Group Chair,
Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group
United Kingdom
The Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group (NWUHG) was formed in 2025 and brings together the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust. The Group has a combined annual turnover of around £1.8bn, a workforce of more than 18,000 staff, and provides acute and specialist hospital services to a large and diverse population across Norfolk and Waveney and the wider region.
As a Group, we have been working together since December 2025 under a Group Board with a single Interim Group Chair (David Roberts), Group Chief Executive (Prof Lesley Dwyer) and Group Executive and Non-Executive Directors.
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Dear Candidate,
Thank you for your interest in becoming the substantive Group Chair of the Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group. As the Group’s first Chief Executive, I am delighted that you are considering this unique opportunity and to express my personal enthusiasm for working with a Group Chair to deliver one of the most ambitious transformation programmes currently underway in the NHS.
We are building something of real scale and significance. Bringing together three statutory Foundation Trusts, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals, Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn, and James Paget University Hospitals, into a single Group model offers an unparalleled opportunity to improve care, modernise services and work in partnership with our communities to address longstanding health inequalities.
Clinical and operational teams across our three hospitals are collaborating more closely than ever, with shared services and digital systems starting to take shape. But we know that the model’s long term success will depend not only on effective design, but on values driven leadership and the ability to bring people with us through change. The Group Chair will play a central role in ensuring that the leadership we provide is ambitious, inclusive, and focused on outcomes that matter.
At this stage of our development, the partnership between Group Chair and Group Chief Executive will be pivotal. It must be characterised by mutual trust, strategic alignment, and a shared commitment to excellence. I am looking for a Chair who brings deep curiosity, sound judgment, and the courage to challenge and support in equal measure. Someone who thrives in complexity, sees the potential in our people, and understands how to balance the perspectives of national policy, local context, and public accountability.
We will need to make difficult decisions in the years ahead, but we will also have extraordinary opportunities. From the once in a generation hospital redevelopments at QEH and JPUH to the rollout of a single electronic patient record, we are entering a period where real transformation is possible. Together, the Chair and I will be stewards of that transformation, setting a clear and credible direction, building the confidence of our partners and communities, and ensuring our staff are engaged and supported every step of the way.
I want this Group to be known nationally for what it achieves for patients, for the talent it attracts and develops, and for the boldness of its ambition. If you are a collaborative, inspiring leader who shares that vision, and are ready to help shape the future of hospital care across Norfolk and Waveney, I would be truly excited to work with you.
Warmest regards,
Lesley Dwyer
Group Chief Executive
Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group -
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All applications must include:
A full curriculum vitae/resume
Quoting the relevant role reference number: A042402
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 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:
Thomas Patterson, Managing Director or Frank McKenna, Global Managing Director 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.
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Closing date: Friday, 13th November 2026
Stakeholder Sessions: TBC
Final Interviews: Wednesday, 9th December 2026
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.
Please take note of the reference number found under section “How to apply”. This is needed for us to process any application.
Useful information:
Find out more about the James Paget University Hospitals Trust
Find out more about the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Kings Lynn
Find out more about the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals Trust.
