Medical Director for Place/Directorate

Medical Director for Place / Directorate

The closing date is 20 May 2026.

North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) is creating five new Senior Medical Leader roles as part of its major investment in clinical leadership. These roles support the Trust's vision of placing medical leadership at the heart of place based and Trust wide decision making, and strengthen the medical voice, influence and visibility across the organisation.

Five posts - one each at Barking & Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge, Waltham Forest and Essex - are permanent consultant contracts with a three year fixed term that may be extended by mutual agreement. Each post includes protected medical leadership time and allows up to five years of clinical practice, recognising leadership as core work rather than an add on.

Main duties

• Provide visible, inclusive and values led leadership across mental health, community physical health and children's services within the local area.
• Partner closely with Integrated Care Directors and senior clinical leaders, and act as a core member of the Chief Medical Officer's Leadership Team and the Wider Executive Management Team.
• Influence strategy, quality, workforce well being and system working from a place based and Trust wide perspective.
• Support doctors, promote partnership working, and shape the future of care for the communities served by NELFT.

Why join NELFT

• The Trust is investing in medical leadership at a time of significant growth and momentum, with newly appointed Deputies and an expanding senior medical team.
• You will help shape integrated, neighbourhood based models of care and collaborate with primary care, acute trusts, local authorities and voluntary sector partners.
• Play a key role in tackling health inequalities, improving population level outcomes and strengthening relational models of care.
• Receive support to lead with kindness, inclusion and compassion, consistent with NELFT's values.
• Flexible working is actively supported, including job share, part time working and remote sessions where possible.

Qualifications

• GMC registered medical practitioner at consultant level (or equivalent).
• Evidence of continued professional development.
• Significant experience of consultant level practice within the NHS.
• Proven medical leadership in multi disciplinary teams.
• Record of improving quality, safety and governance.
• Understanding of Integrated Care Systems and place based models of care.
• Cross specialty or cross sector experience spanning interfaces of primary care, community services, secondary care, mental health services.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and will require a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Contact

For an informal conversation about the posts:

• Dr Sarah Dracass, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Mental Health -
• Dr Helene Brown, Chief Medical Officer -
• Executive Assistant: Francesca Hayward -