Job overview
This expert nurse post will provide clinical support, nursing care and clinical leadership for patients referred on the suspected cancer pathway for gynaecological cancers. The post holder will work as an integral member of the specialist team, collaborating with primary and secondary care, clinical and operational teams, to ensure those referred on the pathway receive a high quality, safe, effective and timely diagnostic pathway.
****** THIS POSITION IS ONLY OPEN TO CURRENT UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST EMPLOYEES ******
Main duties of the job
1. Support compliance against the 28-day faster diagnosis standard and 62-day cancer waiting times (CWT) guidance for the gynaecology suspected cancer pathway for the Women's and Children's Division.
2. Provide comprehensive, consistent and clear information and support to those individuals referred on the pathway, including clear decisions regarding next actions
3. Positively impact on the experience of patients and carers by providing high standards of clinical practice and care.
4. Provide nursing clinical expertise to primary and secondary care colleagues regarding the pathway, including operational risks and compliance against the pathway milestones, and clinical updates regarding an individual referred on the pathway where appropriate.
5. Provide nursing clinical expertise to address the 28-day faster diagnosis standard 62 day and 104 day long wait lists, including regular review and prioritisation for those on the pathway awaiting next actions.
·
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex (UHSx), diversity is our strength, & we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness & experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, & can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) & a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients & staff with the same compassion & empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above & beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our candidate information pack & wellbeing programme, for staff which is extensive & designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching & training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us & throughout your career we will help you to grow & develop. We hope that in choosing UHSx you are choosing a long & happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make & feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application & the start of your journey with UHSx.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Communication:
·Deliver comprehensive, consistent, and transparent communication and support to individuals referred onto the diagnostic pathway, providing clear guidance and decisions regarding next steps. This requires expert communication and a deep understanding of the diagnostic process.
·Establish and maintain structured meeting processes within all areas of responsibility, ensuring both formal and informal communication channels with the multidisciplinary team (MDT) are active and effective.
·Collaborate with the gynaecology team and Trust services to plan and organise the diagnostic pathway workload, ensuring sustainable and consistent delivery of the suspected cancer pathway in line with organisational priorities.
·Facilitate smooth transitions of care by ensuring clear communication during patient handovers between services and pathways. Work closely with the cancer services team to provide seamless continuity for individuals moving onto confirmed cancer pathways.
·Exhibit advanced communication skills to effectively and empathetically convey complex and sensitive information to patients and their families, supporting them throughout their journey.
·Ensure timely documentation and information sharing, with clinical letters promptly sent to GPs and patients, and outcomes clearly communicated to the cancer services team.
Service Delivery and Improvement
·Conduct regular weekly audits aligned with national and local standards, using findings to make informed recommendations that enhance compliance and drive quality improvement.
·Identify and cultivate opportunities to broaden the scope of practice for both self and colleagues, promoting professional development and innovation within the specialist area.
·Collaborate in the development of evidence-based guidelines and protocols, contributing clinical expertise to optimise the care of individuals on the suspected gynaecological cancer pathway.
·Continuously monitor and audit personal and service performance, ensuring specialist nursing input is efficient, effective, and impactful
People Management and Development
·Provide clinical supervision to nursing and medical students on placements of 6–12 weeks, fostering their learning and integration into clinical teams.
·Evaluate current practice to identify areas for development, implement evidence-based change, and assess outcomes to drive service improvement.
·Develop integrated communication pathways across primary, secondary, and tertiary care to support strategic planning and enhance diagnostic and cancer service delivery.
·Collaborate on the creation of specialist guidelines and protocols to optimise care for patients on suspected cancer pathways.
·Act as a clinical role model, consistently upholding high standards of care within the clinical governance framework and promoting a learning culture focused on professional development and service excellence.
·Partner with gynaecology teams, nurse specialists, matrons, and development leads to strengthen fundamentals of care and promote continuous practice development.
·Provide leadership and expert advice to the Gynaecology Pathway Navigator, supporting them in the effective execution of their role.
·Mentor junior colleagues through clinical supervision and reflective practice, supporting personal and professional growth.
·Ensure robust systems are in place to deliver safe, high-quality care, aligned with Trust priorities and harm-free indicators.
·Engage proactively in MDT discussions, ensuring appropriate, timely referrals and holistic patient-centred planning.
·Lead on complaint resolution, responding promptly and empathetically in line with Trust policy, gathering evidence, reviewing practice, and implementing changes as necessary.
·Produce and support annual reports for both the Rapid Access Pathway and the Gynaecology MDT, showcasing activity and improvements in service delivery.
·Champion patient and public involvement in the evolution of services, ensuring care pathways reflect the needs and experiences of those they serve.
·Promote and deliver education and development opportunities for colleagues to embed safe, high-quality, and effective gynaecological cancer care.
Patient Care Delivery
·Champion high-quality, patient-centred care, fostering a culture of empowerment and safety across the gynaecology cancer pathway.
·Demonstrate expert clinical leadership through comprehensive assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of care, including history taking, physical examination (within scope), and requesting appropriate diagnostics.
·Lead clinical vetting and triage processes to support timely diagnosis in alignment with the 28-day faster diagnosis standard, working in close collaboration with the MDT and clinical leads.
·Actively monitor and support patient pathways, including daily review of the Patient Tracking List (PTL), escalating potential breaches (28d, 62d, 104d) and initiating actions to avoid unnecessary delays.
·Maintain regular, responsive communication with patients, particularly those at risk of non-attendance or pathway delays, ensuring compassionate, timely updates in line with Trust protocols.
·Empower patients with accessible, sensitive information, explaining diagnoses, benign results, or treatment options with empathy and clarity, overcoming barriers such as language or cognitive differences.
·Act as a keyworker and advocate, coordinating care for patients referred on urgent suspected cancer pathways and supporting informed decision-making.
·Respond to concerns and complaints proactively and professionally, leading investigations, drafting formal responses, and collaborating with the Gynaecology Lead Nurse to embed learning.
·Design, review, and improve care pathways in partnership with specialist teams, using audit data, breach analysis, and patient feedback to inform service development and capacity planning.
·Support education, training, and service integration, providing guidance to colleagues across disciplines and care settings, and contributing to strategic planning with primary, secondary, and tertiary providers.
·Maintain professional registration and clinical competence, participating in ongoing practice, revalidation, and delivery of training in line with evolving service needs.
·Liaise with statutory and voluntary agencies for holistic management of patients’ social, emotional, or wellbeing needs, ensuring ethically sound, inclusive care.
·Work flexibly as an expert resource, managing the demands of the role—including clinical exposure to unpleasant conditions—while upholding the highest standards in care delivery.
Learning and Development
·Maintain active professional registration and complete revalidation requirements, ensuring full compliance with core and mandatory training as specified by the Trust.
·Identify personal objectives and development needs, seeking opportunities through education, research, and audit to enhance clinical practice and service delivery.
·Undertake training and development activities in line with evolving service needs and as agreed through the personal development and appraisal process with the line manager.
·Meet and evidence agreed standards of professional growth within specified timelines, demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement.
·Collaboratively plan learning and training needs, contributing to a proactive culture of development and service innovation.
·Actively participate in research and development, contributing to evidence-based care and service advancement.
·Engage fully in the Trust’s appraisal process, aligning individual performance with organisational objectives and quality of patient care.
Patient First
·Patient First is our Trust-wide approach to improving the quality of care for patients and to build and embed a culture where staff can be confident that their views matter and will be heard.
·The aim is to empower all staff to lead change, raise issues, concerns, identify and implement areas for improvement within the workplace and find solutions collectively as part of a team.
·Staff will be equipped with skills to identify improvement opportunities and supported to see those through
·It encourages all staff to be innovative and drive forward quality improvement and positive changes in their areas.
·The philosophy behind this is centred on:
·Standardisation, system redesign and the improvement of patient pathways to eliminate error and waste and improve quality
·The patient being at the heart of every element of change
·Embedding cultural change across the organisation, where everyone is passionate about delivering exceptional quality every time and “where better never stops”.
·Continuous improvement of our services through small steps of change
·Constantly testing the patient pathway to see how we can develop
·Encouraging frontline staff to lead the redesign processes
·Equal voices for all
·Engagement of staff is a big factor in job performance.
·Good engagement leads to improved quality, mortality and safety measures
Person specification
Experience/ Qualifications
Essential criteria
6. Evidence of working at a senior level
7. Gynaecology or cancer experience
8. Evidence of continuous personal, professional and academic development
9. First degree in nursing or health related subject
10. Extensive experience at senior nurse level in relevant clinical area within gynaecology or cance
11. Experience of multi-professional and cross organisational working
12. Mentorship or training qualification
13. Independent Nurse prescribing qualification
Desirable criteria
14. Advanced communication skills training obtained
15. Post registration professional qualification in relevant specialist area i.e. gynaecology, Women’s Health/ cancer care
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Essential criteria
16. Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
17. Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Professional Registration
Essential criteria
18. NMC Level 1 current registration
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications