Job overview
The post holder will work in line with national guidance for Upper GI cancer management and personalised care, as well as local Trust policies. They will play a key role within the UGI cancer team, providing advice, support, and specialist input to patients, carers, and healthcare professionals. Acting as a patient advocate, they will help coordinate care and ensure seamless service provision, offering expert clinical guidance to individuals undergoing treatment and their families.
The role involves working across organisational boundaries, maintaining ongoing contact with patients in a variety of settings, and serving as a vital link between services. The post holder will also contribute to nursing research and education, supporting the advancement of clinical excellence in the care of people affected by Upper GI cancer.
Main duties of the job
1. Provide specialist, expert clinical knowledge to clinical colleagues, patients, carers, and relatives. As an expert practitioner, liaise with, guide, and advise the multidisciplinary team and external agencies to ensure the highest standard of patient care.
2. Lead the development and advancement of nursing clinical services within the specialist field.
3. Act as the key worker within the multidisciplinary team, taking a central role in coordinating individual patient care, promoting continuity across treatment pathways, and serving as the primary point of contact for information, guidance, and support.
Working for our organisation
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITY
4. Act as a key worker for a defined caseload, coordinating care and ensuring patients have easy access to ongoing support.
5. Contribute as a core member of multidisciplinary meetings, advocating for patients and representing nursing perspectives.
6. Place quality at the centre of practice by delivering evidence‑based, individualised and holistic care, including assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation.
7. Lead nurse‑led clinics and carry out advanced clinical assessments and skills related to diagnosis and treatment.
8. Collect, analyse and report clinical information while maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient records.
9. Involve patients and their carers or relatives in care planning, delivery and service development.
10. Order, monitor and interpret investigations in line with local protocols, ensuring clinically effective and cost‑efficient decision‑making to support diagnosis, further assessment and ongoing treatment.
11. Support the medical team in achieving the Faster Diagnosis Standard within cancer waiting time targets.
Please refer to the attached JD
Person specification
Knowledge
Essential criteria
12. In-depth Knowledge of professional issues and policy relating to the specialist area.
13. Demonstrate knowledge and application of Clinical Governance
14. Demonstrates knowledge of Clinical audit and research
15. Demonstrates knowledge of Risk Management
16. Demonstrate knowledge of understanding of Clinical Issues – assessing, planning,
Desirable criteria
17. IT systems relevant to Trust and Speciality
Expereince
Essential criteria
18. Relevant post registration experience at B6 or above in cancer, palliative care or the speciality
19. Experience of successful multi-agency working
20. Management of clinical leadership expereince
21. Experience o requesting imaging as a NMQR
22. Experience of teaching and assessing in clinical area
23. Experience of developing and undertaking clinical audit
24. Experience of undertaking nurse led clinics
25. Participation in service development and implementation of change
skills
Essential criteria
26. Excellent Interpersonal and communication skills
27. Exemplar written communication skills
28. Able to be a positive and effective team worker in the multidisciplinary team
29. Able to manage to work autonomously
30. Ability to prioritise workload, demonstrate good organisational skills
31. Ability to adapt to change within the working situation
32. Able to perform advanced clinical skills
33. Ability to support and care for patients within complex clinical scenarios.
Desirable criteria
34. Intermediate IT skills eg Microsoft office
35. Ability to produce and present written reports and data.
Qualification
Essential criteria
36. Ist Level Registered Nurse
37. First level Degree
38. Post Registration qualification in specialist area
39. Evidence of Continuing professional development
40. Recognised teaching and assessing qualification
41. Advanced communication skills
Desirable criteria
42. Non medical prescribing
43. IRMER Training
44. Masters Qualification
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.