Medical Director, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

About Berkshire Healthcare

We are the main provider of mental health and community health services to a population of 900,000 people across Berkshire. We operate from approximately 100 sites across the county, including 323 inpatient beds across 16 wards over 8 locations. Much of our healthcare and therapy services are provided to people within their own homes.

We employ over 5,000 staff which includes medics, registered nurses, therapists, psychologists, and both clinical and non-clinical support staff. The commitment of our staff and the way we respect and support staff is the principal factor in excellence.

Quality

Following a comprehensive Inspection by the Care Quality Commission in November/December 2019, we’re proud to be rated as ‘Outstanding’.

Highlights from the CQC report:

The trust created a positive culture where patients, carers and staff could share their experiences and concerns and where there was a genuine commitment to learning from experience
Staff across the trust felt valued and there was a real focus on doing what was best for both staff, patients and carers and a real commitment to the delivery of good quality patient care at every level. Staff at all levels of the trust were proud to work here and morale amongst staff was good
Quality improvement methodology was embedded throughout the trust and was championed at all levels from ward to board, giving genuine opportunities for staff and patients to identify areas for improvement and make changes. The trust consistently encouraged and supported staff to innovate and develop new ideas
The trust was a leader in using technology to improve patient care and was continuing to build on its status as a ‘Global Digital Exemplar’

People

We want Berkshire Healthcare to be a place where everyone can thrive, grow, and feel valued. Our staff engagement scores place us as one of the top-performing combined mental health and community health trusts in the country. But we are not complacent.

Our vision is to continue to develop our culture so that we are a place where our people want to work and stay. Through workshops and focus groups we’ve listened to our people and identified four key priority themes for the People Strategy: growing and retaining for the future; looking after our people; belonging to our organisation; and finding new ways of working. This means we’re addressing the issues that our people want us to resolve.

Finances

Our financial performance is excellent, and we have a history of delivering our annual financial targets. In 23/24 we delivered a surplus of £3.8m and in 24/25 are again on track to deliver our plan.

Our Mission and Vision

Our mission and vision were renewed 18 months ago, with the help of 800+ staff who contributed through a significant engagement programme. We believe they outline our optimism and ambition for the future, a future that will see us working closely and in collaboration with our patients, communities, staff, and partners.

These few memorable words encapsulate our everyday purpose and ambition for the future.

Our mission is to:

Maximise independence and quality of life

We want to support people to live as independent and full a life as possible for their individual circumstance. Whether providing beginning to end of life healthcare, our purpose is to support the best quality of life outcome for our patients.

Our Vision is to be:

A great place to get care, a great place to give care

With a focus on safe, high quality patient care, supported by continuous improvement and excellent teamwork, we will deliver our vision to provide great care for all patients. We know that building inclusive, motivated and engaged teams who are working towards shared goals translates to great care for patients. Our vision for high quality patient care will be directly supported by making Berkshire Healthcare a great place to work for all staff.

Thank you for your interest in the role of MD at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. We appreciate you taking the time to read this information pack which we hope you find useful in considering this exciting opportunity.
Berkshire Healthcare is a high-performing Trust and recognised as one of the best nationally. We are proud to be rated 'Outstanding' by the CQC, and our consistent financial stability and success enables us to continually invest in our services and our people. We have some of the highest sustained staff engagement scores in the NHS due to the distinctive way in which we lead, with a focus on curiosity, humility, and always welcoming opportunities for learning as well as prioritising operational excellence.
We want Berkshire Healthcare to be a place where everyone can thrive, grow, and feel valued. Like all NHS organisations, we have faced significant challenges, however, thanks to the extraordinary commitment of our staff and strong partnerships with local communities, we have made remarkable progress towards achieving our strategic objectives.
We are seeking an exceptional MD to join our experienced and high-performing unitary Board in a role which offers a unique opportunity to work with a mature and stable leadership team, influence policy at the highest level, and make a significant impact on the lives of our patients, staff, and local communities.
As MD, your role will demand both a strategic and hands-on approach to ensure our goals of continuous improvement and excellence are met. Most importantly, you will lead the shaping of community and mental health services across Berkshire and ensure that we continue to deliver outstanding care.
As an accomplished leader with a strong record of strategic and clinical success in a healthcare setting, you will bring proven expertise in clinical governance, patient safety, and quality improvement, as well as the ability to inspire and lead multidisciplinary teams. You will be a thoughtful, mature leader who is not afraid to tackle difficult issues but does so in a collegiate and constructive way. As a key member of our leadership team, you will live the Trust’s values, demonstrating integrity, inclusivity, and a commitment to our mission. Your ability to build strong relationships with key external stakeholders, including the LMC, will be essential to maintaining our status as a trusted healthcare partner in the community.
One of the most important aspects of this role will be supporting our efforts to attract, retain, and develop the best talent, ensuring Berkshire Healthcare remains an employer of choice. You will contribute to fostering a culture where staff feel valued, supported, and inspired to give their best every day, creating a truly great place to work.
We are proud to offer a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates from ethnically diverse backgrounds, disabled candidates, and former UK military veterans. We believe in providing equal opportunities for all and are committed to supporting the career development of underrepresented groups.
If you are a compassionate, innovative, and visionary leader with a deep commitment to clinical excellence, we would be delighted to hear from you. At Berkshire Healthcare, you will be joining a supportive and high-performing team, dedicated to delivering outstanding care and achieving the best outcomes for our patients and communities.
If you are interested in a confidential conversation, please contact Thomas Patterson, Managing Director or Rabiya Ali at Alumni Global on +44 7545 741 153. I look forward to receiving your application.
Please click here to read the Job Description
All applications must include:
• A full curriculum vitae/resume
• Quoting the relevant role reference number: A039819
• A covering letter highlighting the aspects of the job description and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 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) *
Monitoring
One of Alumni Global’s and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’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 Rabiya Ali, Consultant, on +44 7545 741 153.
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: 24th October 2024
Stakeholder Event: 29th November 2024
Meet the Executives and Final Interview: 3rd December 2024
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.