Chief Medical Officer, Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group

The Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group (NWUHG), was formed in May 2025 and brings together the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals Trust, the James Paget University Hospitals Trust and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kings Lynn.

While each Trust continues to operate under its own name and identity, the formation of the group enables us to build on the successful partnership we established as the Norfolk and Waveney Acute Hospital Collaborative, through which we’ve worked since September 2020 to align decision-making on common issues.

As the NWUHG, we’ll work together under a Group Board with a single Interim Group Chair, Group CEO, Prof Lesley Dwyer, and joint Executive and non-Executive Directors.

Each Trust remains a separate statutory organisation with its own Executive Managing Director, who will be a full member of the Group board, and leadership team. Each hospital also remains focused on its community and local services and staff relationships will continue to be central to how we work.

This structure will align our strategic ambitions and give us the streamlined decision-making combined with locally-focused delivery of care that will enable us to enhance experience and outcomes for patients across Norfolk and Waveney. It also gives us the opportunity to:

Transform health services based on the needs of our patients and communities, particularly focusing on preventative and proactive healthcare for people with long-term conditions and delivering a consistent best practice model of urgent and emergency care with a focus on frailty.
Build on our combined knowledge, skills and experience to implement safe and sustainable care models, level-up access and outcomes and improve outcomes for people with cancer.
Take a co-ordinated approach to the development of the two new hospitals in King’s Lynn and Gorleston.
Work at scale to improve our service resilience, enhance staff development and training, create a University Hospital system that strengthens our potential for research, training and innovation, and realise the benefits of service transformation that can be achieved through estates and digital.
Tackle underlying financial challenges and take advantage of the negotiation, purchasing and investment power that comes with being part of a group.

Living and working in Norfolk offers the rare opportunity to enjoy both professional fulfilment and an exceptional quality of life. From its expansive coastline and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the historic city of Norwich and its surrounding market towns, Norfolk blends tranquillity with a strong sense of community. Whether you're relocating with family or seeking a change of pace, the region boasts excellent schools, accessible housing, and a lifestyle rooted in wellbeing, space, and balance. It’s a place where you can truly switch off at the end of the day, whether that’s a walk on Holkham Beach or dinner in a vibrant local pub.

Professionally, the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group presents a unique and exciting opportunity for executive leaders to influence meaningful, system-wide change. As part of a progressive and ambitious group operating across three acute hospital sites, you’ll help shape high-quality, sustainable services for a population of over one million people. The Group plays a central role in Norfolk and Waveney’s Integrated Care System and is committed to collaborative, inclusive leadership. For those seeking to make a lasting impact on healthcare while enjoying the benefits of a truly enviable lifestyle, Norfolk is an outstanding place to lead, live, and grow.

Dear Candidate
Thank you for your interest in the role of Group Chief Medical Officer at the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group. This is an exceptional opportunity to join a system at scale and lead a clinical workforce with the talent, capability, and ambition to drive real transformation.
As Group Chief Executive, I am deeply proud of the journey we are on. By bringing together Norfolk and Norwich, Queen Elizabeth King’s Lynn, and James Paget University Hospitals into a single Group model, we are laying the foundation for better, more consistent care across our communities. At the heart of this model is a belief in strong professional leadership, shared values, and clinically led improvement.
The Group Chief Medical Officer will be pivotal in this journey. You will shape and lead our approach to clinical outcomes, governance, and patient safety, working in close partnership with our Group Chief Nurse and other executive colleagues. Together, you will ensure that care across all three hospitals is safe, compassionate, and continuously improving, and that our services reflect the needs of our communities, including those whose voices are often hardest to hear.
You will also lead our research and education agenda, strengthening our academic partnerships and supporting the development of a medical workforce that is fit for the future. You will foster an environment in which innovation thrives, and where doctors, dentists, pharmacists and the broader clinical team are empowered to lead and deliver change.
Above all, you will provide visible, authentic leadership to a large and diverse group of clinicians. You will help us build a culture that is collaborative, ambitious, and open to learning. Beyond designing a new structure, we are setting a new standard for how hospital services are delivered, how clinicians are supported, and how patients experience care.
If you bring the credibility, vision and determination to deliver that standard, I would be thrilled to welcome you to our leadership team.
Warmest regards,
Lesley Dwyer
Group Chief Executive
Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group
Please click here to view the Role Description and Candidate Pack
All applications must include:
- A full curriculum vitae/resume
- Quoting the relevant role reference number: A040957
- A covering letter highlighting the aspects of the job description and Norfolk & Waveney University Hospitals Group 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 self-attestation form
- 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 Norfolk & Waveney University Hospitals Group’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 David Heaton or Thomas Patterson, whose details can be found at the bottom of this microsite.
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.
Key Milestones:
Closing date: 14th August 2025
Stakeholders: TBC
Final Interviews: w/c 15th September 2025 - TBC
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.