Acute Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist

Job overview

Fixed-Term Opportunity – 12-Month Maternity Leave Cover

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Lead Breast Clinical Nurse Specialist to join the Breast Cancer Service on a 12-month fixed-term basis to provide maternity leave cover.

The post holder will provide expert clinical leadership to the Breast Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) team, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based, patient-centred care throughout the breast cancer pathway. Working as an integral member of the multidisciplinary team, the successful candidate will lead service development, support the delivery of national cancer standards, oversee personalised cancer care and contribute to the continuous improvement of breast cancer services.

This is a senior clinical leadership role, combining advanced specialist practice with service development, governance, education and operational oversight to ensure patients receive safe, effective and compassionate care.

Main duties of the job

The Lead Breast Clinical Nurse Specialist will provide professional and clinical leadership to the Breast CNS team whilst delivering expert specialist nursing care to patients with breast cancer. The post holder will independently manage a complex caseload and work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to ensure patients receive coordinated, high-quality care throughout their cancer pathway.

The role is responsible for leading service improvement initiatives, supporting delivery of national cancer performance standards, overseeing personalised cancer care and contributing to clinical governance, education, audit and research. The post holder will also promote evidence-based practice, support workforce development and work across organisational boundaries to improve patient outcomes and experience.

Working for our organisation

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. In June 2026, we launched our new strategy for 2026-31. Our vision is to transform healthcare, and we have agreed six strategic ambitions to help us improve care for patients, and the working lives of our staff.

Our six strategic ambitions are delivering high-quality patient care ; creating a great place to work ; leading pioneering research, innovation and education ; building strong and successful partnerships ; providing timely and efficient care ; and ensuring long-term financial sustainability .

We have also agreed four new organisational values – Caring, Collaborative, Inclusive, Innovative – and these underpin everything we do, and how our teams interact with the patients under our care.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The successful candidate will provide expert clinical leadership and operational oversight of the Breast Clinical Nurse Specialist service, ensuring the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate care for patients diagnosed with breast cancer. Responsibilities include managing a specialist caseload, leading the Breast CNS team, supporting multidisciplinary working and contributing to the delivery of national cancer standards through effective pathway coordination.

The post holder will lead the development of evidence-based practice, oversee personalised cancer care, contribute to governance, audit and quality improvement, and support education and professional development within the team. Working closely with colleagues across the Trust and partner organisations, they will ensure the continued delivery of high-quality services that improve patient experience and clinical outcomes. This 12-month fixed-term maternity leave cover is essential to maintaining continuity of leadership, service resilience and the ongoing delivery of the Breast Cancer Service.

Person specification

Education and Qualification

Essential criteria

• Professional Registration
• Post Graduate Qualification in cancer care, acute medicine or equivalent experience
• MSc Level qualification or willingness to work towards.
• Advanced communication Skills Training
• Mentorship qualification

Desirable criteria

• Chemotherapy Training Qualifications

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant post registration experience at a senior level (Band 7 or above) in cancer or acute care
• Experience of participation in service development and implementation of change
• Broard understanding of personalised care
• Experience of teaching and assessing in a variety of clinical environments
• Advanced Clinical Assessment skills
• Evidence of dissemination of knowledge in wider healthcare organisations
• Expert knowledge of KPI related to the role of the Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist.

Desirable criteria

• Publication in healthcare journals

Skills and Competencies

Essential criteria

• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to perform in stressful and complex situation
• Sound clinical reasoning & decision making
• Ability to inspire and lead a team with demonstrable management experience.
• Competent to manage work autonomously
• Skills to influence and overcome resistance through application of advanced communication skills
• Ability to develop effective interpersonal relationships with colleagues across health and social care setting

IMPORTANT

• Check your email account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you
• If you delete the job from any of your accounts, you may be prevented from accessing further communications
• To enquire about your application or inform us of any changes in your circumstances, please contact the named person on this advert
• Please provide email addresses for referees where possible
• Please review the documentation on our recruitment microsite, particularly the Trust’s criminal records checking policy
• All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
• Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

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