About the Role

We are looking for a motivated and capable individual to join our dynamic Policy and Public Affairs Team, supporting the development of credible, evidence‑based policy proposals and helping to influence UK governments and NHS organisations to adopt them.

Key responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Monitoring the political and policy environment to keep track of things like Government / NHS initiatives and influencing opportunities.
• Collating and helping to analyse existing quantitative and qualitative research to produce briefings, help generate policy proposals and facilitate their implementation.
• Preparing and drafting responses to consultations and reports relevant to the work of CPOC and the College.
• Assisting with designing and conducting new research, such as survey work or interviews, in support of policy and influencing work.
• Becoming the team’s main expert on policy work in one of the UK devolved nations.

About You

To succeed in this role, you will need to deliver high‑quality work at pace, be well organised, eager to learn and able to build strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. You should have a sound understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methods, what makes impactful policy proposals and how research can be used to influence policymakers.

This role is well‑suited to someone starting their policy career, and while previous policy experience is beneficial, it is not essential as full support and development will be provided.

What We Want to Achieve

We want to see an NHS that delivers good outcomes for patients and makes the best use of available resources. Our role in this relates to the anaesthetic workforce, and we have two specific priorities:

1. Boosting the anaesthetic workforce. Most operations require an anaesthetist in order to take place, but each of the four UK nations faces a chronic shortage of anaesthetists. Unfortunately, at present, no UK government is funding enough anaesthetic training places. 
2. Optimising the surgical pathway. Anaesthetists don’t just work in the operating theatres they are often involved with the care patients receive before and after their operations – known as ‘perioperative care’. Good perioperative care can prevent surgical cancellations, complications, and unnecessarily long hospital stays.