Advanced Practitioner Heart Failure/Palliative Care

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical Nurse Specialist Heart Failure & Palliative Care

We are looking for a Full Time Band 7 (37.5hrs /week) covering Croydon to join our community teams as Heart Failure/ Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialists

Are you a compassionate, forward-thinking nurse with expertise in heart failure and a passion for delivering excellent palliative care? We are looking for an experienced Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) with both heart failure and palliative care experience to join our dynamic & innovative multidisciplinary team to offer exceptional and integrated care to people living with, and dying from advanced heart failure. 

About the Role

As a CNS in Heart Failure & Palliative Care, you will play a pivotal role in working as part of an integrated service to support patients and their families with end stage heart failure. You will work autonomously and collaboratively across hospice and community settings, ensuring timely assessment, personalised care planning, and symptom management that prioritises quality of life.

In 2017 Bromley CCG & St Christophers Community Palliative Care Team (Bromley) piloted a very successful and innovative integrated community palliative care / heart failure service crossing boundaries, & working collaboratively in the community and with the local hospital Heart Failure Team (PRUH). This work has continued with the appointment of a substantive Heart Failure/Palliative Care CNS in our Bromley Community Team, & we have now acquired funding for a full-time post in our Croydon community team & a part time post to support our Lambeth/Southwark & Lewisham Community Teams. The focus of the service is to provide seamless, joined up care to support heart failure patients (thought to be in the palliative phase of their life) in the community to reduce their symptom burden and consequently improve their quality of life by reducing the need for hospital admission.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide specialist, evidence-based assessment and management for patients with advanced heart failure.
• Deliver high-quality palliative and supportive care, including symptom control, advance care planning, and complex communication.
• Lead on holistic reviews, optimise therapies, and ensure safe transitions across care pathways.
• Work closely with cardiology, palliative medicine, primary care, advanced practitioners, and the wider multidisciplinary teams.
• Offer education, support, and clinical expertise to patients, families, and healthcare professionals.
• Contribute to service development, quality improvement, and innovation in heart failure and palliative care services.

About You

We are looking for a nurse who is:

• NMC registered with significant post-registration experience in cardiology, heart failure, palliative care, or long-term condition management.
• Skilled in holistic assessment, symptom management, and complex decision-making.
• Confident working autonomously and able to prioritise a diverse caseload.
• An excellent communicator, able to provide compassionate support during challenging discussions.
• Passionate about improving services and delivering outstanding patient-centred care.

What We Offer

• A supportive, forward-thinking team committed to development and innovation.
• Opportunities for specialist training, leadership development, and continued professional education.
• Flexible working arrangements where possible.
• The chance to truly make a difference to patients with life-limiting cardiac conditions.

How to Apply

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Fiona Hodson Nurse Consultant Heart Failure & Bromley Virtual Ward 07899924016 

Please have a look at our website for further information on all aspects of St Christophers at www.stchristophers.org.uk and to apply for this position, please click the Apply Online button below.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Desirable

• Registered General Nurse

Experience

Desirable

• Relevant post registration experience, at Band 6 or above, in heart failure care and palliative care

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

St Christopher’s Hospice

Address

St Christopher's - Sydenham

51-59 Lawrie Park Road

Sydenham

London

SE26 6DZ

Employer's website

https://www.stchristophers.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)