Job overview
Although this position is a 12 months fixed-term contract, the actual contract duration will be adjusted to account for the time taken to advertise the post, complete the hiring process, and finalise pre-employment checks. This means the contract will begin when the candidate starts the role and may be slightly shorter than 12 months.
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Specialist Palliative Care Team at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. Applicants must be a qualified RGN with significant experience in palliative and end-of-life care.
The role involves supporting patients, families, and carers with life-limiting illnesses, while providing education across hospital sites. You will help optimise palliative care on all wards, working both independently and within the multidisciplinary team to deliver high-quality care. Responsibilities include managing your own caseload (with support) and contributing to service improvements across the Trust.
You should be self-motivated, flexible, organised, and able to influence others, with strong communication and IT skills. A probationary period applies. This role offers excellent development opportunities within a forward-thinking, patient-focused team.
Main duties of the job
To provide a high-quality specialist palliative care service to patients within the BHR Trust who have advanced life-threatening illness.
To provide expert advice and education to other health care professionals in all aspects of palliative care.
To work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team for the benefit of the patient.
To plan, with other members of specialist palliative care team to promote palliative care across all specialities.
To liaise with Primary Health Care Teams/Specialist Nurses both within the acute trust and relating community, to ensure all patients receive appropriate palliative care support when discharged from hospital.
To contribute to the development of palliative care within outer North East London, Barking, Havering and Redbridge Boroughs.
To ensure implementation of evidence-based practice within the speciality of palliative care.
Working for our organisation
We’re an organisation that is getting better and better and our improvements are driven by a determination to deliver care we’re proud of and our patients are happy with.
They are benefitting from a new electronic patient record (we were the last acute trust in London to introduce one) and our maternity services have been rated good by the Care Quality Commission.
We operate from two main sites – KGH in Goodmayes and Queen’s Hospital in Romford. We have two busy emergency departments with more than 346,000 people visiting them last year. We’re campaigning to secure the £35m we need to transform the A&E at Queen’s and get rid of corridor care.
We’re proud of our regional Neurosciences Centre, Radiotherapy Centre and Hyper Acute Stroke Unit. We’re also part of the North East London Cancer Alliance.
We run a Women’s Health Hub in Ilford; an Ageing Well Centre in Hornchurch; and Community Diagnostic Centres (CDC) at Barking Community Hospital and at St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub. These CDCs are open 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The majority of our 8,400 staff – who come from 146 different countries - live in the three diverse London boroughs we serve and are from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. Many can work flexibly and more than 400 of them are on our Ofsted accredited apprenticeship programmes. We’re proud to be a London Living Wage employer.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification.
The person specification listed below is not the full specification requirements for the role. Please ensure you review the full specification on the job description prior to submitting your application.
Applicants are advised to read all the information on the advert and the supporting information before completing and submitting an application. As you complete your application please ensure you clearly demonstrate how you meet the criteria in the person specification for this post by adequately completing the supporting information section of the application form.
All new staff appointed at the Trust are subject to a probationary period.
Person specification
Experience/ Knowledge
Essential criteria
1. Relevant experience to Palliative Care or Oncology patients
Education/ Qualifications
Essential criteria
2. BSc Nursing or working towards
Desirable criteria
3. Counselling Course
Personal Qualities
Essential criteria
4. Excellent communication skills
Skills/ Abilities
Desirable criteria
5. Has worked in either Hospice/Palliative Care Unit/Community Palliative Care.
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.