Head of Diagnostics

We are an award winning organisation providing care at two main hospital sites—Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital—and a number of community-based services across London, such as sexual health and HIV clinics. With 6,700 members of staff, we are proud to care for a diverse population of one million people. We are committed to ensuring that our workforce is just as diverse with a strong mix of skills and abilities. Our staff are at the very heart of our organisation and we recognise the valuable contribution that each and every person working at the Trust makes. One of our Trust priorities is to be an employer of choice—a place where people want to start their career and to grow with us through continued education, professional development and support . Site Cross Site -- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital/West Middlesex Hospital Town London Salary £75,328 - £86,114 per annum incl. HCAS Salary period Yearly Closing 25/10/2026 23:59 Interview date 10/11/2026 Job overview An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced operational leader to join the Clinical Support Services Division of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in the role of Head of Diagnostics. This role will be cross-site, with time to be spent at both of the Trust's hospitals. We are seeking an experienced, dynamic and compassionate senior operational leader to lead our Diagnostic Physiology and Medical Photography services across Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital. This is a key leadership position within Diagnostic physiology and medical photography, providing the opportunity to shape and transform a diverse portfolio of healthcare science services at a time of significant development, increasing demand and service transformation. Main duties of the job The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate: Visible and credible senior leadership Strong operational management and grip A detailed understanding of NHS performance and diagnostic pathways Ability to lead complex, multidisciplinary healthcare science services Strong financial and commercial awareness Confidence managing significant performance, workforce and clinical risks Evidence of delivering transformation and service improvement Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills Ability to use demand and capacity information to drive decisions Experience of workforce redesign and organisational change Strong influencing, negotiation and stakeholder-management skills A compassionate and inclusive leadership style Ability to operate strategically while retaining oversight of operational delivery Understand the complexity and challenges of physiological sciences modalities: Cardiology diagnostics including echocardiography/ECG Medical photography Respiratory physiology including ung function DM01 PTL management Working for our organisation Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of England's top-performing and safest trusts. We operate two main acute hospital sites—Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital—along with award-winning clinics across North West London. Our nearly 7,500 staff care for a diverse population of 1.5 million, providing full clinical services, including maternity, A&E, and children’s services, plus specialist HIV and sexual health clinics. The Care Quality Commission rates us 'Good' in safety, effectiveness, care, and responsiveness, and 'Outstanding' in leadership and resource use. We continually invest in our facilities, including a £30m expansion of critical care at Chelsea and Westminster and an £80m Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Middlesex. We welcome applications for flexible working arrangements, accommodating requests where possible to support our staff and patient needs. The Trust is committed to equality and welcomes applications from all, regardless of background. Adjustments can be made for disabled candidates. Early application is advised as vacancies may close once sufficient applications are received. If you haven’t heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, your application was likely unsuccessful. Employment is subject to a six-month probationary period. Some roles may require weekend shifts at multiple sites. Detailed job description and main responsibilities he Head of Diagnostic Physiology and Medical Photography is a senior operational leadership role responsible for the effective management, performance and development of Diagnostic Physiology and Medical Photography services across Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital. The portfolio encompasses a diverse range of diagnostic and clinical services, including cardiac physiology, echocardiography, cardiac rhythm management and pacing, respiratory physiology, sleep diagnostics, neurophysiology and medical photography. The services support outpatient, inpatient, urgent, elective and specialist pathways and have important interfaces with cardiology, respiratory medicine, neurology, dermatology and wider Trust clinical services. Working as part of the Imaging and Diagnostics senior management team, the postholder will provide visible and effective operational leadership, translating the Trust and divisional strategy into high-quality, safe and sustainable service delivery. They will have responsibility for performance, workforce, finance, governance, service improvement, productivity and the delivery of transformation programmes across the portfolio. The postholder will work closely with clinical leads, service managers, lead healthcare scientists and medical photography leadership, ensuring that professional and clinical expertise is supported by strong operational management. This is a challenging and rewarding role requiring a leader who can operate strategically while remaining sufficiently close to operational services to identify emerging pressures, support teams and deliver sustainable improvement. Education and Qualifications Post Grad qualification or commitment to study and CPD including research BSc (Hons) Master of Business Administration (MBA) Quality Improvement (QI), transformation or innovation training Experience Broad operational experience, especially if in diagnostics management, in a senior capacity Previous management of a large group of staff and service Practical experience of building and motivating teams Good understanding of data and how to use it for planning Extensive experience maintaining budgetary and financial control in a complex environment Undertaken large scale change management within a department Management of sickness and performance related issues with staff Experience managing a multimodalities at senior level e.g. more than 3 different modalities Preparation of business cases Project management experience at a senior level Skills and Knowledge Able to work under own initiative with great organisational skills Knowledge/understanding and ability to implement recruitment and retention techniques Willingness to teach/train A good understanding and demonstration of customer service standards Ability to supervise a senior team of physiology staff and medical staff Ability to manage a large team (around 50 people) Detailed understanding of patient confidentiality guidelines and requirements Ability to develop and implement policies and procedures Able to deputise for the General Manager at senior meetings, attending/chairing relevant meetings as required Knowledge of modernisation, NHS Digital and other national programmes Up-to-date knowledge of recent developments in imaging technology and software Awareness of developments in NHS standards and guidelines Drive for departmental service development, including QI, transformation and/or innovation techniques Important There may be some occasions when we have to close a vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date, this will be due to a high volume of applications. You are therefore advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Please check your emails regularly (and your junk folder) as this is how we will communicate with you throughout the recruitment process. In submitting an application, you authorise the Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process, should you be appointed to the post. During the recruitment process your identity documentation (ie passport, driving licence, visa etc) will be scanned using a device which recognises UV, infrared and machine-readable zone security features of the documents provided. Employment at the Trust is offered subject to successful completion of a six month probationary period. We operate a joint recruitment hub across the North West London Acute Provider Collaborative Group. As part of this, your application and personal data may be shared with partner trusts within the group for recruitment and workforce purposes, in line with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Right to work If you need sponsorship to work in the UK, please visit the Home Office website for information on sponsorship and visa status before you fill in your application form. Due to recent changes in the UK immigration rules which affect Skilled Worker Visas, Global Business Mobility, Higher Skill Level and Increased Salary Thresholds, please ensure that you are able to meet the requirements to live and work in the UK before applying. Further information about eligibility is available on UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK Employer certification / accreditation badges This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service. Application numbers This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. #J-18808-Ljbffr