Service Director

Come and join one of the UK’s largest providers in complex care. Lead the transformation. Shape the future. Build something exceptional. An exceptional leadership opportunity for an experienced private hospital CEO, COO, Registered Manager or Nominated Individual. Are you an accomplished healthcare leader who has successfully led within the private acute hospital sector and is ready for your next major challenge?

Would you relish the opportunity to take an established specialist service on an ambitious transformation journey, helping shape its future as a registered hospital, while playing a pivotal role in the design and development of an exciting new purpose‑built extension? If so, this could be a genuinely once‑in‑a‑career opportunity.

About Woodlands Woodlands Neurological Rehabilitation Centre is a 27‑bed specialist service providing complex neurorehabilitation, including specialist spinal care, alongside inpatient and outpatient services. We are now embarking on an exciting period of transformation. Our vision is to build on the strengths of the existing service and take Woodlands to the next level, strengthening our governance, developing our clinical pathways, expanding our private healthcare offering and progressing towards hospital registration with the CQC.

Alongside this, we have an exciting opportunity to co‑design and develop a new purpose‑built extension to the existing site, incorporating facilities such as a new rehabilitation gym, swimming pool and residential accommodation. This is not simply a role overseeing an established service. It is an opportunity to shape what comes next. The opportunity As Service Director, you will provide the strategic and operational leadership required to take Woodlands through this next chapter.

As part of this journey you yourself will transition from service director to hospital director while in role. You will work closely with clinical, operational, commercial and estates colleagues to develop a compelling vision for the service and turn that vision into reality. A key part of your role will be preparing the organisation for the journey towards CQC hospital registration, ensuring that governance, quality, operational systems, workforce, patient pathways and the physical environment are all designed to meet the standards expected of an outstanding modern healthcare provider.

You will also have the opportunity to influence the design and development of our future estate, helping to shape a purpose‑built extension that could include:

• A new state‑of‑the‑art rehabilitation gym
• A swimming pool and enhanced rehabilitation facilities
• Purpose‑built step down flats
• Expanded therapy and clinical spaces
• A modern environment designed around patient experience, rehabilitation and independence

You will therefore be joining at a pivotal moment with the opportunity to take an existing service with strong foundations and lead its evolution into something genuinely exceptional.

Location:

Woodlands Neurological Rehabilitation Centre

Hours:

37.5 hours per week

Contract:

Permanent, including on‑call duties

What you’ll be doing:
As Service Director, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for Woodlands Neurological Rehabilitation Centre. Lead the service through its transformation and development journey towards CQC hospital registration. Ensure the highest standards of clinical quality, patient safety, governance and regulatory compliance. Develop and embed robust quality assurance and outcome measurement frameworks. Lead continuous improvement across clinical pathways, operational processes and patient experience.

Oversee complex neurorehabilitation pathways, including specialist spinal care and tracheostomy services. Build strong relationships with clinicians, commissioners, ICBs, insurers, case managers, solicitors and other key stakeholders. Develop and grow Woodlands’ private inpatient and outpatient proposition. Strengthen referral pathways and build new commercial and professional relationships. Lead, inspire and develop a highly skilled multidisciplinary team. Work collaboratively with clinical and business leadership to create a culture of…