Chief Operating Officer, The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

We are on the verge of a defining moment in PAHT’s history. What lies ahead is a journey of transformation and improvement that will lead us successfully into the future, enabling us to deliver modern, integrated and outstanding care that keeps our growing and ageing population healthier.

Against a backdrop of NHS and system transformation, the relentless pace of scientific, technical and clinical innovation, and our amazing opportunity to build a brand-new hospital, we need a strategy that is bold, ambitious and responds to the needs of our local population across West Essex.

Therefore, we are currently developing our revised Clinical Strategy, which will provide our organisational and ‘Place’ roadmap for the next 10 years. It is designed to inspire and challenge us, to guide and unite us in working smarter and better to achieve our vision.

We have already made great progress, but there is much more to do. Now, more than ever, we need to come together as one team, working with our local, regional and national partners, our patients and our communities to make PAHT the centre of excellence we know it can be.

We hope you are excited by the strategy, and eager to embrace the challenges ahead.

Dear Applicant
Thank you for your interest in the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT). This is an exciting and pivotal leadership position at a time of transformation and opportunity for our organisation and the wider West Essex health and care system.
At PAHT, we are committed to delivering the highest standards of safe, effective, and compassionate care to every patient, every time. As our COO, you will provide professional leadership to our operational services, ensuring that quality, efficiency, resilience, and innovation remain at the heart of everything we do. Your expertise will be critical in driving operational excellence, strengthening service delivery, and ensuring that PAHT remains a great place to work, develop, and receive care.
This is a crucial time for PAHT as we embark on the development of our new Clinical Strategy for our Trust and the wider West Essex system. While the construction of our new hospital has been delayed until 2032, our determination to modernise services, improve patient outcomes, and enhance operational resilience remains unwavering. As our COO your leadership will be instrumental in ensuring that operational performance aligns with strategic ambitions and meets the evolving needs of our communities.
As a key executive director and member of the Board, you will play a critical role in shaping and delivering Trust wide strategies, ensuring that patient safety, service quality, and sustainability are embedded in all operational decision making. You will lead on emergency preparedness, business continuity, performance improvement, and the delivery of national NHS priorities, while fostering a culture of data driven decision making and continuous improvement across the organisation.
Beyond PAHT, you will play a vital leadership role across the broader West Essex health and care system, working closely with our partners to drive integration, strengthen place based services, and contribute to the future of healthcare across our region. Your ability to collaborate, influence, and innovate will be key to shaping system wide solutions that deliver better outcomes for our patients and communities.
We are seeking an exceptional operational leader with a strong track record in service transformation, performance delivery, and system collaboration. If you share our ambition to transform healthcare for our patients, staff, and communities, I would be delighted to receive your application.
With best wishes
Thom Lafferty
Chief Executive
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust provides a full range of general acute, outpatient and diagnostic services at The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, the Herts and Essex Hospital in Bishop’s Stortford, and St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping.
We employ 4,000 staff and serve a local population of around 350,000 people living in west Essex and east Hertfordshire, centred on the M11 corridor and the towns of Harlow, Bishop’s Stortford and Epping. Our extended catchment area incorporates a population of up to 500,000 and includes the areas of Hoddesdon, Cheshunt and Broxbourne in Hertfordshire.
In October 2019, the Government announced that we are to receive funding to rebuild a new hospital in Harlow for our patients, community and people.
The details around the funding and the timeframe are currently being finalised and we are completing our business case for the new hospital. We are continuing to develop the essential business case plans to take this amazing change forward.
Click here for role description
All applications must include:
- A full curriculum vitae/resume
- Quoting the relevant role reference number: A040727
- A covering letter highlighting the aspects of the job description and PAH that particularly attract you to the post (Microsoft Word document)
- Contact details for three referees, these will not be contacted without your permission. (References should validate a minimum period of six years employment)
- A completed Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form (which you will be redirected to once you have submitted your application) *
Right to work checks
If you are successfully shortlisted, our partner, Yoti, will contact you to complete an online right to work check. This is a quick and secure process, ensuring that all necessary legal requirements are met before proceeding further in the recruitment process.
Monitoring
One of Alumni Global’s and PAH’s objectives is to ensure that its workforce is reflective of the local community and therefore we actively encourage applications from under-represented groups. So that we can successfully achieve these aims, while it is not mandatory we would encourage every applicant to complete the “Equal Opportunities Monitoring form” so that we can measure the effectiveness of our efforts. The Recruiting Manager does not have access to the Monitoring Information Sections of the application form at any stage of the process and the information provided will be kept entirely confidential.
For a confidential discussion on this role please contact:
Thomas Patterson, Managing Director or Beth Stickney, Principal Researcher on +44 7703 821 996.
Candidate adjustment
If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made as part of the recruitment process please can you advise us so that we can ensure this is accommodated.
Closing date: 5th June 2025
Final Interviews: 20th June 2025
Please ensure you have made a note of the final interview date(s). We recommend that you bookmark this microsite, as any potential updates regarding the role will be posted online.