Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

Clinical Nurse Specialist - Sarcoma

The closing date is 25 November 2026

Job summary
Sarcoma Clinical Nurse Specialist
This is an exciting opportunity to join our well established Soft tissue sarcoma service as a Macmillan funded professional.

The post holder will work as an important member of the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and the wider Sarcoma Multidisciplinary Team. The role requires collaboration with a range of health care providers in both the local community and across regional networks. The post holder will provide highly developed specialist nursing advice and support to patients (in-patient and out-patient) and their carers/families throughout their sarcoma pathway.

The role will improve quality of care and patient experience by ensuring personalised care that is organised around the patient, and care is well coordinated across the health and care settings.

The Sarcoma CNS will utilise skills of leadership, advanced clinical expertise, specialist education and management to ensure a seamless service for patients, carers and staff. They will provide highly complex advice, support and information from referral, through investigation, diagnosis, treatment and follow up.

They will work closely with the multidisciplinary team in hospital and the community to ensure a co-ordinated quality service and will be actively involved in education, audit and research.

Central to the CNS role is advocating for patients throughout their sarcoma pathway.

Main duties of the job

• To ensure that all patients and families are aware of all treatment options, including clinical trials.
• To work as patient advocate, to help negotiate the patient journey and ensure optimum care is provided to each patient.
• To expertly deliver highly complex sensitive condition related information to patients and relatives.
• To provide specialist support and advice in clinical areas, wards and outpatients, to optimise quality improvement opportunities.
• Triaging of new suspected sarcoma referrals to the sarcoma service.
• Follow up confirmed Sarcoma cancer patients to assess for signs of recurrent and metastatic disease.
• Instruct patients in self-examination for Sarcoma recurrence.
• Provide specialist assessment, planning and delivery of care for Sarcoma patients across the region to obtain the best possible outcomes and patient experience.
• Provide clinical leadership and act as a "key worker" for everyone living with sarcoma in their caseload and ensure that each persona receives a high standard of care.
• Key member of the sarcoma multi-disciplinary team advocating for patients, ensuring that the MDT is responsive to patients needs and preferences and communicating with the patient.
• Supporting patients at consultant led clinic with specialist information, emotional and psychological support and intervention.

About us
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Details

• Pay scheme: Agenda for change, Band 7
• Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year, per annum, pro rata for part time roles
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: 339-ASCR7256-DJF
• Job location: Southmead Hospital, Southmead Road, Bristol, BS10 5NB

Job responsibilities

• Facilitate a smooth transition of care between referring teams, other providers and primary care leading to a more joined up approach to the patient experience through partnership working between services.
• Provide an information resource, education and practical support for patients, their families and health professionals.
• Influence through leadership the development of knowledge, ideas and work practices throughout the region.
• Work in collaboration with other clinical teams and with community and primary services across the cancer pathway to improve services and patient access, in order to improve the experience and outcomes for people with cancer.
• Share knowledge and expertise with the MDT, primary, tertiary and community services to improve other health and social care professionals understanding of sarcoma and the needs of people with sarcoma.

Education & Research

• To collate and record quantitative and qualitative data that provides evidence of productivity, outcomes and quality, through audit and research.
• To regularly lead on and participate in clinical audit and research.
• To lead on and participate in the planning and delivery of formal and informal specialist education programmes for patients, carers and all staff.
• To lead on and participate in education forums locally and nationally.
• To ensure that professional knowledge and practice is regularly updated.
• To take personal responsibility for life-long learning and personal development.

Management and Leadership

• To lead on policy and service development within a multidisciplinary team context.
• To lead on the development and implementation of protocols for specialist area of work and for the wider healthcare community served by North Bristol Trust.
• To be responsible for the gathering, analysis and evaluation of patient and other feedback to inform ongoing improvement in the patient experience in specialist area.
• To plan the provision of day-to-day organisational tasks for self and others.
• To manage a highly complex caseload based on flexible principles, priorities and the care needs of patients.
• To lead on responding to complaints and queries, and have a working awareness of the North Bristol NHS Trusts complaints procedure.
• To maintain accurate and concise records that produce statistical data for the purpose of evaluation and development of the service.
• To keep accurate and up to date patient records.
• To act as a change agent, using skills that will motivate and reassure staff through negotiation and training, to facilitate the change process.

Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential

• Registered General Nurse - Level One and current NMC registration
• Degree level qualification in relevant subject
• Evidence of study at Masters level in relevant subjects or willingness to work towards
• Evidence of formal ongoing professional development

Desirable

• Specialist training in relevant cancer speciality
• Communication skills training at level 3 or equivalent

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Essential

• Specialist knowledge of the care of patients with cancer, underpinned by theory and clinical experience
• Knowledge of national and local developments in relation to faster diagnosis and personalised care and support
• Up-to-date understanding of national sarcoma service guidance
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills in dealing with patients, relatives and colleagues
• Excellent skills for assessing specialist, acute and other patient conditions and deciding on the appropriate course of action
• Skills in judgement and decision making. Ability to work effectively within a team and independently.
• Excellent organisational skills. Computer literate, able to use databases and other relevant programmes

Desirable

• Specialist knowledge of cancer related treatments
• Proven presentation and teaching skills

Personal Qualities
Essential

• To be a role model for excellence in cancer care
• Self motivated and ability to work without direct supervision
• Ability to maintain relationships with colleagues within the Trust and other organisations
• Flexibility, adaptability to meet needs of a changing service
• Ability to cope with highly complex emotional issues presented in the course of work, and to support others
• Demonstrates ability to prioritise and plan individual workload

Experience
Essential

• Significant post registration experience in caring for patients with cancer
• Experience of leading and undertaking audit and/or research projects
• Leadership experience
• Experience of problem solving and delivering a patient centered service

Desirable

• Evidence of recent teaching experience
• Experience of leading and involvement in change and development within a multidisciplinary team context

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
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.

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Southmead Hospital, Southmead Road, Bristol, BS10 5NB, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.uhbw.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Clinical Matron, Nicola Mackey, Nicola.Mackey1@nhs.net

Date posted: 11 November 2026
Reference number: 339-ASCR7256-DJF

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.