Senior Clinical Lead (Consultant in Public Health)

Job summary

The Consultant in Public Health, Senior Clinical Lead will work within NHS England's Vaccination and Screening Directorate, providing senior clinical and public health leadership for a national screening portfolio.

Working as part of an integrated multidisciplinary team, the postholder will support the delivery, quality assurance, quality improvement and strategic development of screening services, ensuring programmes are safe, effective, equitable and evidence based.

The postholder will provide expert public health advice, oversee clinical and professional input into the programme, lead the management of quality and safety issues, and contribute to the development of national policy, standards and guidance.

They will work closely with colleagues across NHS England, regional teams, providers and key stakeholders to drive continuous improvement, reduce inequalities and improve outcomes for the population.

This is a fixed-term appointment for six months to provide maternity cover and offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to the leadership and delivery of nationally important screening programmes during a period of transformation and improvement.

Main duties of the job Provide senior clinical and public health leadership for one or more national NHS screening programmes, ensuring safe, effective, high-quality and equitable services. Work with the Head of Operations within an integrated portfolio team to deliver strategic and operational priorities across screening programmes.

Provide expert public health advice to support policy development, service improvement and evidence-based decision-making. Lead quality assurance and improvement activity, promoting continuous improvement and embedding learning across programmes.

Support the development and implementation of national standards, policies, guidance and quality frameworks. Lead the management of screening incidents and quality concerns, ensuring appropriate escalation, investigation and risk management.

Develop and maintain clinical and professional advisory arrangements, ensuring access to specialist expertise Work with NHS England colleagues, providers, professional bodies and partners to improve screening quality, uptake and equity.

Provide leadership and line management to staff, supporting professional development and high performance. Contribute to wider public health and cross-directorate work within the Vaccination and Screening Directorate.

Represent the programme at national forums, deputise for senior colleagues and provide expert advice during significant incidents or emerging issues.

About us

NHS England has a wide range of statutory functions, responsibilities and regulatory powers. These are focused on supporting the wider NHS to deliver high quality care, as well as doing those things that are best done once for the whole NHS.

Our staff bring expertise across clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education, and commercial specialisms -- enabling us to design and deliver high-quality NHS services.

In March 2025, the Government announced that NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care will increasingly merge functions, ultimately leading to NHS England being fully integrated into the department.

If you currently work within the NHS and if successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR).This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement.

You may opt out at any stage of the process. Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices. Staff recruited from outside the NHS will usually be appointed at the bottom of the pay band.

We cannot offer visa sponsorship for any vacancies.

Job description

Job

responsibilities

The Consultant in Public Health, Senior Clinical Lead will provide senior clinical and public health leadership within NHS England's Vaccination and Screening Directorate.

Working as part of an integrated multidisciplinary portfolio team, the postholder will support the development, delivery, quality assurance and continuous improvement of national screening programmes, ensuring services are safe, effective, evidence based and equitable for all eligible populations.

The postholder will work closely with the Head of Operations and other senior colleagues to develop and implement strategic and operational priorities, providing expert public health advice to inform national policy, programme delivery and service improvement activities.

Key responsibilities include: Providing expert clinical and public health leadership for one or more national screening programmes. Leading the development and implementation of quality assurance and quality improvement activities to support high-quality service delivery.

Supporting the development of national policies, standards, guidance and operational frameworks. Ensuring appropriate management, oversight and escalation of incidents, risks and quality concerns affecting screening programmes.

Developing and maintaining effective clinical and professional advisory arrangements, ensuring timely access to specialist expertise. Analysing and interpreting complex data and intelligence to identify trends, risks, opportunities and priorities for improvement.

Working collaboratively with NHS England directorates, regional teams, providers, commissioners, professional bodies and other stakeholders to improve programme quality, uptake and outcomes. Leading and contributing to programmes of work focused on reducing health inequalities and improving access to screening services.

Ensuring lessons learned from quality assurance reviews, incidents and improvement initiatives are shared and embedded across programmes. Providing strategic leadership and line management to portfolio staff, supporting professional development and high performance.

Leading or contributing to cross-directorate and cross-programme workstreams within the Vaccination and Screening Directorate. Representing NHS England at national meetings, stakeholder forums and professional networks. Supporting the training, development and supervision of public health trainees and other staff where appropriate.

Deputising for senior colleagues as required and providing expert advice during significant incidents or emerging issues affecting screening services.

This is a fixed-term appointment for six months to provide maternity cover and offers an opportunity to make a significant contribution to the leadership, assurance and improvement of national screening programmes during a period of continued development and transformation.

You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.

Secondments Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications Essential Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) Or Inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/dental public health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice Public health specialty registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in dental public health/UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC/GDC/UKPHR specialist registers [see shortlisting notes below for additional guidance] If an applicant is UK trained in Public Health, they must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview If an applicant is non-UK trained, they will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT [see shortlisting notes below for additional guidance] Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements (i.e. be up to date) in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements or other recognised body MFPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment Desirable Masters in Public Health or equivalent Knowledge and experience Essential Strong commitment to public health principles Able to prioritise work, and work well against a background of change and uncertainty Adaptable to situations, able to handle people of all capabilities and attitudes Commitment to team-working, and respect and consideration for the skills of others Staff management and training Practical experience in facilitating change Budget management Experience of working in quality assurance for NHS Screening Programmes Experience and demonstrable competency in dealing with serious incidents Desirable Self-motivated, pro-active, and innovative High standards of professional probity Project management Experience of working with other health agencies Skills Capabilities & Attributes Essential Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills Excellent oral and written communication skills (including dealing with the public and the media) Effective interpersonal, motivational and influencing skills Ability to respond appropriately in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances Sensible negotiator with practical expectation of what can be achieved Values and behaviours Essential Commitment to and focused on quality, promotes high standards in all they do Able to make a connection between their work and the benefit to patients and the public Consistently thinks about how their work can help and support clinicians and frontline staff deliver better outcomes for patients Understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships