Band 6 Head & Neck FDS (Faster Diagnostic Standard) Nurse in Romford

Band 6 Head & Neck FDS (Faster Diagnostic Standard) Nurse

Band 6

Main area Head & Neck Grade Band 6 Contract 12 months (Fixed term/Secondment) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 162-8038-SURG

Site Queen's Hospital Town Romford Salary £45,953 - £54,254 per annum inclusive Salary period Yearly Closing 01/11/2026 23:59

PEOPLE are at the HEART of everything we do

This video gives a flavour of what it is like to work at our Trust and why some of our staff love working here

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Head & Neck Cancer Team as a Band 6 Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) Nurse on a fixed-term maternity cover basis.

This specialist role is central to supporting patients referred with suspected Head & Neck cancer, ensuring timely assessment, investigation and progression through their diagnostic pathway. Working closely with Consultants, Clinical Nurse Specialists and the wider multidisciplinary team, you will provide clinical triage of urgent suspected cancer referrals, coordinate diagnostic pathways and support delivery of national cancer waiting time standards.

You will play a key role in improving patient experience by acting as a clinical point of contact, undertaking telephone assessments, identifying patients suitable for direct-to-test investigations and helping to ensure patients receive a diagnosis, or cancer is excluded, as quickly as possible.

We are looking for an experienced and motivated registered nurse with excellent assessment, communication and organisational skills. You should be confident working autonomously, prioritising workload and making clinical decisions within a fast-paced environment. Experience within cancer services, surgery, diagnostics or pathway management would be advantageous.

If you are passionate about improving cancer pathways and making a real difference to patients at an important stage of their journey, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

The Head & Neck Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) Clinical Nurse Specialist is a specialist cancer nursing role that forms a critical component of the Head & Neck Cancer Service diagnostic pathway.

The post holder will be responsible for the autonomous clinical triage and assessment of patients referred via the Urgent Suspected Cancer (USC) Head & Neck pathway, ensuring patients are progressed promptly through diagnostic
investigations in accordance with national cancer standards.

The service manages approximately 350-400 urgent suspected cancer referrals each month. The post holder will undertake specialist review of referrals, conduct clinical telephone assessments, identify patients suitable for direct-to-test investigations, coordinate diagnostic pathways and elevate clinical concerns appropriately to consultants and members of the multidisciplinary team.

The role is a key component of the transformed Head & Neck diagnostic model and directly supports delivery of the national 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) and wider Cancer Waiting Time standards. Through proactive clinical triage, pathway management and utilisation of direct-to-test pathways, the post holder will contribute to earlier diagnosis, improved patient experience and reduced delays across the
cancer pathway.

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.

Applications should be made online, however, queries regarding the application process, assistance with completion of the application form or if you require any adjustments (for applicants with a disability) please contact Louise Lucy Glavin, Recruitment Advisor, on 01708 435000 Ext. 5936. Further details regarding the post may be obtained by contacting the manager as per the contact details above.

Person specification

Education/ Qualifications

• Registered Adult Nurse with current NMC registration

Experience/ Knowledge

• Experience caring for patients undergoing cancer investigations or cancer pathways.
• Experience of multidisciplinary team working.
• ENT or Surgical Oncology experience.
• Experience of direct-to-test pathways.
• Experience of Somerset Cancer Registry or equivalent cancer tracking systems.

Before you apply

Using AI
We recognise that more applicants are using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support their job applications and welcome the responsible use of these technologies.
AI can be a useful tool to help organise your thoughts, improve the structure of your application and support your preparation. However, your application should remain an authentic and accurate reflection of your skills, experience, and knowledge.
We encourage you to review the person specification carefully and provide clear examples that demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria for the role. Any information submitted as part of your application must be accurate, truthful, and based on your experience.
Throughout our recruitment process, we value honesty, integrity, and authenticity. We want to understand what you can bring to BHRUT, so please ensure that your application reflects your own capabilities and achievements.
AI should not be used to misrepresent your skills, qualifications, and experience.

Flexible working
We welcome applications from candidates seeking flexible working or job sharing where service needs allow.

Pre-employment checks
Please provide references from your current or most recent employer, including your line manager or supervisor. Successful applicants will also be required to complete pre-employment checks, including identity verification through TrustID and any role-specific clearances.

Certificate of Sponsorship
In line with UKVI guidance, we are unable to provide a Certificate of Sponsorship for Band 2 and Band 3 roles.

Recruitment process
We may close vacancies before the advertised closing date if we receive a high volume of applications. All communication regarding your application will be sent by email, so please check your inbox and junk folder regularly.

Inclusion
BHRUT is committed to creating an inclusive workplace and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Applicants who declare a disability under the Equality Act 2010 or identify as a Care Leaver and choose to be considered under our Disability Confident or Care Leaver schemes will be guaranteed an interview where they meet the essential criteria.

Safeguarding
BHRUT is committed to safeguarding children and adults at risk. All employees are expected to share this commitment and follow the Trust's safeguarding policies.

Smoke-free Trust
BHRUT is a smoke-free Trust. All employees are expected to comply with our smoke-free policy.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

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.

Name Nordeya Gilbert Job title Matron Email address nordeya.gilbert1@nhs.net Telephone number 01708435000

If you have problems applying, contact

Address Queen's Hospital
Rom Valley Way
Romford
Essex
RM7 0AG
Telephone 01708 435000 5936

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