National Clinical Lead

We have a fantastic opportunity for a National Clinical Lead to join our team based at Bristol Ambulance HQ.

This is a national role, currently with a primary focus on Bristol Ambulance, with some travel required.

The National Clinical Lead will provide senior clinical leadership across the organisation’s HDU, critical care and frontline ambulance services. The role is responsible for clinical governance, patient safety, quality improvement and clinical assurance, ensuring services meet professional, contractual and regulatory standards.

Working closely with the Quality and Patient Safety Director and Senior Leadership Team, the National Clinical Lead will oversee clinical practice, competence, clinical audit, medicines governance, PCR auditing, policies and SOPs, and organisational learning.

You will take the lead on identifying and managing clinical risks, investigating incidents and concerns, monitoring standards of care and ensuring learning is translated into meaningful improvements.

You will also provide clinical and contract oversight of the SWAST frontline framework, ensuring required clinical, operational, workforce and governance standards are maintained.

This role has a key responsibility for CQC and regulatory compliance, supporting inspection readiness and ensuring appropriate clinical assurance and evidence are in place.

Overall, the National Clinical Lead will bring together clinical leadership, patient safety, quality, audit and assurance, providing clear accountability for clinical standards across the organisation.

What benefits can you expect?

Life Assurance – providing colleagues and their family financial peace of mind and protection to the value of £5,000.

Company sick pay covering full salary for 20 days after 2 years’ service.

24/7 online/telephone GP Consultation and access to prescriptions.

2nd opinion medical support following diagnosis or where a colleague is on a treatment pathway.

Hospital cash plan benefits with sickness protection scheme.

Cash-plan benefits, providing colleagues the option of protecting themselves in case of illness and recuperation, including dental, optical, chiropody.

Access to mental health consultations.

Access to physiotherapy consultations.

Access to legal advice on domestic issues e.g. motoring offences, wills and probate, and personal injury.

Financial guidance re retirement planning, tax savings and state benefits.

Long Service Recognition Scheme – recognising colleagues for their continued service after 5 years and at 5-year intervals with an increase in annual leave.

Values-based Internal Recognition Scheme with financial reward, which will lead to an annual recognition event.

Refer a Friend recruitment incentive scheme with financial rewards.

The EMED foundation, to provide support to colleagues and our local communities.

Pension Scheme.

Blue Light Card.

Uniform provided.

EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) to support a range of health and wellbeing requirements.

Flu vaccination (through an internal campaign in Autumn/Winter).

Main Responsibilities:

Clinical Leadership & Professional Oversight

Provide clinical leadership across frontline ambulance, critical care and HDU services.

Act as the main clinical adviser to the Senior Leadership Team.

Oversee clinical standards, competence and quality of patient care.

Provide clinical advice and challenge where patient safety may be affected.

Support the introduction of new clinical practices, equipment and medicines.

Escalate significant clinical and patient-safety concerns.

Patient Safety & Clinical Governance

Lead patient safety and clinical governance across clinical services.

Oversee incidents, complaints, investigations and clinical risks.

Identify trends and ensure learning leads to improvements.

Develop and monitor clinical improvement plans.

Promote a positive, open and learning-focused safety culture.

Clinical Audit & Quality Assurance

Lead clinical audit and quality assurance across services.

Oversee PCR, medicines, clinical practice and competency audits.

Monitor clinical quality and patient-safety performance.

Ensure audit findings lead to appropriate improvement actions.

Provide evidence of clinical quality and compliance to commissioners and regulators.

Medicines Management & Clinical Equipment

Oversee medicines management and controlled-drug governance.

Ensure medicines audits are completed and issues addressed.

Monitor medicines-related incidents and risks.

Provide clinical oversight of equipment selection and introduction.

Ensure appropriate training and competency arrangements are in place.

Training, Clinical Competence & Professional Development

Provide clinical guidance to the training team and clinical trainers.

Oversee clinical training, competency and professional development.

Ensure training reflects learning from incidents, audits and other governance activity.

Oversee newly qualified paramedic preceptorship and clinical development.

Identify and support areas where additional training or development is required.

Clinical Policies, Procedures & Standards

Lead the development and review of clinical policies, procedures, guidelines and SOPs.

Ensure clinical guidance meets current professional and regulatory standards.

Ensure changes to clinical guidance are effectively communicated and implemented.

Use learning from incidents and audits to improve clinical practice.

SWAST Frontline Framework – Contract & Clinical Management

Provide clinical and contract oversight of the SWAST frontline framework.

Monitor compliance with clinical, operational and governance requirements.

Act as a key contact for SWAST on clinical and assurance matters.

Attend contract and assurance meetings and oversee agreed actions.

Coordinate preparation for SWAST inspections and reviews.

Maintain evidence of compliance and respond to contractual or performance concerns.

Escalate significant risks to senior leadership.

CQC & Regulatory Compliance

Lead clinical assurance for CQC and other relevant regulatory requirements.

Monitor compliance with professional, statutory and regulatory standards.

Coordinate clinical preparation for inspections and assurance activity.

Maintain evidence to demonstrate safe and effective clinical services.

Identify regulatory gaps and oversee improvement actions.

Support responses to inspections and regulatory requests.

Senior Leadership Team

Provide clinical advice and assurance to the Senior Leadership Team.

Contribute to organisational strategy, service development and continuous improvement.

Provide professional challenge where decisions may affect patient safety or clinical quality.

Contribute to new service development, tendering and mobilisation.

Represent the organisation at relevant clinical, contractual and governance meetings.

Governance & Reporting

Support effective clinical governance and reporting.

Provide assurance on incidents, risks, audits, training, complaints and quality improvement.

Ensure governance information is accurate and up to date.

Participate in clinical governance and Group governance meetings.

Ensure significant risks are escalated and improvement actions are followed through.

Professional Requirements:

Current HCPC registration as a Paramedic (essential) .

Significant operational paramedic experience and proven clinical leadership experience.

Strong knowledge of clinical governance, patient safety, clinical audit and quality improvement.

Understanding of CQC and wider healthcare regulatory requirements.

Experience of incident investigation, risk management and implementing improvement plans.

Strong leadership, communication and stakeholder-management skills.

Ability to analyse clinical and performance information and translate findings into m