Band 8a - Deputy Head of Governance - Gynaecology

Job Advert Skip to main content Cookies on NHS Jobs We've put some small files called cookies on your device to help us make improvements to our site. To improve our site we'd also like to use cookies which will send information to Google Analytics. You can read more about our cookies before you choose. Accept analytics cookies Do not accept analytics cookies Jobs Menu Sign in Create an account English Cymraeg Menu Close menu Search Sign in Create an account Display in Welsh (Cymraeg) Search Sign in Create an account Display in Welsh (Cymraeg) BETA Your feedback will help us to improve this service. West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Band 8a - Deputy Head of Governance - Gynaecology The closing date is 26 October 2026 Apply for this job Job summary Are you an experienced Gynaecology governance professional with a passion for patient safety, quality improvement and risk management? We are seeking an outstanding Deputy Head of Governance for Women's and Gynaecology Services (Band 8a) to join our Governance Team at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key leadership role in supporting the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality care for women accessing our gynaecology services across the Trust. Reporting to the Head of Governance, you will provide senior leadership for governance across gynaecology services, ensuring robust governance systems are embedded, maintained and continuously improved. You will lead on risk management, patient safety, incident investigations, complaints, claims, clinical audit and regulatory compliance, whilst promoting a culture of learning, continuous improvement and excellence in women's healthcare. Working closely with clinical, nursing and operational leaders, you will support the delivery of key priorities across gynaecology, including elective and emergency services, early pregnancy and specialist pathways, ensuring that patient experience, safety and quality remain at the heart of service delivery. This is a full-time role based at Watford General Hospital, with some cross-site working required. Working hours are primarily Monday to Friday, with flexibility to meet service needs. Main duties of the job As Deputy Head of Governance for Women's and Gynaecology Services, you will provide operational leadership for governance systems and processes across the specialty, ensuring compliance with Trust, regional and national standards. You will oversee risk management processes, maintain specialty risk registers, and support clinical and operational leaders to identify, manage and mitigate risks effectively across gynaecology services. You will lead on patient safety and incident management within gynaecology, including supporting the implementation of the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF), overseeing complex investigations and driving learning from incidents, complaints, claims, audits and inquests. Working closely with multidisciplinary teams, you will ensure that learning is embedded into practice to improve patient safety, experience and outcomes across gynaecology pathways, including elective, emergency, early pregnancy and specialist services. The successful candidate will have significant experience in NHS governance, patient safety or risk management, ideally within women's health, maternity or gynaecology services. You will possess excellent analytical, organisational and communication skills, with the ability to influence and build strong relationships with senior clinical, nursing and operational leaders. About us With a new hospital planned for Watford, work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital and plans for a neighbourhood healthcare centre in Hemel Hempstead, this is an exciting time to join us. We are building on the success of our award-winning virtual hospital and re-imagining models of care, working closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare. Staff