NHS England
Director of Pre-Hospital UEC and Access
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Director of Pre-Hospital UEC Access
As Director of Pre-Hospital UEC Access, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for national programmes spanning NHS 111, 999 and ambulance services, shaping the future of urgent and emergency care access across England.
Operating at the heart of the Integrated Urgent and Emergency Care (IUEC) Directorate, you will lead a large and complex portfolio that is central to the delivery of NHS England's urgent and emergency care ambitions. Working in a highly visible and politically sensitive environment, you will provide national leadership for pre-hospital access services, drive operational improvement, develop future strategy and lead delivery of key commitments within the UEC Recovery Plan.
You will work closely with senior leaders across NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), regional teams, integrated care systems, ambulance trusts, NHS 111 providers and wider partners to improve access, outcomes and experience for patients. The role requires a strategic and influential leader capable of operating across organisational boundaries to deliver large-scale transformation and sustainable improvement.
As a member of the senior leadership team, you will provide visible leadership across the wider IUEC Directorate, helping to shape culture, support organisational priorities and contribute to the delivery of national policy, strategy and operational objectives.
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The Postholder Will Be Responsible For
- Providing strategic and operational leadership for NHS England's Pre-Hospital UEC Access portfolio, including NHS 111, 999 and ambulance services.
- Leading delivery of national pre-hospital access programmes and UEC Recovery Plan commitments.
- Setting the strategic direction for ambulance, NHS 111 and wider pre-hospital urgent and emergency care services.
- Developing and delivering long-term strategic priorities to transform access to urgent and emergency care.
- Leading and developing a multidisciplinary team, creating a high-performing and inclusive culture.
- Managing significant programme resources and budgets and ensuring value for money.
- Providing oversight of governance, assurance, performance and delivery arrangements across the portfolio.
- Driving policy development and improvement programmes to enhance patient outcomes and operational performance.
- Building influential relationships with senior stakeholders across NHS England, government and the wider health and care system.
- Identifying and managing strategic risks, issues and dependencies affecting delivery.
- Providing senior leadership across the wider Integrated Urgent and Emergency Care Directorate.
- Representing NHS England in highly sensitive, complex and politically significant environments.
NHS England’s Purpose
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We empower our people and partners to solve problems, provide outstanding care for every patient and improve the nation's health.
Our 7 regional teams work directly with systems and NHS providers across the country. Each region acts as the interface between national strategy and local delivery, overseeing performance, supporting improvement and enabling transformation at scale.
Inter Authority Transfer (IAT)
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 are successful at interview, we will run an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) in the Electronic Staff Record system (ESR). This transfer gathers valuable information from a previous or current NHS employer to support the onboarding process, including; statutory and mandatory competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You will have the opportunity throughout the recruitment process to inform us if you do not consent.
Office-Based Roles
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in our offices.
Further Details / Informal Visits
Contact: Nicola Mercer
Job title: Head of Programme (iUEC PMO & Business Unit)
Email address: Nicola.mercer8@nhs.net
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