Senior Clinical Support Manager

3 rostered posts and 1 relief post available. Full-time, permanent positions working 36 hours per week on a 24/7 rotational shift pattern comprising 12-hour shifts (0700-1900 and 1900-0700). Flexible base location at East, North, or West Ambulance Control Centre (ACC). Hybrid working arrangements may be considered for successful candidates, with one designated working location aligned to an ACC.

About the role

An exciting opportunity to undertake a clinical leadership role within the Integrated Clinical Hub (ICH), a complex, fast-paced, and evolving operational environment where patient safety, clinical governance, and service delivery are paramount. As a Senior Clinical Support Manager, you will provide operational clinical leadership, ensuring decisions are safe, proportionate, patient-centred, and aligned with organisational priorities.

You will have overall clinical responsibility for navigating patients to the right clinician, optimising clinical care, and working alongside ACC Duty Managers and Senior Operations Managers (SOM) to review and set National Escalation Levels. The role involves coordinating a national team of clinicians to ensure patient safety, supporting remote health assessment and telephone triage, and ensuring decisions made by Control Centres are operationally and clinically appropriate, legally compliant, and within governance frameworks.

As the senior point of contact for clinical issues within the ACC, you will manage and mitigate clinical risks, maintain patient safety, and oversee SAS National Escalation during your shift. Your focus will include improving patient experience, supporting multidisciplinary teams (including GPs, Advanced Practitioners, Clinical Advisors, and future remote hubs), and liaising with Clinical Duty Managers and Duty Managers to ensure clinician welfare and wider ACC support.

Responsibilities

• Provide a continuous national overview of patient demand, clinical risk, and service pressures.
• Manage and mitigate clinical risk within the live demand stack.
• Support operational and clinical decision-making during escalation and business continuity challenges.
• Provide leadership, support, and professional guidance to multidisciplinary teams across the Integrated Clinical Hub.
• Participate in national operational calls and major incident responses.
• Monitor national escalation levels and coordinate appropriate clinical interventions.
• Support governance processes, including adverse event reviews, complaint investigations, and learning initiatives.
• Use operational intelligence, performance data, and clinical judgement to support service delivery and patient outcomes.
• Promote a culture of patient safety, quality improvement, and continuous learning.
• Contribute to the ongoing development of the Integrated Clinical Hub and wider service transformation initiatives.

Requirements

• Significant breadth of knowledge and experience in the operation of the Scottish Ambulance Service and the role of Ambulance Control Centres.
• Excellent interpersonal communication and decision-making skills, with confidence to advise clinical and non-clinical stakeholders under pressure.
• Strong planning, organisational, and analytical skills, with the ability to self-manage and prioritise workloads.
• Demonstrable post-registration experience in an ambulance service, acute, or primary care setting.
• Previous telephone triage experience is preferable but not essential.
• IT literacy and a valid driving licence (travel between sites is essential).
• Right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship (NHS Scotland is not licensed to issue certificates of sponsorship).

Skills

• Strong clinical leadership, with the ability to build, motivate, mentor, and lead teams.
• Commitment to improving quality and standards of care, procedures, technology, and cultural change.
• Effective negotiation skills to achieve operational and clinical goals.
• Ability to balance risk and make sound judgements in high-pressure environments.

Benefits

• Influence patient care and outcomes at a national level.
• Develop advanced leadership and operational management skills.
• Contribute directly to patient safety, risk management, and service improvement.
• Work alongside experienced clinical and operational leaders.
• Support the management of major incidents, critical events, and periods of heightened demand.
• Help shape the future delivery of care within the Integrated Clinical Hub.
• Play a key role in driving innovation, improvement, and clinical excellence across the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Schedule

• 36 hours per week.
• 24/7 rotational shift pattern comprising 12-hour shifts (0700-1900 and 1900-0700).

For informal enquiries about the role, contact Michael Newins (Advanced Practitioner Clinical Duty Manager) at Mike.Newins2@nhs.scot or Claire Blaikie (National Clinical Hub Manager) at Claire.Blaikie2@nhs.scot.