SACU Unit Manager

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen, we are looking to recruit a highly motivated, enthusiastic nurse to join the team as a Band 7 Unit Manager of the Surgical Same Day Emergency Care Unit - SACU. The Unit Manager will be responsible for overseeing the SACU team and for overseeing the Same Day Emergency Care service for surgical patients, liaising with the Surgeons and the with colleagues in the Emergency Department. SACU provides rapid patient access to surgical care delivered by a dedicated team of senior clinicians, nurses and care support workers. It provides early assessment for emergency surgical patients, treatment for ambulatory conditions and develops patient management plans for those requiring admission resulting in safe, effective and efficient care. By optimising early decision making and access to the right diagnostics and surgical treatment we aim to reduce the length of stay and overall number of surgical inpatient admissions. Safety-net surgical patients allowing for earlier discharge.

We are seeking a senior nurse with proven clinical, managerial and leadership experience to lead the team in SACU. We require an individual who is forward thinking, organised and a positive attitude towards flexibility and change. As part of your role you will be expected to work autonomously and as part of a highly skilled surgical team who work collaboratively with inpatient services and promote the use of evidence-based pathways for safe, timely, comprehensive Patient care.

Main duties of the job

Main duties of the role for the successful candidate include:

· To assume responsibility for the Surgical Ambulatory Care Unit and provide clinical leadership to the nursing team.

· To lead and develop the nursing team in the triage, advanced assessment and care of surgical patients and assist in the development of clinical competencies for the staff.

· To assist with the development of SACU specific patient pathways and standard operating procedures.

· To liaise effectively with Emergency Department colleagues to ensure appropriate patients are streamed efficiently through to the SACU.

· To liaise effectively with the Bed Managers, Performance Manager and Site Team to optimise patient flow through the SACU.

· To provide expert, holistic care of a high standard to both the patients and their relatives.

· To be an effective clinical leader and role model with good delegation and supervisory abilities.

· To undertake managerial responsibilities ensuring staff management is safe, effective and within the assigned budget. Involvement in recruitment and retention programmes.

· To work alongside the multi-disciplinary team and unit triumvirate to enhance patient care and experience.

At King’s particular emphasis is put on the need to ensure that all staff recognise their responsibility to deliver services in a high quality, courteous, patient focused manner maintaining patient confidentiality at all times.

Please see the Job Description for full details.

Working for our organisation

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. In June 2026, we launched our new strategy for 2026-31. Our vision is to transform healthcare, and we have agreed six strategic ambitions to help us improve care for patients, and the working lives of our staff.

Our six strategic ambitions are delivering high-quality patient care ; creating a great place to work; leading pioneering research , innovation and education ; building strong and successful partnerships ; providing timely and efficient care ; and ensuring long-term financial sustainability .

We have also agreed four new organisational values – Caring, Collaborative, Inclusive, Innovative – and these underpin everything we do, and how our teams interact with the patients under our care.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The successful candidate must demonstrate experience in caring for emergency surgical patients and a willingness to develop their own skills.

Successful candidates will have excellent communication skills as MDT working is essential in this role and will be able to manage their time effectively. The candidate will be expected to be able to co-ordinate care with the surgical specialists and manage the SACU department both clinically and managerially.

Clinical

· Adhere to the NMC Code of Professional Conduct in all your actions.

· Demonstrate clinical proficiencies and act as a resource to more junior staff.

· Be an autonomous practitioner responsible for initial assessment, examination, initiation of treatments, including medication and investigations for surgical emergency patients

· Demonstrate autonomous decision making related to comprehensive history taking and physical assessment of patients.

· Determining eligibility for assessment / ambulatory pathways and pull to SACU as required.

· Work across professional, organisational and system boundaries and proactively develop and sustain new partnerships and networks to influence and improve health, outcomes and healthcare delivery systems.

· Work towards (if not already attained) completing advanced assessment and non- medical prescribing to then lead on developing nurse-led services in SACU.

Service Development

· Coordinate and participate in on-going service review and evaluation, including seeking and monitoring patient experience and outcomes

· Participate in research / audit to generate new evidence in area of speciality.

· Evaluate clinical practice in relation to its evidence base and clinical effectiveness including policy and guidance lines including the Trusts KPI’s

· Identify areas of risk and poor quality, and address these through appropriate governance structures and forums.

· Participate and actively seek peer review in practice and sound evidence for assurance purposes.

· Participate in South East London SDEC / SACU meetings and engage in the development of relevant patient pathways and clinical guidance / SOPs.

Education & Research

· Act as a mentor and role model to junior staff, preceptees, students and overseas practitioners. · Act as formal practice supervisor and practice assessor for students where required.

· Liaise with PDNs regarding any training requirements for the department team and any concerns regarding a practitioner’s competency.

· Contribute to wider educational initiatives within the Care Group.

· Promote participation in onward study and personal / professional development

· Undertake annual appraisal with direct reports and ensure regular review of objectives.

Management

· Support with continuous quality improvement initiatives, formally evaluating standards of care and assisting in the implementation of changes.

· Contribute to the delivery of a cost effective service and adjusting staffing levels appropriately based on acuity.

· Participate in recruitment and retention activities to support the unit and wider Care Group.

· Participate in risk management procedures both locally and at Care Group level.

· To actively promote customer care, assisting in resolving informal complaints and supporting to investigate formal problems.

· To carry the Unit bleep as required, resolving local problems and supporting wards across the Care Group.

· To attend and contribute to departmental meetings as required

The above is intended as a guide only. Please see complete details available in the attached Job Description with Person Specification document but note that the job description is not exhaustive and the successful candidate may be required to undertake other duties as commensurate with the grade. Applications that appear to rely heavily on AI-generated content may be deprioritised, so please ensure your responses are authentically your own

Person specification

Essential & Desirable

Essential criteria

• Registered Nurse
• SSSA – Practice Assessor (formerly mentorship)
• Previous experience in a leadership position
• Previous experience managing a team of staff
• Team building and working skills – able to lead a team to achieve results
• De-Escalation and conflict management techniques
• IT skills – including office programs and electronic patient records
• Demonstrates up to date knowledge and expertise in the surgical or SDEC speciality.

Desirable criteria

• Non-Medical Prescriber
• Advanced Assessment Skills
• Formal Leadership Training/Course completion
• Change Methodology or Service Improvement Training
• Understanding of financial accountability and budget management

IMPORTANT

• Check your email account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you
• If you delete the job from any of your accounts, you may be prevented from accessing further communications
• To enquire about your application or inform us of any changes in your circumstances, please contact the named person on this advert
• Please provide email addresses for referees where possible
• Please review the documentation on our recruitment microsite, particularly the Trust’s criminal records checking policy
• All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
• Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

AI tools like chatbots and virtual assistants can support you as you complete your application. For example, they can check for spelling or grammar errors, or help you to decide what to include. They shouldn’t however replace your own responses or be used to write the application for you.

Relying too much on AI can negatively impact your chances of success because automatically generated answers:

• might not be specific or relevant enough to address the criteria in the recruitment profile
• often seem generic and not personalised enough – an AI response won’t show your unique voice and perspective
• could misrepresent information about you, such as your qualifications, skills and experience

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.

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King's College Hospital is part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC), a pioneering collaboration between King's College London, and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts.