Thank you for your interest in the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust and this exceptional opportunity to join our Board as our next Chief Finance Officer (CFO). I hope you enjoy exploring more about our organisation, our values, our ambitions, and the vital role you could play in shaping our future.

As Chief Executive, having been in post now for 18 months, I am privileged to witness daily the dedication, expertise, and compassion of more than 12,000 colleagues across our two busy hospital sites at Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital in Stafford. We are one of the largest teaching trusts in the country, serving a core population across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, South Cheshire and Shropshire, and wider specialist populations of up to three million people, as far afield as North Wales in our capacity as a Major Trauma Centre.

Our annual income is approximately £1.4 billion, and we provide a broad range of acute and specialist services that our communities rely upon. Yet, alongside these opportunities sits a significant and complex financial challenge. Like the wider NHS, UHNM continues to operate in an exceptionally pressured financial environment.

Despite this, UHNM has demonstrated resilience and strong financial stewardship. Under the leadership of our outgoing CFO who is retiring in the summer, the Trust has successfully exited financial special measures in 2022 and secured investment that strengthened clinical services and improved stability during some of the most difficult financial periods our organisation has faced. 

We are now seeking an outstanding finance leader who can build on that legacy while bringing fresh insight, ambition, and strategic clarity. This is a challenging role at a challenging time, but entirely suitable for those motivated by genuine purpose, impact and the opportunity to influence the future of a major NHS organisation. It is an unparalleled opportunity for both a finance leader and strategic corporate director in equal measure. 

As our new CFO, you will:

• Provide professional leadership to our finance, contracting, procurement and and informatics, ensuring the Trust maintains strong financial governance, grip and control.
• Shape and deliver long-term financial strategies that support our new 10 year organisational strategy and the ambitions of the national NHS 10 year plan.
• Navigate an NHS landscape defined by rising demand, constrained resources, and the need for bold system wide transformation.
• Work closely with partners across our Integrated Care System to ensure resources are used effectively and sustainably.
• Play a central role in enabling service transformation, capital investment, digital innovation, and the continued improvement of patient care.

UHNM is at a pivotal moment. We have enormous potential, through our people, our clinical excellence, and our academic partnerships, to make even greater impact in delivering for the communities we serve. The CFO will be instrumental in unlocking that potential and ensuring we continue to meet the needs of our population in a financially sustainable way.

If you are interested by the scale of this challenge and inspired by the opportunity to contribute to one of the country’s largest teaching hospitals, I warmly encourage you to explore this role further and encourage you to read further on this site. If you would like more information and how to apply, please contact Emily Hilton, Head of Recruitment, telephone 01782 675533 or email emily.hilton@uhnm.nhs.uk

I look forward to meeting you during the process and discussing the unique contribution you could make to our journey.