improvements.

Evidence of ongoing professional development and commitment to maintaining specialist knowledge.

Leadership, management, teaching or quality improvement qualification, or equivalent experience.

Competence in the use of electronic patient records, incident reporting systems, audit databases and Microsoft Office applications.

Problem-Solving and Decision-Making

Analyse complex clinical, operational and governance information to identify risks, trends and opportunities for improvement within theatre services.

Investigate incidents, complaints, equipment failures and near misses, determining root causes and implementing appropriate corrective and preventative actions.

Use professional judgement to escalate patient safety concerns and operational risks in accordance with Trust policies and procedures.

Interpret audit findings, quality metrics and performance data to identify areas requiring intervention and service improvement.

Assess the impact of equipment failures, defects or shortages on service delivery and implement appropriate contingency plans to maintain patient safety and operational continuity.

Evaluate and prioritise competing operational demands, balancing patient needs, staffing levels, theatre utilisation and organisational priorities.

Lead complex investigations and contribute to formal reports, action plans and recommendations arising from incidents, complaints and governance reviews.

Analyse workforce, training and competency data to identify gaps and develop solutions to mitigate risks and improve performance.

Provide expert advice and guidance to managers and clinical teams on governance, education, risk management and equipment-related issues.

Support decision-making relating to procurement, replacement and standardisation of theatre equipment, considering clinical need, risk, compliance and financial implications.

Assess compliance with national standards, legislation and Trust policies, identifying where remedial action is required.

Make autonomous decisions within agreed professional and organisational boundaries, seeking senior support where necessary for highly complex or contentious issues.

Anticipate emerging risks and develop proactive solutions to prevent adverse impacts on patient safety, quality of care and service delivery.

Contribute to business planning and service development by evaluating evidence, benchmarking information and best practice guidance.

Facilitate multidisciplinary discussions to resolve complex clinical, operational and organisational challenges, ensuring decisions are evidence-based and patient-centred.

Respond effectively to unexpected situations, service pressures and operational disruptions, using sound judgement to maintain safe and effective patient care.

Practical and technical skills

Plan, coordinate and monitor governance, education and equipment work programmes across theatre services to ensure delivery of departmental and organisational objectives.

Develop and maintain annual governance, audit, training and equipment replacement plans, ensuring compliance with regulatory and Trust requirements.

Coordinate clinical audits, accreditation activities, quality improvement projects and action plans, ensuring deadlines are achieved and outcomes are embedded into practice.

Organise and facilitate governance, patient safety, education and equipment meetings, ensuring actions are monitored and completed.

Lead the planning and coordination of staff training, competency assessments, induction programmes and mandatory training schedules.

Work collaboratively with Theatre Managers, Matrons, Practice Development Teams and multidisciplinary colleagues to ensure workforce development plans meet service requirements.

Coordinate the management of medical devices and equipment, including procurement, maintenance schedules, replacement programmes and asset register compliance.

Plan equipment replacement and capital investment programmes, balancing clinical priorities, risk assessments and available financial resources.

Support operational planning for theatre services, ensuring governance, education and equipment requirements are incorporated into service delivery plans.

Prioritise and manage multiple competing demands, adapting plans in response to changing clinical priorities, incidents, staffing pressures and service developments.

Contribute to business planning, service redesign and strategic development initiatives within theatres and perioperative services.

Develop project plans and implementation schedules for service improvement initiatives, ensuring engagement from key stakeholders.

Coordinate responses to external inspections, accreditation visits, audits and regulatory reviews, ensuring evidence and action plans are prepared and delivered.

Monitor progress against departmental objectives, key performance indicators and quality metrics, taking action where improvements are required.

Ensure effective communication and coordination across clinical and non-clinical teams to support safe, efficient and effective theatre services.

Anticipate future workforce, educational and equipment requirements and develop plans to support service sustainability and growth.

Maintain professional clinical competence and provide direct clinical support within the theatre environment as required to ensure safe and effective patient care.

Act as a visible clinical leader and role model, promoting high standards of perioperative practice and patient-centred care.

Support the delivery of safe, effective and evidence-based care throughout the patient's perioperative journey.

Monitor standards of patient care through audit, governance processes, incident reviews and patient feedback, ensuring learning is implemented to improve outcomes.

Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to ensure patients receive high-quality, coordinated and seamless care.

Contribute to the investigation and management of patient safety incidents, complaints and concerns, ensuring that appropriate actions are taken to improve care and reduce risk.

Person Specification
skills and experience
Essential

• Thorough and up to date knowledge of nursing theory and best practice particularly within speciality area

Desirable

• Undertaken nursing research

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).