Clinical Nurse Specialist- Breast Screening - Band 7

Job overview

Job Summary

To work as an expert clinical practitioner and effectively deliver an expert nursing service in the specialist area

To further develop the Haemato-oncology service (including optimising patient pathways, improving the patient experience, and developing proactive patient support models).

To independently manage a caseload of patients/clients

To ensure that patients and their families are fully informed and supported by providing clinical and social support

To lead the development of evidence-based clinical nursing practice in line with current research and guidelines

To establish clear lines of communication with primary healthcare teams to increase knowledge and facilitate the care of this group of people in the community

To link with healthcare teams to increase knowledge and facilitate the care of this group of people in the community or their healthcare setting

Main duties of the job

Clinical Responsibilities

To provide and manage an expert specialist nursing service for people with specialist needs

To provide expert nursing advice and support to patients, their families and other healthcare professionals following diagnosis and through treatment

To ensure continuity of a high standard of evidence based nursing care, assessing health, health related and nursing needs of patients, their families and other carers by identifying and initiating appropriate steps for effective care. This can include:

 Managing a patient caseload

 Ordering diagnostic tests

 Making and receiving referrals

 Admitting and discharging patients for specified conditions and within agreed protocols  Running clinics

 Prescribing medicines and treatments

To accept responsibility for own patient caseload, ensuring all patients have an accurate plan of care, which reflects the assessment undertaken and incorporates the issues and recommendations made ensuring clear documentation in the patient’s record and hand held records

To be actively involved in inpatient care, liaising with ward staff to ensure high quality nursing care

Where appropriate to lead nurse led out patient services ensuring nurse consultation with all newly diagnosed patients

To follow-up patients as appropriate and ensure all relevant information is available to enable patients to make an informed choice about their treatment.

To coordinate a seamless service through the development of enhanced Multidisciplinary team (MDT) processes and communication.

To lead the identification and development of clinical protocols and strategies to enhance both the continuity and standard of specialist care whilst ensuring equity of access to the service.

To ensure operational policies are reviewed annually following national standards

To ensure all care is given by agreed protocols.

To liaise with the ward staff to ensure appropriate and timely discharge/follow-up arrangement in place for patients.

To identify, implement and maintain a suitable mechanism for MDT referrals to the Clinical Nurse Specialists.

To work with the MDT to develop, implement and evaluate integrated care pathways and systems of MDT documentation.

To liaise with the local community, social services, paramedics and voluntary organisations in order to develop existing services for clients, carers and health professional.

To actively involve service users in providing feedback on their experience of the current service and suggestions for improvements.

To lead the development of appropriate patient group directives to facilitate/enhance the discharge process.

To participate in relevant forum at Divisional, Trust or PCG/PCT or National/International Level to represent the service perspective.

To contribute to the development of nursing practice within the team. Additionally, where appropriate, to act as a practice supervisor to Trust and honorary contract employees.

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

Service Management:

• To play an integral role in the operational and strategic development of specialist service, both in and outpatients.

• To develop policies and protocols to improve patient care.

• To liaise effectively with all other disciplines within the Trust and at the local level.

• To initiate and participate in the management of change to improve standards and communication links from Acute trust through Primary Care.

• To actively contribute to any relevant initiatives within the care group and provide support to senior colleagues and the Head of Nursing.

• To provide information for clients, carers and health professionals about all aspects of specialist care.

• To contribute positively to the leadership of nursing within the care group acting as an effective role model.

• To work with the support managers and clinical staff to identify areas where changes in practice are required.

• To introduce measures to actively manage and reduce risk to patients. Ensure the formal reporting and recording of adverse incidents in line with Trust policy.

• To support the Heads of Nursing in implementing Trust initiatives and strategies.

• To network with the team of clinical nurse specialists within the Trust to evaluate, develop and promote the specialist-nursing role.

• To utilise and maintain information systems to aid audit and to provide regular active analysis reports.

• To maintain records and send reports set by various bodies pertaining to the specific speciality.

• To maintain contemporaneous and accurate treatment records, submitting relevant statistics, reports and activity data as requested.

• To evaluate the service in terms of clinical effectiveness, clinical excellence and value for money.

• To ensure the best use of available resources is within the agreed budget to provide a costeffective service.

• To forge effective links within primary secondary and tertiary care to ensure effective communication.

• To ensure compliance with the Trust’s Equality and Diversity Policy, supporting the delivery of the Trust's Race Equality Scheme and the Trust’s duty to positively promote race equality and equality of opportunity for disabled people ensuring services are responsive to the needs of equality groups.

Education and Training

To work towards meeting Cancer CNSs ACCEND framework assessment competency as appropriate to the role and level of practice

To ensure appropriate information and education literature, including services provided by the Macmillan Information Centre at KCH, is available to help patients, make informed choices as to their treatment plan and continuing management developing and regularly updating literature.

To initiate, lead and develop programmes of education to enhance the nursing contribution and quality of care to nurses both across the Trust, Nationally and Internationally.

To act as a clinical expert and advise on educational opportunities that will facilitate the development and support of their specialist knowledge and skills to ensure they develop their clinical practice.

To work with and support ward managers and other clinical staff to identify areas where changes to practice are required.

To improve treatment and support for patients.

To actively participate in educational events provided by the Trust and primary care sector.

To attend meetings and conferences as appropriate ensuring that you are fully conversant with current issues both within the Trust and within the specialist services locally and nationally.

To lead on clinical audit, in particular ensuring patient experience surveys are completed and action plans developed.

To lead nursing research initiatives and support research activity within individual Divisions and also through collaboration with other agencies.

To identify, apply and disseminate research findings relating to specialist nursing practice.

To participate and assist with any Trust approved research projects conducted within the department.

To publish and present relevant clinical practice and service developments.

PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• To achieve a range of clinical competencies as required within the Trust and Care Group.

• To keep up to date with current literature and research in nursing and the speciality.

• To maintain your own personal and professional development in accordance with PREP requirements, attending mandatory study sessions as required.

• To undergo and actively participate in your own performance appraisals.

• To keep up to date with NMC, relevant specialist Faculty and Trust guidelines and protocols.

• To adhere to the NMC Code of Professional conduct working within and accepting responsibility for maintaining agreed levels of competence.

• To be working towards a masters degree

General

• The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
• To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
• We want to be an organisation where everyone shares a commitment to delivering the very best care and feels like their contribution is valuable and valued
• Our values at King’s

Caring – we put patients and their families first and show compassion and respect in every interaction with them, as well as with one another.

Collaborative – across all of our hospitals and services, we work as one team with partners and our communities, to deliver the best possible outcomes.

Inclusive – we celebrate diversity, listening to different voices and creating a culture where everyone feels they belong and can thrive.

Innovative – we constantly seek new ideas and smarter ways of working to improve care, research and education.

• To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
• To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
• This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder.
• All employees must hold an 'nhs.net' email account which will be the Trust's formal route for email communication.
• Everyone is responsible for promoting inclusion no matter their role or team. At King’s, we want to create an environment where everyone feels valued, respected and welcomed

Safe Guarding

The Trust takes the issues of Safeguarding Children, Adults and addressing Domestic Abuse very seriously. All employees have a responsibility to support the organisation in our duties by;

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• attending mandatory training on safeguarding children and adults
• familiarising themselves with the Trust's processes for reporting concerns
• reporting any safeguarding child or adult concerns appropriate

Infection Control Statement

The post holder has an important responsibility for and contribution to infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene procedures and requirements when in clinical areas.

The post holder has an important responsibility for and contribution to make to infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene requirements of this role.

These requirements are set out in the National Code of Practice on Infection Control and in local policies and procedures which will be made clear during your induction and subsequent refresher training. These standards must be strictly complied with at all times.

Person specification

Essential

Essential criteria

• NMC Level 1 or Level 15 Registered Nurse
• A clinical expert either through formal qualification (Degree/Master) and/or extensive clinical experience pertinent to the area.
• Advanced clinical assessment skills or willingness to undertake
• Relevant post-registration qualifications (communication/psychological care/cancelling /speciality care/cancer care/SACT)
• Relevant, current and demonstrable experience in the speciality area
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Experience in delivering patient-centred care
• Excellent communication/counselling skills
• Strong leadership skills
• Ability to build up a rapport with patients and the MDT
• Ability to impart complex information to patients, relatives and carers, with different levels of understanding.

Desirable criteria

• To have proven experience in service development
• Experience in running research and audit programmes
• Project management skills

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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Relying too much on AI can negatively impact your chances of success because automatically generated answers:

• might not be specific or relevant enough to address the criteria in the recruitment profile
• often seem generic and not personalised enough – an AI response won’t show your unique voice and perspective
• could misrepresent information about you, such as your qualifications, skills and experience

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.

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King's College Hospital is part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC), a pioneering collaboration between King's College London, and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts.