County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust serves around 650,000 people living in County Durham and the surrounding areas. The Trust provides a comprehensive range of acute and community based services across nine hospitals, including two acute and one sub-acute hospital, and numerous community bases. It is dynamic, with a commitment to delivering high-quality healthcare, providing a wide range of services, from acute hospital care to essential support in community settings and patients’ homes. A clear strategy, “Our Patients Matter”, guides the Trust in prioritising high-quality, safe, compassionate and joined-up care.

The Trust is looking to strengthen its board with the appointment of two Non-Executive Directors, with a particular interest in those who either bring a background in clinical leadership or organisational development. Ideally, the former will join the Board from September 2025 and the latter from December 2025. This is a high-impact role at the heart of the Trust and wider regional health system.

• A clinical background – this could be medical, nursing and midwifery or Allied Healthcare Professional – allied to the ability to interrogate and triangulate datasets, seeking assurance over clinical quality
• Senior level experience of workforce and organisational development, including mediation and the governance surrounding change management including through turbulent or challenging landscapes

An awareness, or experience, of the digital landscape and the impact on large, complex organisations, of moving to more digitised processes and systems would also be useful.

If you have the temperament, ability and experience to work as part of a unitary board, and can offer fresh perspectives, relevant skills and experience, the Trust can offer an excellent opportunity to use your talents to make a positive difference to the lives of people in your community. Candidates will:

• Bring a breadth of experience and skills to help shape, and oversee the delivery of, the Trust’s vision and strategy for quality services
• Have the credibility to constructively challenge management, and to work collaboratively both within and beyond the Trust, to help develop and deliver our strategic plans
• Have a clear commitment to the community, wellbeing, to sustainability and to the NHS

The Trust is keen to ensure diversity both views and representation within the Board and actively welcomes applications from candidates from a wide range of backgrounds.

Please note: Under the Trust’s Constitution, a Non-Executive Director must be a member of the Trust and must therefore live in the membership catchment area, which includes County Durham, Darlington and neighbouring areas of the North East.

For further information please refer to the Nurole website.

Key dates: