Macmillan Head and Neck Clinical Nurse Specialist in Northampton

We have an exciting opportunity to join University Hospitals of Northamptonshire as a Band 7 Head & Neck Macmillan Cancer Nurse Specialist Team Lead on a permanent, full-time basis. We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated nurse with a passion for head and neck cancer care, who can provide strong clinical leadership within a specialist cancer service.

Working as an autonomous practitioner, you will lead the Head & Neck Macmillan Cancer Nurse Specialist Team, managing a complex caseload of patients with head and neck cancer. You will ensure patients have timely access to expert symptom management, psychological support, information and advice, while working collaboratively with the wider multidisciplinary team.

The post involves cross-site working between Kettering General Hospital and Northampton General Hospital, and close working across ENT, Maxillofacial and Oncology services at both sites to ensure coordinated, high-quality care throughout the patient pathway. You will have clinical support from the Band 8a Head & Neck Advanced Clinical Practitioner.

• Provide clinical leadership for the Head & Neck Macmillan Cancer Nurse Specialist Team, supporting high standards of care and professional development.
• Work as an autonomous practitioner, independently assessing, planning and managing care for patients with head and neck cancer across the pathway.
• Manage a complex specialist caseload, delivering expert symptom management, psychosocial support, information and advice to patients and their families.
• Coordinate and deliver care across ENT, Maxillofacial and Oncology services, ensuring seamless multidisciplinary working at both hospital sites.
• Lead and contribute to multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings, advocating for patients and ensuring holistic needs are addressed.
• Provide expert clinical advice and support to colleagues across inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Support service development and quality improvement, contributing to audit, guideline development and pathway redesign.
• Act as a resource for education and training, supporting learning for nursing staff, AHPs and the wider MDT.
• Ensure effective cross-site working between Kettering General Hospital and Northampton General Hospital to maintain continuity of care.
• Maintain accurate documentation and contribute to clinical governance, risk management and compliance with national and local standards.

About us: Northampton General Hospital is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All of our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered into a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.

• Compassion
• Accountability
• Respect
• Integrity
• Courage

We want to recruit the best people to deliver our services across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire and help to unleash everyone's full potential. As an organisation, we value how we communicate and promote our vacancies to all communities. The Hospital Group encourages applications from people who identify from all protected groups, especially those from BAME, Disabled and LGBTQ+ backgrounds as these are underrepresented in our hospitals. We understand that we need to work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and make sure the environment they work in is inclusive and collaborative. We have active Networks that promote and support colleagues from all backgrounds. This ensures everyone feels supported and has a sense of belonging working for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.

• Practice autonomously at an advanced level, independently assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating care for patients with head and neck cancer.
• Manage a complex specialist caseload across inpatient, outpatient and community interfaces, providing expert symptom management, psychosocial support, information and advice.
• Act as a key worker for patients, ensuring coordinated, person-centred care throughout the cancer pathway.
• Provide specialist clinical advice to patients, families and professionals across ENT, Maxillofacial and Oncology services.
• Provide clinical leadership and day-to-day coordination of the Head & Neck Macmillan CNS Team.
• Support and supervise CNS colleagues, promoting professional development, reflective practice and high-quality care.
• Escalate clinical, operational and workforce issues appropriately to the Band 8a Head & Neck Advanced Clinical Practitioner.
• Contribute to workforce planning, service sustainability and cross-site consistency of practice.
• Work collaboratively within the multidisciplinary team, including attendance and contribution to Head & Neck MDT meetings.
• Ensure effective cross-site working between Kettering General Hospital and Northampton General Hospital, maintaining equity of service delivery.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support seamless care pathways.
• Actively contribute to Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) reviews and action plans relevant to head and neck cancer services.
• Support delivery and monitoring of national cancer waiting time standards and performance targets, including data collection and service improvement initiatives.
• Participate in clinical audit, quality improvement projects and pathway redesign to improve patient outcomes and experience.
• Contribute to the development, review and implementation of local policies, guidelines and evidence-based practice.
• Act as an educational resource for nursing staff, AHPs and the wider MDT, sharing specialist knowledge and best practice.
• Maintain own professional development and competence in line with NMC requirements and Trust expectations.
• Ensure practice complies with Trust policies, national guidelines, Macmillan standards and professional codes of conduct.
• Maintain accurate, timely and comprehensive clinical documentation.
• Contribute to risk management, incident reporting and learning processes.

• Educated to degree level or equivalent level of education, training or experience.
• First level registration with NMC.
• Evidence of recent relevant CPD.
• Relevant teaching and assessing qualification.
• Post registration course on palliative care or relevant field.
• Independent Non-medical prescribing qualification.
• Previous band 7 experience or equivalent.

• In depth Specialist Palliative and End of life care experience (or can demonstrate experience of working with patients with palliative care needs in the acute setting).
• Credible professional with sound professional knowledge and judgement.
• Ability to manage a caseload and work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Clear, thorough and up to date knowledge of palliative and end of life care nursing issues including statutory frameworks and national policy.
• To have provided teaching and education to all levels of staff.
• To have initiated and actively participated in research or audit.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to make autonomous decisions.
• Ability to collaborate with the multi-disciplinary team and successfully negotiate with and influence others.
• Ability to work on own initiative and prioritise work demonstrating excellent time management skills.
• Ability to demonstrate flexible working patterns and be able to proactively respond to the changing needs of the service.

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.