Job summary
Screening Engagement Officer
Department: Diabetic Eye Screening
Fixed-term Contract/Secondment until the end of November 2026
Band 5 £31,049 - £37,796 per annum pro rata
Full-time 37.5 hours per week, all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working
We are thrilled to announce an exciting opportunity for a Screening Engagement Officer to support the Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP) and Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) from November 2025 for 12 months. This role is ideal for a passionate and driven professional who is committed to improving patient experience, reducing health inequalities, and promoting health through community engagement and collaboration.
We are a rapidly growing services and are committed to providing exceptional diabetic eye screening across the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes region (BLMK), and bowel cancer screening in Milton Keynes and South Buckinghamshire. Joining our team offers a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative and dynamic service, with significant opportunities for professional growth and development.
If this sounds like you will encourage you to apply and become a valued member of our team.
Interview date: 04.09.2025
Main duties of the job
- Working with partners, increase the visibility of the Bowel Screening and Diabetic Eye Screening Programmes, across all sectors. With a view to raising awareness of the importance of screening and promoting uptake. Ensuring that all GPs across the screening boundaries are reaching the associated targets within the screening programmes.
- Specifically target hard to reach groups to ensure an increased uptake across both programmes. This role will involve working with a specific focus on the underserved communities or seldom heard groups including those with learning disabilities, patients within areas of greater deprivation and non-responders. You will work closely with the Programme Manager in the implementation of appropriate outreach and engagement activities, working with and alongside the Trust's corporate Communications and Engagement team.
- The post-holder will also be responsible for a range of other communications and engagement activities including planning and organising engagement events, building relationships with public and stakeholder organisations, and advising and influencing senior figures on effective communications approaches to achieve the Trust's objectives.
- This individual will support the wider teams across the Core Clinical Division with a range of communication and engagement activities
- Collaborate with the Bedfordshire, MK Communications Team to support engagement across the Screening programmes and Core Clinical Division.
About us
"We Care We Communicate We Collaborate We Contribute"
"Administrative & Clerical staff feel supported with flexible working at MKUH, reporting 6.82 out of 10, and a 76% feel strongly about approaching their managers regarding flexible working"(NHS Staff Survey 2024).
You can expect a warm welcome at Milton Keynes University Hospital, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At MKUH we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:
- Free on-site parking
- Free tea and coffee
- Great flexible workingopportunities
- Discounted gym membership
- Lease car scheme
- Generous annual leave and pension scheme
- On site nursery (chargeable)
- Extensive staff health and well-being programme
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital; we conduct research and teaching on site to improve the care of our patients. The hospital is undergoing significant investment, and we are proud to be rated good by the CQC. Visit our website to catch up on our latest news.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The primary location for this role is MKUH, with travel required to surrounding areas.
The role will involve assisting the development of the BLMK Diabetic Eye Screening Programme and Buckinghamshire Bowel Cancer Screening Programme that are based across multiple sites. The successful candidate will be required to have excellent communication skills and experience in working with multi-disciplinary teams and able to maintain working and development professional relationships with key stakeholders.
The successful candidate will need to have excellent IT and communication skills and can work independently as well as in a team and be able to be flexible and work under pressure.
Engagement & communication:
- To engage in new and established engagement strategies and projects to ensure service equality in a wide diversity of patient cohorts, especially those in underserved communities.
Projects & events:
- Assist (the communications teams) with the development of a new dedicated BLMK Screening Programmes microsite and ensure this is kept up to date with any relevant programme updates and/or developments on an ongoing basis.
Audit, data & quality improvement:
- To conduct an ongoing health equity audit and screening inequalities action plan.
Please refer to the Job Description for further details
We believe success lies in the diversity of our employees and are committed to promoting equality, encouraging diversity and embracing inclusion. We welcome applications from everyone interested in working for us.
MKUH is committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and as such we offer a range of flexible working practices.
We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.
MKUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of MKUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.
By applying for this role, you accept if successful, that information from your application will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system. Your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which aims at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.
Upon commencing employment with the Trust, all employees (except Medical & Dental Staff on national terms and conditions) are subject to a probationary period lasting a period of six months with an option to extend for a further six months to a total of 12 months.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The primary location for this role is MKUH, with travel required to surrounding areas.
The role will involve assisting the development of the BLMK Diabetic Eye Screening Programme and Buckinghamshire Bowel Cancer Screening Programme that are based across multiple sites. The successful candidate will be required to have excellent communication skills and experience in working with multi-disciplinary teams and able to maintain working and development professional relationships with key stakeholders.
The successful candidate will need to have excellent IT and communication skills and can work independently as well as in a team and be able to be flexible and work under pressure.
Engagement & communication:
- To engage in new and established engagement strategies and projects to ensure service equality in a wide diversity of patient cohorts, especially those in underserved communities.
Projects & events:
- Assist (the communications teams) with the development of a new dedicated BLMK Screening Programmes microsite and ensure this is kept up to date with any relevant programme updates and/or developments on an ongoing basis.
Audit, data & quality improvement:
- To conduct an ongoing health equity audit and screening inequalities action plan.
Please refer to the Job Description for further details
We believe success lies in the diversity of our employees and are committed to promoting equality, encouraging diversity and embracing inclusion. We welcome applications from everyone interested in working for us.
MKUH is committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and as such we offer a range of flexible working practices.
We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.
MKUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of MKUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.
By applying for this role, you accept if successful, that information from your application will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system. Your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which aims at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.
Upon commencing employment with the Trust, all employees (except Medical & Dental Staff on national terms and conditions) are subject to a probationary period lasting a period of six months with an option to extend for a further six months to a total of 12 months.
Person Specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential
- Educated to degree-level or equivalent experience within patient involvement, community engagement or communications/PR.
- Understanding of equality and diversity issues and how this affects patients, particularly its impact of screening take up.
- Awareness of general and cultural issues and how they relate to underserved communities and seldom heard groups.
- Awareness of the linguistic and cultural backgrounds of targeted groups.
- Knowledge of media / communication issues.
- Understanding of organisational branding.
Desirable
- Understanding of communication tools and platforms.
- Knowledge and skills in market research
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with under-represented or seldom heard groups.
- Experience of involving and working with a wide variety of public stakeholders such as patients, carers and community groups.
- Experience of organising events and conducting presentations.
- Experience of working with senior managers.
- Experience of producing information materials, e.g newsletters, leaflets, posters.
- Experience of developing and maintaining working relationships with community / voluntary groups
Desirable
- Experience of working within the diverse communities served
- Experience of working with healthcare professionals and patients in primary and/or secondary care at all levels.
- Experience of undertaking Health Equity Audits
Skills
Essential
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills, including ability to digest information and draft copy for a variety of platforms to engage a range of audiences.
- Ability to present accurate and precise information, from small local third sector agencies to board level.
- Excellent planning and organisation skills.
- Flexible / ability to work under pressure according to workload.
- Excellent IT skills including the use of Microsoft Office, and web content management skills.
- Ability to work as part of a team and independently.
- Confident, well-organised, flexible, and composed, able to pick up a brief and develop understanding of new topics quickly.
- Self-motivated, robust, and results-orientated and able to motivate and enthuse others.
- Able to build relationships and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders.
Personal and people development
Essential
- Resilient and able to work in a high-pressure environment, producing content to a high standard.
- Flexible and enthusiastic.
- Proactive and self-starting
Communication
Essential
- Effective communication skills in a multidisciplinary team.
- Efficient at managing high volumes of email and other communications.
- Able to represent the organisation effectively on the telephone and face to face.
- Is able to adapt communication to appropriate audiences and ensure inclusive approaches to communication (inclusive of patients).
Specific requirements
Essential
- Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations.
- Willingness and ability to travel to all trust sites and partner organisations using own transport arrangements.
- Car driver and owner essential - you must have a full driving licence.
- Flexibility to work occasional evenings and weekends, as required.
Person Specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential
- Educated to degree-level or equivalent experience within patient involvement, community engagement or communications/PR.
- Understanding of equality and diversity issues and how this affects patients, particularly its impact of screening take up.
- Awareness of general and cultural issues and how they relate to underserved communities and seldom heard groups.
- Awareness of the linguistic and cultural backgrounds of targeted groups.
- Knowledge of media / communication issues.
- Understanding of organisational branding.
Desirable
- Understanding of communication tools and platforms.
- Knowledge and skills in market research
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with under-represented or seldom heard groups.
- Experience of involving and working with a wide variety of public stakeholders such as patients, carers and community groups.
- Experience of organising events and conducting presentations.
- Experience of working with senior managers.
- Experience of producing information materials, e.g newsletters, leaflets, posters.
- Experience of developing and maintaining working relationships with community / voluntary groups
Desirable
- Experience of working within the diverse communities served
- Experience of working with healthcare professionals and patients in primary and/or secondary care at all levels.
- Experience of undertaking Health Equity Audits
Skills
Essential
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills, including ability to digest information and draft copy for a variety of platforms to engage a range of audiences.
- Ability to present accurate and precise information, from small local third sector agencies to board level.
- Excellent planning and organisation skills.
- Flexible / ability to work under pressure according to workload.
- Excellent IT skills including the use of Microsoft Office, and web content management skills.
- Ability to work as part of a team and independently.
- Confident, well-organised, flexible, and composed, able to pick up a brief and develop understanding of new topics quickly.
- Self-motivated, robust, and results-orientated and able to motivate and enthuse others.
- Able to build relationships and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders.
Personal and people development
Essential
- Resilient and able to work in a high-pressure environment, producing content to a high standard.
- Flexible and enthusiastic.
- Proactive and self-starting
Communication
Essential
- Effective communication skills in a multidisciplinary team.
- Efficient at managing high volumes of email and other communications.
- Able to represent the organisation effectively on the telephone and face to face.
- Is able to adapt communication to appropriate audiences and ensure inclusive approaches to communication (inclusive of patients).
Specific requirements
Essential
- Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations.
- Willingness and ability to travel to all trust sites and partner organisations using own transport arrangements.
- Car driver and owner essential - you must have a full driving licence.
- Flexibility to work occasional evenings and weekends, as required.
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.
