Closing date: 20 April 2026
The Clinical Director position provides a unique opportunity to shape a national centre of excellence dedicated to strengthening NHS cancer services and reducing variation in care. The role is based at the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN) within the Clinical Effectiveness Unit (CEU), jointly run by the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSEng) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
The successful candidate will ensure NATCAN translates NHS cancer priorities into strategies related to performance assessment, outlier detection, national data sources and quality improvement. The role helps NATCAN respond to changes in cancer service delivery, with an effective communication strategy that ensures the audits remain clinically relevant and impactful.
The Clinical Director acts as an ambassador for NATCAN, supporting dialogue with the wider NHS cancer community, commissioners and providers, especially in performance assessment and quality improvement. The role supports Clinical Leads across all audits to ensure consistent implementation of strategy and policy, recognising specific clinical requirements.
The Clinical Director also works with NATCAN’s Executive Team on developmental activities, ensuring the clinical perspective is represented and supporting Clinical Leads across the Centre.
Responsibilities
- Provide strategic clinical leadership for NATCAN, ensuring the programme aligns with national cancer policy and evolving NHS priorities.
- Ensure clinical coherence and governance across all 10 national cancer audits, supporting audit Clinical Leads and promoting consistent standards, interpretation and communication of results.
- Act as a key external ambassador, maintaining strong relationships with clinicians, commissioners, cancer charities, professional bodies and national stakeholders to build confidence in NATCAN’s outputs
- Provide clinical advice on effective communication strategies for NATCAN activities and outputs
- Shape and support NATCAN’s quality improvement agenda, including national “closing the loop” strategies and enhanced audit-and-feedback mechanisms.
- Contribute to the developmental activities of the Centre, ensuring clinical perspectives are embedded in audit methodology and innovation.
- Foster cross-audit learning, including through monthly internal meetings, regular engagement with Clinical Leads and annual cross-NATCAN events.
- Support delivery of the audits through engagement with NATCAN’s Executive Team on structure, staffing, internal communication and enabling effective audit delivery.
- Mentor NATCAN Clinical Fellows and contribute to staff development where required.
About you
We are looking for applicants with:
- Membership of a Royal College
- A national clinical profile in the area of cancer services
- A proven national leadership role in cancer care quality improvement
- Extensive experience in developing and implementing novel approaches for the performance assessment of cancer services at national level
- Evidence of a leadership role in multidisciplinary teams at national level
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills at national and international level
- Outstanding organisational skills
- Demonstrable leadership skills within and outside the health service.