Clinical manager

Working life

You'll already be a trained healthcare professional, such as a nurse or allied health professional. You'll be leading a team of your peers or a multidisciplinary team where a mix of professionals work together to deliver care such as maternity or the NHS 111 service.You may also be managing a function such as clinical audit [1] or governance. 

Just some of our responsibilities could be:

• setting priorities
• planning for future development
• budget management
• ensuring value for money and quality in the services 
• responsible for clinical governance and clinical audit [1] – programmes aimed at improving health services to patients.work in clinical audit [1] or clinical governance
• closely involved in any changes to services for patients

Roles in clinical management 

The following are examples of roles in clinical management. They are a guide - so you'll need to check any job vacancy you're considering to see exactly what the role involves and the requirements for the post.

• Clinical audit manager
• Clinical governance manager
• Clinical governance manager/assistant lead nurse
• Head of clinical governance and risk management
• Integrated urgent care/NHS 111 clinical adviser and senior clinical adviser

Clinical audit manager 

Most likely working in a hospital, you'll have responsibility for managing a team that ensures the efficient and effective development and delivery of clinical audit [1] and effectiveness across the district.

This sort of post requires a minimum of three years' NHS experience in a clinical audit [1], clinical governance or related clinical effectiveness [2] role, with an ability to plan and co-ordinate the work of others as well as the ability to develop staff and enhance their performance.

You'll need a detailed knowledge and understanding of clinical governance and clinical audit [1] and their application, along with the ability to interpret and implement changes resulting from national and local initiatives.

Clinical governance manager

You'll need to be able to develop clinical governance across the NHS trust, covering radiology, pharmacy, therapies, private patients, outpatients, pathology and the chaplaincy.

You'll be responsible for developing a system that places clinical quality at the heart of all healthcare delivery by working closely with head of clinical governance, the clinical director for clinical governance and the directorate team of clinicians and managers.

Clinical governance manager/assistant lead nurse 

You will need to be an enthusiastic nurse with senior management experience. Significant involvement in the clinical governance agenda and a willingness to work flexibly as part of a range of multidisciplinary teams will be crucial.

You will be responsible for clinical governance delivery within local delivery teams, for a range of governance development initiatives. You'll also support the lead nurse in delivery of the professional nursing agenda.

Head of clinical governance and risk management

You might be based at a hospital NHS trust that employs around 5,000 staff and you'll be responsible for developing and delivering the infrastructure to support the trust's clinical governance and risk management agenda.

You will need a thorough understanding of the principles of clinical governance, risk management, complaints and controls assurance to effectively manage the process. It would demand excellent communication, leadership and influencing skills, to work effectively with a diverse range of contacts, including professional bodies and managers.

A university degree in relevant disciplines and/or relevant professional qualifications might be needed as well as proven skills in successfully leading change management programmes. Evidence of implementing national policy at local level and experience with developing strategy to underpin corporate directions would also be important.

You might work in an NHS trust or as part of a clinical commissioning group [3] (CCG).

Integrated urgent care/NHS 111 clinical adviser and senior clinical adviser

Want to learn more?

• Find out about the entry requirements and training in clinical management [5]

• Pay and conditions

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  Most jobs in the NHS are covered by the Agenda for Change (AfC) [6] pay scales. This pay system covers all staff except doctors, dentists and the most senior managers.

  In the NHS, your career in clinical management would typically start at Agenda for Change [7] band 6 or 7, with some positions at band 5, and the most senior roles rising to band 9 for, for example, a professional manager for a clinical service.

  NHS staff will usually work a standard 37.5 hours per week. They may work a shift pattern.

  Roles in integrated urgent care/the NHS 111 service are aligned to Skills for Health [8] qualification levels. A clinical adviser will work at level 5 and a senior clinical adviser at level 6. NHS 111 clinical advisers and senior clinical advisers work agreed hours per week. This may include working on a shift pattern basis covering evenings, nights, early starts, weekends and bank holidays. 

• Where the role can lead

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  In clinical management, you could progress to more senior positions, with a variety of responsibilities at operational or strategic level. For example, many NHS trusts have a medical director and a director of nursing, or other senior clinical management roles.

  Integrated urgent care/NHS 111 services are changing and moving towards providing a single point of access for patients to urgent care. To deliver these plans, a multi-skilled workforce is needed and there are many roles available at Skills for Health [8] levels 2 to 9. NHS 111 clinical advisers and senior clinical advisers can progress to become an advanced clinical practitioner, a clinical consultant or a clinical director with post-registration training and experience. 

• Job market and vacancies

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  When you’re looking for job vacancies, there are a number of sources you can use, depending on the type of work you’re seeking. However, you can find just some of the current vacancies from the NHS Jobs website below.

  • View Vacancy [9]

    Deputy Clinical Audit Manager

    Trust Headquarters, Bristol, BS1 3NU

    • Salary:

      £38,890 - £44,503 pa

    • Type:

      Permanent

    • Employer:

      University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust

    • View Vacancy
  • View Vacancy [10]

    Clinical Audit Manager

    Warrington, WA5 1QG

    • Salary:

      £38,890 to £44,503 pa

    • Type:

      Permanent

    • Employer:

      Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    • View Vacancy
  • View Vacancy [11]

    Clinical Audit Officer

    Trust HQ Exeter - with Home Working due to Covid 19, EX2 7HY

    • Salary:

      £24,907 - £30,615 pa

    • Type:

      Permanent

    • Employer:

      South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

    • View Vacancy
  • View Vacancy [12]

    Clinical Audit and Outcomes Specialist

    East Grinstead, RH19 3DZ

    • Salary:

      £31365.00 to £37890.00 a year

    • Type:

      Fixed term

    • Employer:

      Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

    • View Vacancy
  • View Vacancy [13]

    Head of Clinical Audit & Effectiveness

    Berrywood, Duston, NN5 6UD

    • Salary:

      £38,890 - £44,503 pa pro rata

    • Type:

      Permanent

    • Employer:

      Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

    • View Vacancy
  • View Vacancy [14]

    Clinical Audit and Effectiveness Advisor

    Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford, DA2 8DA

    • Salary:

      £26,152 - £32,145 per annum

    • Type:

      Permanent

    • Employer:

      Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust

    • View Vacancy
• Further information

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  • Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership Ltd [15]
  • The Institute of Healthcare Management [16]
  • NHS Leadership Academy [17]
  • NHS Trust Development Authority [18]
  • Skills for Health [8]