Join our team

Dear Candidate,

Thank you for your interest in joining Medway NHS Foundation Trust as an Executive Director. This is a pivotal moment for our organisation; one defined by ambition, honesty, and a deep commitment to delivering outstanding care for the communities we serve. With our Chief Executive recruitment well underway, we are recruiting to a number of key Executive Director roles now and over the coming weeks.

At Medway, our vision and values guide how we work and who we aspire to be: bold, collaborative, compassionate and inclusive. These values are central to our journey of improvement and cultural renewal. Our Integrated Improvement Plan underpins this journey, providing a structured, data‑driven approach that empowers teams to deliver sustainable change and improve both patient and staff experience.

We are also addressing, with transparency and determination, the findings of an independent cultural review. The review highlighted unacceptable behaviours experienced by some colleagues, including bullying, discrimination and a lack of psychological safety. We have fully accepted its recommendations and are taking wide‑ranging action: strengthening Freedom to Speak Up arrangements, rolling out inclusion and safety training, embedding Executive Inclusion Champions, reforming HR processes, and refreshing staff networks to ensure all voices are heard. These actions require visible, values‑led leadership, and our senior leadership will play a critical role in setting the tone, modelling behaviours and driving lasting change.

Financially, Medway operates within a challenging system environment. The Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board faces a significant deficit heading into 2026, highlighting the scale of financial pressure across the region and the importance of effective system working. We have recently moved from the NHS Recovery Support Programme to the National Provider Improvement Programme due to our financial position. We face substantial cost pressures, workforce challenges and ambitious efficiency expectations, requiring disciplined leadership, strong grip, and transformation aligned to financial sustainability.

Joining our organisation as an Executive Director carries significant responsibility, but real opportunity to make a lasting impact to our patients, staff and communities. As part of the Trust’s executive leadership team, you will help lead improvement, strengthen culture, build effective partnerships, and ensure we deliver high‑quality, compassionate care. You will also contribute to our role within the Kent and Medway Integrated Care System, supporting integration, tackling health inequalities and improving population health.

We hope this information gives you a clear sense of who we are, the context in which we are operating, and the contribution you could make as a senior leader at Medway. Thank you again for your interest. We look forward to learning how your leadership could help shape our future.

Warm regards,

John Goulston, Chair, Medway NHS Foundation Trust