Job summary
We are looking for a motivated senior nurse to join our Breast Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) as an integral member. In this role, you will provide expert advice and compassionate support to patients with breast cancer and their families, guiding them from diagnosis through treatment and follow-up care.
You will manage your own caseload, coordinate care, and ensure seamless communication across all professionals involved in the patient pathway. The postholder will also deliver specialist education to staff and patients, uphold national care standards, and act as a key worker to ensure patients receive essential information and support.
Additional responsibilities include meeting national data requirements and contributing to local and national audits.
If you are passionate about delivering exceptional, patient-centred care and making a meaningful impact in breast cancer services, we encourage you to apply.
Main duties of the job
Work collaboratively with all members of the MDT to ensure a seamless patient pathway from diagnosis through treatment and follow-up care.
Act as an autonomous practitioner, managing your own caseload while working closely with colleagues to deliver the highest standards of care for patients diagnosed with breast cancer.
Provide support and coordination for patients, families, and carers throughout all stages of the disease and treatment, using advanced communication skills to facilitate appropriate onward referrals.
Serve as the designated Breast Key Worker, acting as a primary point of contact for patients and their families.
Ensure completion of Macmillan Holistic Needs Assessments and Care Plans at key points in the cancer pathway, and liaise with allied health professionals to provide referrals and signposting to appropriate services.
Please refer to the attached Job Description for a full list of responsibilities.
About us
Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trustbelieves that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To act as point of contact and offer to be the Breast keyworker for patients and their families and carer.
Ensure the Macmillan Holistic Needs Assessments and Care Plans are completed for all patients at key points of their cancer treatment pathway. You will be required to liaise with and ensure referral and appropriate signposting onto allied health professionals and services as required.
To provide and offer a wide range of information and support to patients their family and/or carers at all stages of their cancer journey this includes access and utilisation of Information, Prescriptions, and signposting to the Whittington Health Macmillan Information space.
To competently act as the patients, advocate and assist patients in understanding their disease and treatments available to them, to enable them to make informed choices about their care.
Assist in the co-ordination of patient treatment pathways between the various departments in both primary and secondary care to facilitate continuity of care.
To attend the relevant Breast outpatient clinics. These include: One stop clinic and those where patients are given a cancer diagnosis.
To be a core member of the Breast MDT and attend the palliative care and site-specific MDTs where Breast patients are being discussed and as deemed appropriate.
To establish links and develop networking opportunities with Breast CNSs at other Trusts.
To support and assess all Breast cancer in-patients and liaise with ward staff and Consultants as deemed appropriate and provide a seamless approach to communication to enhance the patients pathway and experience.
To ensure that patients are referred onto other health care professionals and services to ensure a seamless, high-quality pathway of care for them, their families and carers.
To establish and maintain close working relationships with the Hospital and relevant Community Macmillan Palliative care teams.
To be responsible in ensuring accurate and comprehensive documentation in all patients notes which include the trusts EPR and Somerset Cancer database system.
To work as part of the MDTs core member and actively participate in the National Cancer Peer review process.
To regularly attend the Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist Forum and participate in the agreed projects/work streams as agreed by the group.
To provide CNS cover for cancer/Breast CNS colleagues during leave and absence.
To be competent in managing your own timetable and caseload. This includes managing any nurse-led clinics with minimal supervision from the Breast consultants. To ensure that robust Breast care patient tracking is completed in partnership with the MDT Coordinator.
To possess exemplary time management skills.
Please see the attached Job Description for a full list of main responsibilities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To act as point of contact and offer to be the Breast keyworker for patients and their families and carer.
Ensure the Macmillan Holistic Needs Assessments and Care Plans are completed for all patients at key points of their cancer treatment pathway. You will be required to liaise with and ensure referral and appropriate signposting onto allied health professionals and services as required.
To provide and offer a wide range of information and support to patients their family and/or carers at all stages of their cancer journey this includes access and utilisation of Information, Prescriptions, and signposting to the Whittington Health Macmillan Information space.
To competently act as the patients, advocate and assist patients in understanding their disease and treatments available to them, to enable them to make informed choices about their care.
Assist in the co-ordination of patient treatment pathways between the various departments in both primary and secondary care to facilitate continuity of care.
To attend the relevant Breast outpatient clinics. These include: One stop clinic and those where patients are given a cancer diagnosis.
To be a core member of the Breast MDT and attend the palliative care and site-specific MDTs where Breast patients are being discussed and as deemed appropriate.
To establish links and develop networking opportunities with Breast CNSs at other Trusts.
To support and assess all Breast cancer in-patients and liaise with ward staff and Consultants as deemed appropriate and provide a seamless approach to communication to enhance the patients pathway and experience.
To ensure that patients are referred onto other health care professionals and services to ensure a seamless, high-quality pathway of care for them, their families and carers.
To establish and maintain close working relationships with the Hospital and relevant Community Macmillan Palliative care teams.
To be responsible in ensuring accurate and comprehensive documentation in all patients notes which include the trusts EPR and Somerset Cancer database system.
To work as part of the MDTs core member and actively participate in the National Cancer Peer review process.
To regularly attend the Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist Forum and participate in the agreed projects/work streams as agreed by the group.
To provide CNS cover for cancer/Breast CNS colleagues during leave and absence.
To be competent in managing your own timetable and caseload. This includes managing any nurse-led clinics with minimal supervision from the Breast consultants. To ensure that robust Breast care patient tracking is completed in partnership with the MDT Coordinator.
To possess exemplary time management skills.
Please see the attached Job Description for a full list of main responsibilities.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- First level RGN registration
- Teaching qualification or extensive experience (e.g., ENB 998)
- Educated to degree level or currently pursuing a degree
- Relevant post-registration qualification in Breast care, oncology, or palliative care
- Evidence of recent professional development
- Experience in oncology at Band 6 level or above
Desirable
- Advanced communication skills training
- Counselling qualification preferred
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Proven ability to teach and educate nurses, allied health professionals (AHPs), and patients
- Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills
- Highly developed interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate teams
- Strong people management skills and leadership qualities
Desirable
- Evidence of innovation and change management skills
Knowledge and experience
Essential
- Experience working in the healthcare sector with a focus on oncology
- Up-to-date knowledge of cancer care
- Significant post-registration experience in oncology
- Understanding of the issues faced by cancer patients, families, and carers, along with their role in service development
- Breast care nursing experience
Desirable
- Knowledge of the Cancer Reform Strategy
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- First level RGN registration
- Teaching qualification or extensive experience (e.g., ENB 998)
- Educated to degree level or currently pursuing a degree
- Relevant post-registration qualification in Breast care, oncology, or palliative care
- Evidence of recent professional development
- Experience in oncology at Band 6 level or above
Desirable
- Advanced communication skills training
- Counselling qualification preferred
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Proven ability to teach and educate nurses, allied health professionals (AHPs), and patients
- Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills
- Highly developed interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate teams
- Strong people management skills and leadership qualities
Desirable
- Evidence of innovation and change management skills
Knowledge and experience
Essential
- Experience working in the healthcare sector with a focus on oncology
- Up-to-date knowledge of cancer care
- Significant post-registration experience in oncology
- Understanding of the issues faced by cancer patients, families, and carers, along with their role in service development
- Breast care nursing experience
Desirable
- Knowledge of the Cancer Reform Strategy
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
