Deputy Head of Legal Services – Ref 320-SR-0051

Salary: £52,306 - £60,983 pa (Band 8b)

Full Time, Permanent

Site: Royal Derby Hospital

Vacancy Town – Derby

There has never been a better time to come and work at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust.  The Trust was formed on 1 July 2018 to bring together our five hospitals – in Derby, Burton, Lichfield and Tamworth – to provide the highest quality care to patients across southern Derbyshire and south east Staffordshire.

With over 12,000 members of staff you can expect huge variety and new opportunities every day! Our staff go above and beyond and take pride in caring for our patients.

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust is fully committed to promoting inclusion, equality, diversity and human rights in employment and delivery of its services.  The Trust is committed to providing an environment where all employees, patients, carers and visitors experience equality of opportunity by means of understanding and appreciating the value of diversity.

As a Trust we promote an inclusive environment and welcome applications from a diverse pool of talent and backgrounds. All individuals are valued and given every opportunity to succeed based on merit.

Join us and help make a real difference to our Trust.

Here’s more about the role and what we’re looking for;

This is an exciting opportunity to work at a senior level in the in-house legal team at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust. The Deputy Head of Legal Services will assist (and deputise for) the Associate Director of Legal Services in all aspects of the Legal Services Department’s work.

You will be responsible for managing a large and busy caseload of clinical negligence claims and Coroner’s Inquests, to include conducting advocacy in the Coroner’s court. You will advise senior Trust staff on the full range of general health law issues that arise in a busy acute hospital.

The role will encompass a case handler (defending the Trust against claims and inquests and protecting the reputation of both the Trust and individual clinicians), legal advisor (to the Board and clinicians on all matters legal), trainer and educator (raising awareness of the legal process and responsibilities to all staff) and contributing to the Legal Services’ Department Strategic role in identifying trends and learning from claims and inquests, to support the Quality Strategy and drive improvements in patient safety.

You will also be responsible for the line management of two Paralegals/ Legal Executives.

You will be a qualified solicitor or equivalent (barrister, FILEX). You will also have significant experience of managing a substantial caseload of legal claims including clinical negligence and personal injury claims and inquests, with minimal supervision. Experience of working in the NHS or with NHS clients and NHSR would be an advantage. The role requires an individual who has the confidence and experience to communicate effectively with a wide range of health and legal professionals at senior level.

The role is based at the Royal Derby Hospital but you will be required to meet regularly with clinical and managerial staff across the Trust’s five sites in Derby, Burton, Tamworth and Lichfield. 

In terms of location, Derby and Burton offer the best of both worlds – city life on the doorstep of a stunning rural environment. We border the National Forest and we are in easy reach of the Peak District, offering outstanding natural beauty. Centrally located, we have excellent transport links to the rest of the country including major cities.

Key facts about our Trust:

Every day our hospitals see more than 4,000 outpatients

We see more Trauma and Orthopaedic outpatients than any other Trust – over 3,300 per week

On average 860 patients are seen in A&E every day – the 6th largest in the country

We carry out more planned surgical operations than any other Trust in England with almost 50,000 operations taking place in our 52 operating theatres

We are one of only 5 Trusts nationally with more than 50 operating theatres

25 babies are born each day in our maternity units

We employ 12,000 staff across our 5 hospital sites

Annual turnover of £750 million

Closing Date: 1 May 2019

Carousels and Panel Interviews will take place on 15 May 2019