University Hospital Southampton NHS FT
Clinical Lead - Neonatal Operational Delivery Network (ODN) South East
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Clinical Lead – Neonatal Operational Delivery Network (ODN) South East
Job Overview
The South East Critical Care Strategic Network (CCSN) invites applications for the position of Clinical Lead in the Neonatal Operational Delivery Network, hosted within University Hospital Southampton – Division C.
- Job Title: Clinical Lead – Neonatal Operational Delivery Network (ODN) South East
- Start Date: October 2026
- Contract Type: Fixed-term, 3-year tenure
- Purpose of Tenure: Completion of a limited-term project
Role Purpose
Provide senior clinical leadership across the South East Neonatal Network, initially focusing on Thames Valley and Wessex, to support safe, effective, equitable, and high-quality neonatal care while aligning with national, regional, and system priorities.
About The Role
Established in 2025/26, the Strategic Network for Critical Care merges the previously separate Thames Valley and Wessex (TVW) and Kent, Surrey, and Sussex (KSS) neonatal Operational Delivery Networks into a unified regional structure. This consolidation aims to enhance collaboration, clinical leadership, and system-wide improvement in neonatal care across the South East.
The successful candidate will contribute to:
- Service delivery
- Quality improvement
- Workforce development
- Education and training
- Transformation and collaboration
- Data and intelligence
- Population health initiatives
This role offers a leadership opportunity to shape neonatal care at a regional scale by fostering collaboration, innovation, and shared learning while ensuring safe, high-quality care for every baby in the network.
Main Responsibilities
** Senior Clinical Leadership**
Provide clinical leadership across the South East Neonatal Network with an initial emphasis on TVW, guiding:
- Strategic alignment with national/regional priorities
- Reduction of unwarranted variation in neonatal outcomes
- Quality improvement initiatives
- Service transformation for sustained care excellence
Network Governance
- Lead and develop the network workplan, ensuring delivery of quality, workforce, education, and data-driven improvements.
- Foster collaboration between neonatal clinical teams, ICBs, provider trusts, and other system partners.
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Strategic Implementation
- Apply a population health approach to neonatal care, leveraging data analysis.
- Influence policy, commissioning, and clinical standards for the 43 neonatal units across the region.
- Drive transformational change using clinically proven models.
Additional Information (Key Employment Terms)
Hosted Role Obligations
Applicants will be required to confirm the following through a signed MOU:
- Employing trust approval (including designating a named manager)
- Dedication of 2 PA (whole-time equivalent) capacity to the network role, integrated into their job plan.
- Reimbursement standardisation at £16,907 (pro-rata, plus NICs and pension contributions) for two PAs per annum.
- This reimbursement excludes other consultant salary enhancements (e.g., individual discretionary awards), which must be managed by the employing trust.
- No impact on individual Consultant salary.
- This reimbursement excludes other consultant salary enhancements (e.g., individual discretionary awards), which must be managed by the employing trust.
- Tenure: 3-year duration, with 2 terms possible (6 years maximum).
Terms of Service
- Employed under Consultants (England) Agenda for Change terms, 2003–2015.
- Job interviews scheduled for 11 August 2026.
Closing Date
23 July 2026.
Key Documents
Refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for detailed criterion breakdowns, including essential/desirable skills, qualifications, and leadership competency expectations.
Qualifications, Experience & Attitude
Essential Criteria
Professional Qualifications & Experience
- MBBS or equivalent medical qualification
- GMC registration with valid ‘license to practise’
- Specialist training in a relevant neonatal specialty field
- Senior-level experience demonstrated in current role
Leadership & Change Management
- Proven track record of leading change in clinical practice
- Multi-disciplinary team collaboration and boundary-spanning leadership within the NHS
- Clinical governance and risk management experience
- Data-informed processes to enhance efficiency and patient care
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Desirable Criteria
- NHS senior leadership qualifications
- Trust-level departmental/divisional lead experience (or equivalent in primary care)
- Specialist knowledge of service improvement frameworks
- Understanding of commissioning/contracting models
Personal Qualities (Essential)
- Effective teamwork with diverse stakeholders
- Strong leadership and ability to inspire and sustain high-performing teams
- Excellent verbal/written communication (including listening skills)
- Equality and diversity awareness, applied to patient-centered care
- Negotiation, persuasion, and influencing skills at strategic/relevant levels
- Conflict resolution and judgement-based problem-solving
- Strategic thinking and system-wide transformation capability
Desirable
- Involvement in regional/national specialty training curricula development
Living Our Trust Values
The candidate incorporates four key principles:
- Patients First
- Always Improving
- Working Together
Perks & Professional Development
University Hospital Southampton (UHS) Offers
- Learning and career development opportunities for aspiring leaders
- Top 10 NHS acute trust ranking for:
- Staff engagement
- Recommendation as a workplace (NHS National Staff Survey)
- Flexible working requests supported, accommodating service priorities
- NHS staff discounts available
- Generous pension scheme & holiday entitlement (protecting essential 35 days, pro-rata)
Working in Southampton
- Vibrant coastal city with:
- International airport & fast rail links to London
- Proximity to New Forest National Park & Jurassic Coast beaches
- Cost of living ~20% lower than London (CSI Corporate Housing Index 2024)
- 14 Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ schools in the area
Contact
Informal enquiries welcomed by: [Unlisted supervisor], University Hospital Southampton Division C – DSU Environment Team, DOB (direct email not provided in original, insertHR@uhs.scot.nhs.uk placeholder)
[Attachment notification] – Referenced full Job Description and Person Specification.
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