Nurse Consultant - Acute Stroke
The closing date is 05 June 2026
The Acute Stroke & TIA Nurse Consultant provides highly specialised expert clinical leadership in the hyperacute and acute management of stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA). The post holder will be a senior autonomous practitioner with advanced decision‑making responsibility across rapid assessment, diagnosis, reperfusion treatment, and early inpatient management.
The role has a predominant acute clinical focus, spending a minimum of two-thirds of time in direct clinical care, including:
* Hyperacute stroke assessment
* IV thrombolysis decision‑making and delivery
* Thrombectomy pathway coordination
* Urgent TIA assessment and secondary prevention
* Acute stroke unit and HASU support
The remaining time is dedicated to strategic leadership, service development, education, audit, and research, with particular focus on improving clinical outcomes, patient safety, SSNAP performance, and equity of access to urgent stroke and TIA care.
The post holder works in close partnership with stroke physicians, emergency medicine, radiology, ambulance services, and regional neuroscience networks to ensure safe, timely, and evidence‑based acute stroke care.
The postholder will join the service during an exciting time of expansion. The expectation will be for the postholder to form part of a weekend rota which may change as more roles are approved and recruited to. A full overview of this is contained in the detailed job description below.
Main duties of the job
Act as an expert autonomous clinician in the assessment and management of patients presenting with suspected acute stroke or TIA.
Lead and support hyperacute stroke decision‑making, including:
* Eligibility assessment for IV thrombolysis
* Advanced imaging interpretation (CT/CTA/CTP as appropriate)
* Escalation and coordination of mechanical thrombectomy pathways
Provide senior clinical leadership within the HASU, ED, and acute stroke unit, including out‑of‑hours and weekend working according to rota.
Undertake urgent TIA assessment clinics, ensuring rapid risk stratification, diagnosis, initiation of secondary prevention, and onward management.
Provide an expert clinical consultant service that promotes professional practice with regard to the identification and management of stroke patients that ensures clinical excellence.
Assess the individual needs of patients using a range of different methods that manage risk and are appropriate to the needs of the patients across the whole range of stroke pathway, ensuring that complex facts and situations that require analysis, interpretation, and comparison over a range of options are considered.
Lead service development initiatives relating to:
* Door-to-needle and door-to-groin times
* Urgent TIA access and safety
* Weekend and extended‑hours acute coverage
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING
* Masters Level Degree in Advanced Clinical Practice
* Neurovascular Education and Training in Stroke Management and Acute Reperfusion Therapies – Advanced Practice
* Non‑Medical Prescriber
* NHS Practice Assessor and Practice Supervisor
* Doctorate Degree or willing to work towards
KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE
* Must be able to work independently within area of expertise
* Varied senior experience within speciality
* Evidence of practice development and innovation
* Proven track record in leadership
* Able to utilise advanced clinical skills
* Direct professional development of self and others
* Experience of implementing major organisational change
* Involvement with local and national committees
COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS (INCLUDING MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES)
* Able to work under pressure
* Demonstrate a clear vision of the role and service
* Ability to lead change and influence multidisciplinary teams
* Resilient
* Ability to initiate sustain and evaluate change
* Team player
* Integrity
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills
* Experience of change management
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
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