Lead Clinical Safety Officer

NHS Band 8A Salary: £57,528 - £64,750 per annum

Hours Per Week: Full time, 37.5 hrs

Contract Type: Temporary for 23 months

Location Base: Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust Corporate Hub, Block 4000, Lakeside North Harbour, Western Road, Cosham, Portsmouth, PO6 3EN OR
St Mary's Hospital, Parkhurst Road, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5TG

The Lead Clinical Safety Officer provides expert, independent clinical safety leadership across Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and Isle of Wight NHS Trust. The role ensures all digital clinical systems are safe to design, deploy, use and decommission, with full compliance to DCB0129 and DCB0160.

You will lead the clinical risk management process for Health IT systems, owning Clinical Safety Cases, Hazard Logs and all associated safety documentation. You’ll identify and manage clinical risks, review digital‑related incidents, support root cause analysis and make clear recommendations on whether systems are safe to go live or require further mitigation.

Working independently of programme teams, you’ll give objective assurance to senior digital leaders and communicate complex safety issues in a way clinicians and non‑clinicians can act on. You’ll provide clinical safety leadership across major digital programmes including EPR, diagnostics, interoperability and communications, ensuring safety is built into governance, testing and go‑live readiness.

The role also supports cross‑boundary digital safety with the ICB, primary care and partner organisations, ensuring safe information flow across the wider system.

This post is central to reducing patient harm, strengthening digital assurance and making sure clinical systems across both Trusts are safe, effective and fit for purpose.

This role requires a highly experienced clinician with strong clinical governance, patient safety and digital transformation expertise. The Lead Clinical Safety Officer must bring deep knowledge of Health IT systems, clinical workflows and human factors, with proven experience applying DCB0129 and DCB0160 in practice. The post holder will be confident analysing complex safety documentation, developing Clinical Safety Cases and Hazard Logs, and making clear, evidence‑based safety judgements.

Strong communication skills are essential, with the ability to translate complex digital safety risks for clinical and non‑clinical audiences. The role demands critical thinking, problem‑solving, and the ability to work independently while managing conflicting priorities across two organisations. Experience working with clinicians, managers, suppliers and multi‑disciplinary teams is key, alongside the ability to lead investigations, support root cause analysis and embed learning.

The CSO will provide clinical safety leadership across major digital programmes including EPR, diagnostics, interoperability and communications, ensuring safety is built into governance, testing and go‑live readiness. The role also supports cross‑boundary digital safety with ICB, primary care and partner organisations, ensuring safe information flow across the wider system.

This post is central to reducing patient harm, strengthening digital assurance and ensuring clinical systems across both Trusts are safe, effective and compliant with national standards.

Specific Core Functions

• Lead the clinical risk management process for all digital systems.
• Maintain Clinical Safety Cases and Hazard Logs.
• Provide expert clinical safety advice across digital programmes.
• Ensure compliance with DCB0129/DCB0160 and NHS England guidance.
• Support incident review, root cause analysis, and learning dissemination.
• Promote safe cross site digital communication and interoperability.
• Represent the organisation in regional and national safety forums.

For full job details and person specification, please refer to enclosed Job Description.

Essential

• Current professional registration with a recognised Health or Social Care regulatory body (e.g., Nursing, AHP, Medical, Social Care).
• Formal Clinical Risk Management training and certification (DCB0129/DCB0160).
• Degree or equivalent experience.
• Significant experience in clinical governance, patient safety or digital transformation.
• Experience as a Clinical Safety Officer.
• Strong understanding of clinical workflows, Health IT systems and human factors.
• Knowledge of DCB0129, DCB0160, DPIAs and medical device regulatory requirements.
• Experience working with clinicians, managers, suppliers and multi‑disciplinary teams.
• Proven risk management experience in clinical settings.
• Ability to analyse safety documentation and make informed clinical safety judgements.
• Excellent communication, problem‑solving and critical appraisal skills.
• Ability to work independently, manage complex workloads and prioritise conflicting demands.

Desirable

• Training in risk management or quality improvement.
• Knowledge of project/programme management methodologies (PRINCE2, MSP, Agile).
• Advanced IT skills.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is at the forefront of everything we do. We are proud to be able to offer our staff some fantastic benefits including our on-site Nursery, access to our free Beach Hut for those long summer days, our on-site Wellness Centre including a gym and a swimming pool, access to our fantastic staff networks including LGBTQ, Race Equality and DisAbility, and awards ceremonies to recognise your achievements. We believe we can offer support to all of our staff when they need it the most.

We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.

For more information, please see our People and OD Strategy 2026