Band 8a Matron for Renal Dialysis Network

Job summary

A rare opportunity to join our Renal Dialysis Network Services in a senior leadership role. This post offers the chance to make a direct and meaningful contribution to safe, high-quality patient care, robust clinical governance, and the professional development of our nursing team.

The successful candidate will provide visible day-to-day leadership to nursing staff and nursing assistants, oversee the delivery of specialist renal care, and ensure resources within the unit are managed effectively. Working collaboratively with colleagues across disciplines, you will lead initiatives that improve patient outcomes, enhance service efficiency, and maintain the highest standards of care.

We are seeking an experienced senior renal nurse who is confident, approachable and committed to hands-on clinical practice. You will act as a positive role model for the wider team and be able to demonstrate ongoing professional and personal development. Excellent communication, leadership and people-management skills are essential, alongside a clear commitment to supporting colleagues and delivering compassionate, patient-centred care.

This exciting role will also contribute to admission avoidance for our service users and provide an important platform for innovation and quality improvement across the renal service.

We welcome applications from suitably experienced candidates who are passionate about renal nursing and ready to take the next step in their leadership career.

Main duties of the job

Clinical Leadership & Practice

• Lead safe, evidence-based dialysis care; ensure compliance with NMC, UKKA, infection control, and emergency standards
• Act as renal expert; assure patient safety, review complex care, and govern incidents & ris

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, motivate, and support the dialysis team; foster accountability, teamwork, wellbeing, and improvement
• Provide supervision, mentorship, and CPD; role-model professional standard

Operational & Resource Management

• Manage staffing, rotas, skill mix, equipment, and budgets for safe, efficient service delivery
• Oversee daily operations, capacity, patient flow, and health & safety compliance

Quality, Governance & Collaboration

• Lead audit, clinical governance, QI, and renal KPI monitoring; drive patient experience & outcomes

• Work closely with nephrologists & MDT; manage feedback/complaints & support CQC readiness

About us

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's biggest and most innovative trusts. Across three main hospitals, our dedicated army of staff care for over 1.6million patients, treat more than 200,000 in A&E, deliver over 8,000 babies and carry out more than 17million tests.

Our size, scale and influence offer you unrivalled career opportunities and a forward-thinking approach to working that works around your lifestyle. From flexible hours and generous benefits, to next level training, we make it easier to take your career to the top

For more information please follow linkhttps://www.royalfreelondonjobs.co.uk/

Job responsibilities

Please see attached job description for more information about this role and working at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Person specification

Royal Free shared commitments

Essential

• Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust shared commitments

Education and professional qualifications

Essential

• Registered nurse (Adult)
• First degree /or equivalent knowledge and skill
• Post registration qualification relevant to specialty (renal course or equivalent)
• Recognized teaching or mentorship qualifications
• Evidence of ongoing professional development

Desirable

• Master's degree or working towards
• Evidence of management and leadership development
• Advanced assessment skills or working towards
• Independent nurse prescriber or willingness to undertake

Experience

Essential

• Significant experience of renal nursing with a minimum of 3 years at Band 7 in a dialysis unit or renal ward and /or current experience at Band 8a
• Current experience of line management of staff
• Evidence of teaching and developing junior staff both formally and informally.
• Evidence of leading a change management initiative which improved Patient care.
• Proven experience of managing budgetary resources
• Evidence of managing Employment relation issues
• Proven experience of recruitment of staff to set world class values.

Skills and aptitudes

Essential

• Demonstrate advanced clinical expertise and Knowledge
• Evidence of political awareness and professional issues in nursing
• Experience of managing and sustaining change
• Experience of developing and implementing new policies and guidance
• Evidence of clinical standard setting and audit within renal services
• Evidence of understanding professional issues in nursing
• Skilled in staff selection and development
• Thorough understanding and knowledge of key indicators of excellent quality care
• Highly effective communication and relationship skills
• Evidence of involvement with patient/user groups to develop patient centered care
• Demonstrates skills in IT systems and use of word, excel and PowerPoint

Personal qualities and attributes

Essential

• Evidence of recent personal development activity
• Demonstrates an ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Highly professional role model
• Able to work under pressure.
• To be flexible and approachable