Job Summary
The Band 7 role within the OPAT (Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy) & IV Therapy Service at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is a senior clinical, operational and leadership position central to the delivery of advanced intravenous therapy, antimicrobial stewardship, and virtual ward‑enabled care across the Trust. The service forms a key component of the BOB Integrated Care System’s Virtual Ward and Hospital @ Home model and continues to expand in scope, complexity and workforce demand.
The Band 7 post‑holder functions as a specialist autonomous practitioner, leading the operational delivery of OPAT/IV pathways, ensuring clinical governance, supporting workforce development, and collaborating with acute, community and specialist teams. The post is instrumental in enabling timely discharge, preventing unnecessary admission, and supporting patients to safely receive complex IV or antimicrobial therapy in outpatient and community settings.
The Band 7 OPAT & IV Therapy Nurse Specialist provides advanced clinical expertise, leadership and coordination for all OPAT and Trust‑wide IV therapy pathways. They ensure safe, effective care for patients requiring parenteral or oral antimicrobials, IV therapies and vascular access support outside the inpatient ward environment. This role also supports the delivery of the Trust’s Virtual Ward/Hospital @ Home model.
The Band 7 acts as a senior decision‑maker, service representative and clinical leader.
Responsibilities
* Specialist assessment for OPAT suitability.
* Coordination of outpatient reviews, home visits and remote monitoring.
* Management of complex IV regimens, including monitoring, toxicity screening and step‑down planning.
* Senior oversight of remote monitoring data and patient escalations.
* Central line assessment, troubleshooting and Trust‑wide in‑reach support.
* Support antimicrobial stewardship decision‑making in partnership with microbiology and pharmacy.
Operational Leadership Duties
* Day‑to‑day running of OPAT/IV services.
* Managing caseload allocation, daily huddles, and prioritisation.
* Coordination of community capacity, particularly during peaks or staffing gaps.
* Leading operational decision‑making in absence of the Band 8a lead.
* Supporting service continuity planning in line with the revised.
* Liaison with Hospital @ Home teams and acute wards to streamline ESD and admission avoidance.
Benefits
* Learning and development opportunities to support career progression.
* Flexible and agile working opportunities, alongside NHS benefits such as generous annual leave entitlement, pension and access to NHS discount schemes.
* Range of health and wellbeing services to promote a healthy, happy workforce.
Advert closes on Tuesday 5 May 2026.
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