Chief Medical Officer

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Any site within the Trust

  • Location Any site within the Trust
  • Sector Health
  • Client County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
  • Job Type Permanent
  • Salary/Remuneration VSM - Attractive Salary
  • Reference GSe130692
  • Closing Date 9am Monday 13th April 2026

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT) is one of England’s largest integrated care providers, delivering a broad range of acute and community services to the people of County Durham and Darlington. Serving a population of around 650,000 and delivering more than 2 million patient contacts each year, we are a cornerstone of health and care in the region. Our services span two acute hospitals, multiple community hospitals, extensive community-based teams and care delivered in patients’ homes, enabling truly integrated care across the system. At the heart of the Trust are our 8,500+ dedicated colleagues, whose compassion, professionalism and commitment continue to drive improvements for the communities we proudly serve.

The Trust is entering a pivotal period of change following publicly reported failures in our Breast Services and an independent review that highlighted wider governance and cultural weaknesses. We are now working closely with NHS England, our Integrated Care Board and system partners to strengthen leadership capacity and capability under our new CEO, Steve Russell.

CDDFT is on a significant improvement journey, focused on strengthening quality, operational performance and financial sustainability, with a clear and unwavering emphasis on delivering safe, compassionate care for our patients. This is a defining moment for the organisation as we build a newly formed, values‑driven leadership team, and we are seeking three exceptional senior leaders to help shape our future direction.

We are looking to appoint a Chief Medical Officer, Chief Finance Officer and Chief Nursing Officer. Each will be committed to building a culture of openness, learning and continuous improvement, with a strong focus on quality, patient outcomes and staff experience. As we strengthen clinical leadership, governance and financial discipline, these roles offer high‑impact executive opportunities at the heart of both the Trust and the wider health and care system. You will play a pivotal role in shaping the next phase of our development, leading transformation across services, culture and performance.

Collaboration will be central to your work, engaging closely with partners across the Integrated Care System, including local government, primary care and the voluntary sector, to improve population health. We are seeking values‑driven leaders who act with compassion, integrity and visibility, inspiring our workforce and building confidence across the communities we serve.

This is an exceptional opportunity to define your career, build confidence in our Trust’s services and make a meaningful, lasting impact for hundreds of thousands of people across County Durham and Darlington. If you share our vision and values and would like to know more, we would be delighted to hear from you.

To learn more about the Chief Medical Officer or for a confidential discussion, and details of how to apply, please contact our search partners Will McAlpine at will.mcalpine@gatenbysanderson.com  or Emily Smith at Emily.smith@gatenbysanderson.com or Robin Staveley.

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Documents

  1. Fit and Proper Person Declaration - New.docx

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