Richard Barratt

Registered nurse with over 22 years of experience in acute hospital settings, holding a pre-registration diploma in adult nursing, a degree in critical care, and a level 7 postgraduate module in assessing deteriorating patients. Qualified emergency nurse practitioner with advanced skills in autonomous practice, diagnostic reasoning, and complex clinical decision-making. Over 11 years of experience at band 7, demonstrating leadership, accountability, and professional maturity at the organizational level. Committed to lifelong learning and actively pursuing opportunities for leadership and strategic development.

• NMC
• Membership / Registration number: 07B3902E
• Expiry / renewal date: 2026-09-30

• Preferred employment type
• What is your preferred employment type? Full time

I am a Registered Nurse with over 22 years’ experience in acute hospital settings. I hold a Pre Registration Diploma in Adult Nursing, a Degree in Critical Care and Nursing, and a Level 7 postgraduate module in the Assessment of the Deteriorating Adult Patient, demonstrating advanced clinical knowledge and academic achievement appropriate for senior nursing leadership.

I am also a qualified Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP), evidencing advanced autonomous practice, diagnostic reasoning and complex clinical decision making. This strengthens my ability to assess, diagnose and manage acutely unwell patients independently and enhances my credibility when providing senior clinical leadership across emergency and acute pathways.

I have more than eleven years’ experience at Band 7, consistently demonstrating professional maturity, leadership and accountability at organisational level. I am committed to lifelong learning and actively seek opportunities to further develop my leadership, governance and strategic capabilities in preparation for progression.

Experience

I bring extensive senior leadership and management experience within acute healthcare services. I am currently the Team Leader for the Site Practitioner and Trauma Coordinator teams, leading fourteen of the Trust’s most experienced senior nurses and providing Trust wide operational, clinical and professional leadership on a 24/7 basis.

Out of hours I am routinely the most senior nurse on the hospital site, responsible for the smooth running of the hospital, maintaining patient safety and managing clinical and operational risk. I work autonomously, seeking support from on call managers only when essential, and I am trusted to make complex, time critical decisions on behalf of the organisation.

My responsibilities include oversight of patient flow, escalation, trauma coordination, emergency response, bed management and clinical risk. I work collaboratively with medical, nursing, AHP and managerial colleagues to ensure patient safety, service continuity and effective use of resources, particularly during periods of high operational pressure.

I have significant experience working across organisational boundaries and professional groups. I work closely with consultants, junior doctors, matrons, allied health professionals, general managers, clinical directors and executive colleagues, as well as with external stakeholders, including referring hospitals across Surrey, Sussex and Kent, to support integrated pathways and system wide collaboration.

I routinely coordinate and chair multidisciplinary site meetings and huddles, ensuring clear communication of priorities, risks and actions, and accurate documentation of decisions. I have extensive experience of conflict resolution and of breaking bad news to patients, relatives and staff, managing difficult and emotionally charged situations sensitively and professionally.

In my current role I am proficient in the use of HealthRoster to plan and manage rotas for the Site Practitioner and Trauma Coordinator teams. This enables me to monitor workload and staff welfare, support fair allocation of shifts, promote a healthy work–life balance and ensure safe staffing. Effective use of HealthRoster also improves efficiency and cost effectiveness through better deployment of resources and reduction of avoidable additional spend.

In previous management roles outside the NHS, including as a manager at British Airways and as a nightclub manager, I held responsibility for significant budgets, covering staffing costs, running costs and project expenditure. I was involved in planning future costs, managing overspend risks, costing one off jobs and ensuring departments operated within agreed financial envelopes. This developed strong financial acumen and business planning skills, which I now apply in my NHS leadership roles when contributing to workforce planning, cost effective service delivery and efficient use of resources.

Knowledge, Skills & Leadership

I have comprehensive knowledge of acute clinical nursing practice, underpinned by extensive experience in Accident & Emergency, Emergency Nurse Practitioner practice and Critical Care. I maintain up to date knowledge of national and local policy, professional standards and evidence based practice, ensuring that care delivery aligns with current guidance and regulatory requirements.

I have a strong understanding of clinical governance, quality assurance and patient safety frameworks. I am familiar with incident investigation, complaint handling, audit, risk management and learning systems, and I actively contribute to embedding a culture of openness, learning and continuous improvement. I understand safeguarding responsibilities and ensure concerns are recognised, escalated and managed in line with Trust policy.

I understand the wider NHS strategic context, including the NHS Long Term Plan, workforce challenges and the role of Integrated Care Systems (ICS). My work across organisational boundaries demonstrates my understanding of pathway optimisation, system efficiency and partnership working. I also understand workforce planning, staff wellbeing and retention, recognising the impact of leadership on engagement, performance and patient outcomes, and the need to deliver high quality care within available resources.

I demonstrate highly developed leadership, communication and influencing skills, enabling me to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels. I communicate clearly, calmly and compassionately, particularly during high pressure situations, and adapt my style to suit different audiences.

I am skilled in problem solving, decision making and prioritisation, with the ability to manage multiple complex demands simultaneously. I am confident working autonomously, making time critical decisions and escalating concerns appropriately. I have strong analytical and organisational skills, enabling me to review processes, identify inefficiencies and design practical solutions. I am experienced in leading projects from concept to implementation, evaluating impact and embedding sustainable change. I use systems and data, including HealthRoster and operational information, to inform decision making, escalation and service improvement.

I have proven budget management and business planning skills and use these to support safe, efficient and financially sustainable nursing services. I am committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, actively promoting inclusive leadership practices and challenging discriminatory behaviour.

My leadership style is supportive, inclusive and appropriately challenging. I provide clear direction and professional leadership while fostering psychological safety and encouraging staff to contribute ideas and raise concerns. I have extensive experience in people management, including performance and sickness management, appraisal, supervision and addressing capability or conduct concerns, and I approach these responsibilities with fairness, consistency and compassion. I actively mentor and support senior nurses, recognising the importance of succession planning and leadership development, and I am trusted by the Executive Board, Head of Nursing and Chief Nurse to provide senior nursing leadership and professional assurance.

Service Development & Improvement

A key example of my service improvement leadership is the redesign of the referral pathway for closed hand injuries. Through listening to staff feedback and reviewing performance, I identified that paper based referral systems were inefficient, prone to delay and posed information governance risks.

I led the design and implementation of an online referral form, streamlining and standardising the referral process. This reduced paper usage, supported sustainability objectives, improved information governance and dramatically reduced referral times. The pathway has been adopted across Surrey, Sussex and Kent, demonstrating system wide collaboration and sustainable improvement beyond the Trust.

I have also worked closely with South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) to improve their use of the TRiPS system. I designed and delivered an education programme for Advanced Paramedic Practitioners, supporting them to use TRiPS effectively to identify appropriate care pathways. This has significantly reduced the number of patients being conveyed to A&E, with more patients safely treated at home or referred directly into QVH services. This work has improved patient experience, reduced pressure on emergency departments and strengthened collaboration between QVH and SECAmb.

I continue to provide education and clinical support to referring clinicians, ensuring that improvements in pathway use, triage and referral quality are sustained over time.

Patient Care, Values & Conclusion

I provide a visible and accessible senior nursing presence, ensuring patients, families and staff feel supported, listened to and respected. I promote patient centred care, dignity, privacy and compassion in all aspects of service delivery. I am experienced in managing complaints, supporting patients and families through adverse events and ensuring concerns are addressed promptly and sensitively, with learning shared and embedded into practice. I work collaboratively with Patient Experience and governance teams to improve quality, communication and outcomes.

My leadership approach is firmly aligned to QVH values of Caring and Inclusive, Supportive and Challenging, and Listen to Improve – Success Together. These values guide my behaviour, decision making and leadership style and underpin how I support staff and patients. My commitment to Trust values was recognised through the Values in Practice (VIP) Award in 2025, awarded for my care, inclusion and support to staff, patients and visitors during an emergency situation. This reflects my ability to lead calmly, compassionately and decisively under pressure. I am a resilient, flexible and self aware leader, committed to fairness, integrity and continuous improvement.

I'm a highly experienced senior nurse leader with over 22 years’ registered nursing experience, advanced academic qualifications and more than ten years’ sustained leadership at Band 7. I bring strong clinical authority, strategic insight, operational leadership and a proven track record of service improvement, workforce development, budget management and values driven leadership.