Lead General Practice Nurse

Job description

Job responsibilities

Len Valley Practice Job Description

Job Title: Lead General Practice Nurse Responsible To: GP Partners (clinically), Practice Manager (managerially) Location: Len Valley Practice Contract Type: Full-time Salary: Band 7

Job summary The Lead General Practice Nurse is responsible for safe and effective nursing care across the practice population. They lead the nursing team, manage resources and deliver evidence-based care for acute and long-term conditions, as well as preventative interventions. The role provides clinical leadership, supports service delivery, and works with the wider practice team to ensure high-quality, patient-centred care.

Scope and Purpose

• Lead and develop nursing services.

• Provide clinical leadership and guidance.

• Manage a personal caseload for acute and chronic conditions.

• Review medication in line with protocols.

• Prioritise complex or urgent needs and initiate emergency care.

• Deliver advanced evidence-based care.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical

• Provide safe, cost-effective, individualised care.

• Assess, diagnose, treat and refer patients appropriately.

• Lead nurse-led services in chronic disease management.

• Conduct medication reviews and maintain disease registers.

• Provide immunisations, cytology, wound care, travel advice and health screening.

• Undertake procedures such as venepuncture, spirometry and BP management.

• Support minor surgery and promote health education.

• Prescribe safely where qualified.

• Maintain accurate, confidential records in line with NMC standards.

• Contribute to achieving practice targets and contractual obligations.

Teaching and Mentoring

• Support learning for patients, staff and students.

• Mentor junior colleagues, assessing competence.

• Share knowledge and best practice within the team.

• Undertake appraisals for the nursing team.

Professional

• Attend practice and external meetings.

• Maintain NMC registration and personal CPD.

• Meet statutory and mandatory training requirements.

• Promote evidence-based practice and quality assurance.

• Work to the NMC Code and relevant health policies.

• Demonstrate leadership, equality and diversity good practice.

Managerial

• Act as team leader and role model.

• Support service development and protocol design.

• Contribute to management meetings and quality improvement.

• Prioritise workloads and ensure effective time management.

• Manage rotas, leave, appraisals and team development.

Terms and Conditions

• This post is superannuable and subject to satisfactory health clearance.

• An enhanced DBS check is required.

• Must hold full NMC registration.

• All staff must comply with Data Protection, Health and Safety, and practice policies.

• The job description may be reviewed and updated as required.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

• Essential: Adult nursing degree, NMC registration, clinical supervision training.

• Desirable: Specialist qualifications in chronic disease, cytology, travel medicine, prescribing, or mentorship.

Skills and Experience

• Essential: Minimum 5 years post-registration, 2 years in primary care, experience of chronic disease management, immunisations, cytology and wound care. Leadership and teaching experience, strong communication and organisational skills.

• Desirable: Experience in education, protocol implementation, team leadership, change management.

Behaviours

• Motivated, reliable, flexible, good team worker.

• Able to lead, mentor and manage under pressure.

• Commitment to professional development and equality.

Other Requirements

• Full driving licence and access to a car.

• Fitness to meet manual handling and travel demands.

• Ability to manage emotional and distressing situations.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• - Adult nursing qualification
• - Qualified to degree level
• - Clinical supervision training and experience
• - NMC adult nursing registration
• - Be subject to an enhanced CRB check with satisfactory outcome

Desirable

• - Holding or working towards qualifications in family planning, asthma, diabetes, CHD and cytology
• - Travel medicine qualification
• - Independent and/or supplementary nurse prescribing qualification
• - Community nursing specialist qualification or equivalent
• - Mentor/teaching qualification
• - Extended and supplementary prescribing qualification

Experience

Essential

• - Minimum 5 years post-registration experience
• - At least 2 years recent primary and community nursing experience
• - Understanding of the role of the practice nurse
• - Experience in nurse-led management of chronic conditions
• - Experience in implementing protocols and clinical guidelines
• - Clinical leadership skills
• - Skills in management of staff and teams
• - Good time management, punctual, able to manage and prioritise workload
• - Clinical skills: cervical cytology, immunisation and vaccination, wound care including ABPI
• - Change-management skills and ability to support patients to change lifestyle
• - Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• - Ability to work unsupervised
• - Ability to communicate difficult messages to patients and families
• - Teaching and mentorship experience in a clinical setting

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Len Valley Practice

Address

Groom Way

Lenham

Maidstone

Kent

ME17 2QF

Employer's website

https://www.lenvalleypractice.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)