Occupational Health Lead NurseNHS

Job summary

gtd healthcare is one of the largest NHS commissioned Primary and Urgent care providers in North West England. An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and motivated Occupational Health Lead Nurse to work alongside the Head of Service in establishing and leading gtd healthcare's internal Occupational Health Service.

The Lead Occupational Health Nurse will provide both professional and operational leadership for the development, implementation, and ongoing management of a new Occupational Health Service.

The post holder will be responsible for creating and delivering a high-quality, evidence-based service that supports employee health and wellbeing, promotes attendance, and contributes to organisational performance.

Working in partnership with the Head of Service, the successful candidate will play a key role in designing and embedding a modern, proactive, and high-performing Occupational Health Service.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced Occupational Health Nurse to shape the future of occupational health provision within gtd healthcare and make a lasting impact on employee wellbeing and workforce health.

You will be a Registered Nurse on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register and hold a degree-level qualification, together with a recognised Occupational Health qualification and evidence of ongoing professional development.

Main duties of the job

Act as the organisation's Occupational Health subject matter expert and professional lead, providing specialist advice and guidance on fitness for work, workplace health risks, health surveillance, immunisation programmes, rehabilitation, sickness absence management, workplace adjustments and employee wellbeing.

Influence strategic decision-making through the provision of expert occupational health advice, workforce health intelligence and evidence-based recommendations.

Be responsible for ensuring robust clinical governance arrangements, driving continuous service improvement, leading audit and quality initiatives, and maintaining professional standards across the service. The role will also provide leadership for the Occupational Health Information System, ensuring effective governance, performance monitoring, reporting and service development to support organisational health and wellbeing objectives.

Through visible leadership and partnership working, you will champion the health, wellbeing and resilience of the workforce, contributing to improved staff experience, attendance, retention and organisational performance.

For further details, please refer to the attached job description.

Job description

Service development

• Design and implement comprehensive occupational health services including:
• Management referrals
• Pre-employment assessments
• Health surveillance programmes
• Vaccination and immunisation services
• Sickness absence management support
• Workplace assessments
• Health promotion and wellbeing initiatives
• Case management and rehabilitation programmes
• Lead the development, implementation and evaluation of the Occupational Health and Wellbeing Strategy, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives and workforce priorities.
• Establish systems and processes for effective service delivery and governance.
• Ensure the service complies with relevant legislation, professional standards and best practice.
• Develop policies, procedures and clinical protocols relating to occupational health and wellbeing.
• Contribute to organisational workforce, wellbeing and health and safety strategies.
• Provide expert occupational health advice to Executive and Senior Leadership Teams
• Identify opportunities for service improvement and innovation.
• Contribute to workforce planning and organisational initiatives aimed at improving employee health, wellbeing, attendance, retention and productivity.
• Act as the professional lead for Occupational Health Nursing, providing expert advice on occupational health matters and ensuring professional standards are maintained across the service.
• Act as the lead professional and system owner for the Occupational Health Service and Occupational Health Information System, ensuring effective utilisation, data quality, information governance compliance, performance monitoring, statutory reporting and ongoing system development.
• Produce, analyse and present Occupational Health activity, performance, workforce health and wellbeing reports, identifying trends, risks and opportunities for service improvement.
• Ensure statutory health surveillance programmes are delivered, monitored and reviewed in accordance with relevant legislation, professional standards and best practice guidance.

Clinical practice

• Deliver expert occupational health assessments and interventions.
• Provide specialist advice regarding:
• Fitness for work
• Reasonable workplace adjustments
• Disability management
• Long-term sickness absence
• Occupational exposures
• Management of contaminated sharps and body fluid exposures
• Regulatory compliance requirements
• Manage complex occupational health cases using evidence-based practice.
• Maintain high professional standards in record keeping and clinical decision making.
• Provide clinical leadership for vaccination and immunisation programmes, ensuring compliance with national guidance, organisational policies and regulatory requirements.
• Lead the management of complex occupational health cases, providing specialist advice and recommendations regarding fitness for work, workplace adjustments, rehabilitation and return-to-work planning.
• Maintain expert knowledge of occupational health legislation, national guidance and emerging best practice to support high-quality clinical decision-making.

Leadership and Management

• Support the Head of Service in the recruitment, development, performance management, and retention of Occupational Health staff, both professional and administrative, to meet the evolving needs of the service.
• Provide professional leadership, supervision and mentorship.
• Foster a positive culture of continuous improvement and excellence.
• Manage resources effectively.
• Work with the Head of Service to monitor and review performance against agreed objectives, key performance indicators (KPIs), and service targets, implementing improvement actions where required.
• Prepare and present regular service performance, workforce health, clinical governance and quality reports to senior management teams, committees and governance forums.
• Support the development, monitoring and effective management of Occupational Health budgets and resources, ensuring value for money and service sustainability.
• Lead and support quality improvement, audit, research and service evaluation initiatives to improve occupational health outcomes and employee wellbeing.
• Provide leadership and professional expertise to support organisational wellbeing, attendance management and health and safety objectives.
• Represent the Occupational Health Service at internal and external meetings, networks and partnership forums as required.

Clinical governance

• Establish robust clinical governance frameworks.
• Ensure compliance with NMC standards, Faculty of Occupational Medicine guidance and relevant legislation.
• Lead audits, quality improvement initiatives and service evaluations.
• Develop risk management processes and ensure safe clinical practice.
• Always maintain confidentiality and data protection requirements.
• Ensure all Occupational Health services are delivered in accordance with relevant legislation including the Health and Safety at Work Act, Equality Act, Data Protection legislation and relevant professional regulatory standards.
• Provide assurance to senior leadership regarding Occupational Health service quality, performance, compliance and risk management.
• Lead investigations relating to Occupational Health incidents, complaints and clinical governance concerns, implementing learning and service improvements as appropriate.

Other duties

• Any other duties, as agreed with the line manager to meet the needs of the organisation. This may include travel to other sites within the organisation.
• You will be required to provide on-call management support as part of your employment with the Company.

About us

At gtd healthcare, we do things differently. Our not-for-profit ethos and commitment to innovation offers patients the best experience possible and a unique opportunity to transform services.

We are committed to developing and supporting our people to achieve their career aspirations while making a positive impact on patients and the wider community. Our values drive everything we do, with our people at the heart of delivering the best possible healthcare.

Benefits package

As an employee of gtd healthcare, you will be able to take advantage of our benefits package, including:

• working for a values-led organisation;
• Real living wage employer;
• supporter of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter;
• access to Stream, which provides flexible, on-demand access to stream your pay during the month;
• salary sacrifice car benefit scheme;
• 30 days annual leave, rising to 32 after five years of continuous service;
• flexible pension benefits, including NHS pension scheme;
• flexible working hours and policies;
• family friendly and carer policies;
• opportunities to apply for innovation and quality awards;
• access to gtd healthcare wellbeing initiatives;
• opportunity to become part of an employee owned organisation;
• gtd healthcare social and fun activities;
• cycle to work scheme;
• eyesight vouchers;
• NHS staff discounts, a free Blue Light Card and Health Service Discounts;
• access to an employee assistance programme.