Location
London

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£86,114 per annum

About the Role
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts, providing a full range of hospital and community services across south London and specialist care for patients from further afield. The Trust includes five renowned hospitals and community services, delivering clinical excellence, research, and innovation. The PTS Operations Manager role is accountable for the day-to-day operational management of the Trust’s Patient Transport Services (PTS) across the entire estate. This includes managing Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS), the NEPTS Assessment Centre, Patient Liaison Team, Planning & Control Team, and Transport Management Team, covering both in-house and contracted services.

The role involves reviewing, implementing, and managing processes to ensure services comply with Trust policies and statutory requirements. It covers a broad range of transport needs including standard PTS, secure mental health transport, High Dependency Unit (HDU) transport, and paramedic inter-site transfers. The successful candidate will demonstrate high-level leadership, operational excellence, and compassionate, inclusive management aligned with NHS values and the Trust’s commitment to psychological safety and continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities include designing frameworks for measurement and compliance, conducting audits and risk assessments, using KPI scorecards to hold teams accountable, driving system improvements to enhance patient experience, fostering a safety culture, and delivering operational and financial improvements within budget. The role requires leadership aligned with the NHS Management and Leadership Framework, emphasizing integrity, accountability, and timely decision-making.

Experience
Extensive successful leadership of Patient Transport functions within Estates, Facilities, Infrastructure, or equivalent complex operational environments. Proven track record of senior leadership and achievement in large, complex organisations. Experience in organisation-wide policy development, interpreting legislative requirements, and detailed understanding of patient transport within the NHS or equivalent regulated settings. Demonstrated success in service improvement, compliance, and partnership working with stakeholders.

About You
Highly developed communication and influencing skills, able to convey complex information effectively. Strong leadership skills to motivate and engage teams, ensuring understanding of Trust-wide and local performance expectations. Independent self-starter with sound political judgment and sensitivity. Demonstrable inclusive, anti-racist, and compassionate leadership, fostering psychologically safe environments, challenging discrimination, and using data to improve fairness and belonging. Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusive practice supporting colleagues and patients from diverse and marginalised groups.

Qualifications
Education to first degree level or equivalent demonstrable experience, with additional professional training and/or specialist knowledge in patient transport services leadership. No statutory professional registration required unless specified locally. Role-specific appointments require appropriate competence, training, and Trust authorisation.