Lead Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist

An exciting opportunity has arisen and applications are invited for the post of Lead Skin Cancer Nurse Specialist. The post holder will lead a team of 4 specialist nurses, a Lead ACP for Skin Cancer Oncology and one administrator. The UHD skin cancer service serves a population of approximately 600 000. In addition, a surgical and oncological skin cancer service is provided for the population of West Dorset (approximately 250 000).

The specialist nurse and ACP team provide care and support throughout the patient pathway. This model, using staff with advanced practice skills educated to MSc level, enables the service to provide a whole pathway approach. This includes diagnosing skin cancer, breaking bad news clinics, follow up clinics, health education clinics, open access, as well as clinics and support for patients being treated with adjuvant and palliative systemic anti-cancer treatment (SACT). The whole pathway approach ensures the service is able to respond to clinical need delivering exceptional quality of care and demonstrating high patient satisfaction. The service was ranked top in England in the 2019 GIRFT review with 98% of melanoma patients having contact with a CNS. Educating the team to Masters level in addition to competency based assessments increases resilience in the service and the ability to adapt to changing needs.

Base Location: Poole

Interview Date: TBC

The Lead Skin Cancer Nurse, in consultation with key stakeholders, actively contributes to the strategic planning of skin cancer services across Dorset.

Initiates and writes Trust wide clinical policies, procedures and guidelines utilising highly specialist knowledge and the current evidence base.

Practices autonomously with a high level of accountability at an advanced clinical level in the direct delivery of high-quality care, making critical clinical decisions in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients including prescribing, for people with complex multi-dimensional needs. This includes highly complex decision-making across a broad range of differentiated and undifferentiated individual presentations and complex situations, synthesising information from multiple sources to make appropriate, evidence-based judgements and/or diagnoses.

Our values define who we are as #TeamUHD. They underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients, visitors, and each other, our valued teammates and colleagues.

UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme.

This means that some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or long term. Recruiting Managers interviewing for this role will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have at interview.

Acts as a resource to others and develops, delivers and evaluates a range of relevant specialist programmes of education and development for individuals and large groups, including the wider multidisciplinary team, both internally and external to the trust.

Chairs the Specialist Skin MDT, when required, in which skin cancer patients with complex needs are discussed by the three hospital skin cancer teams via video-conferencing. Deputise for the chair of the Local Skin MDT.

As the Lead Skin Cancer Nurse for the Specialist MDT jointly lead the Skin Cancer Peer Review process with the lead Clinician.