Job summary
Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
Department: Cancer Services
Band 6, £39,959 - £48,117 per annum, pro rata
Hours: Part-time 30 hours per week, all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working

This is a very exciting opportunity to become a pivotal member of the Specialist cancer CNS team at MKUH cancer Centre. The post holder will be responsible for the Upper GI, HPB and CUP Cancer CNS support pathways, working closely with the MDT team across gastroenterology and oncology services, following patients through their cancer diagnosis and treatment pathways.

The post holder will be a registered nurse with demonstratable expert knowledge and clinical skills within cancer management and will have worked with patients and families providing holistic support and understanding the importance is both medical and psychological care. They will be demonstrating the highest standard of advanced supportive care in the management of patients with an UGI, HPB and CUP cancer and provide patient focused care as well as contributing to the improvement of service delivery.

"We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute"

Interview date: 16 October 2026

Main duties of the job

• To assist the site specific Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and Advance Clinical Practitioners (ACP) of the site-specific MDT in providing information and support to individuals diagnosed with cancer and their families through the holistic assessment, planning, delivery & evaluation of care.
• To ensure that patients with site specific cancers experience seamless and timely transitions between primary, secondary, tertiary and palliative care through effective liaison and referral to appropriate health care professionals and other agencies. Make the care your patient your first concern, treating them as individuals and respecting their dignity. To also maintain a high standard of care and practice at all times.
• To be an effective core member of the site specific MDT with responsibilities reflected in the relevant NICE Improving Outcomes Guidance and National Cancer Quality Measures
• To effectively communicate with patients, and to their families, carers, other health professionals at all times whilst maintaining their right to privacy and dignity. To be a reliable source of support within the limitations of the role. To be able to demonstrate compassion and empathy. To be open and honest, act with integrity and uphold the reputation of your profession.

About us
Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a "Good" rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.

As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.

We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre. We have just opened the Oak Wards - a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards.

Further investment is underway, including the recently approved Women and Children's Centre, set to open by 2030.

Visit our website to explore the latest news and opportunities at MKUH - News - Milton Keynes University Hospital -

For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes

Details
Date posted
25 September 2026

Pay scheme
Agenda for change

Band
Band 6

Salary
£39,959 to £48,117 a year
per annum pro rata

Contract
Permanent

Working pattern
Part-time

Reference number
430-CC26-1179A

Job locations
Cancer Nurse Practitioners (Dept)
Milton Keynes
MK6 5LD
United Kingdom

Job description
Job responsibilities
They need to be functioning well in a team setting as well as under their own initiative and who can respond to changing service priorities with this patient group. They will be responsible for working as an autonomous expert practitioner with support of the senior CNS team, able to make critical holistic clinical decisions through assessment, monitoring and planning. Facilitating timely investigations, coordinating care & providing information to enable patients to make informed choices. A highly proportion of our patients diagnosed with UGI cancer have palliative diagnosis therefore the post holder will need to be prepared for the distressing nature of this role and have mechanisms in place to manage their psychological wellbeing.

The post holder will assist senior CNS with operational responsibility for the Upper GI, HPB and CUP cancer CNS workload and support the wider MDT team on group and individual activities surrounding patients and family care. They will have excellent communication skills, strong leadership, management, and interpersonal skills with the ability to drive change to ensure that the cancer service in the Trust is both safe and effective. The post holder will be a highly visible presence across the specialty, they will work to ensure the highest standards of care, setting and maintaining standards of clinical excellence and continuously improving experiences for patients, families and carers. You will deliver and support high standards and quality of clinical care both as a direct care giver and indirectly through the support and education of the wider workforce.

This rapidly expanding modern and busy unit offers many training opportunities for their staff and, recent developments have led to opening of a new Cancer Centre which opened in early 2020 and a radiotherapy unit opened early 2025 in partnership with Oxford University Hospital. This developing service is supported by a forward thinking & supportive Management Team, Nurse Practitioners, Palliative Care Team & Macmillan Information and Support Centre. We firmly believe in holistic care, complementary therapy, clinical psychology and Citizen Advice Bureau all have clinics in the unit. We also offer carers and patient support groups.

Opportunities to develop professionally and personally. Disclosure and Barring Service Checks may be required for new employees. Milton Keynes is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. If you have experience in upper GI, HPB and CUP clinical nursing, we welcome your application

Nurse - Patient Relationship:

• Tosupport and advise hospital nursing staff, medical staff and other healthcare professionals, enabling them to fulfil their role in caring for patients with Cancer whilst also recognising the needs of their families and carers.
• To establish a relationship of trust with patients, carers and families.

Management of Patient health/illness status:

• To act as a Nurse Specialist in the management of patient illness, demonstrating evidence based clinical skills and knowledge to professional staff and patients.
• To work collaboratively with other clinicians involved in the delivery of cancer care to achieve evidence based best practice.

Education:

• Identify the ongoing training and educational needs of patients, their carers and their families in relation to the prevention, treatment and management of Cancer.
• To provide guidance and advice to promote health, reduce risk factions and prevent disease disability.

Professional role:

• To workwith the ACP/CNS to analyse and interpret national recommendations, i.e. NICE guidance and formulate action plans to achieve compliance from a nursing perspective.
• To work with the ACP/CNS to review public health data / information in evaluating patients needs, pattern of disease and effectiveness of interventions / programme of care.

Operational:

• Demonstrates clinical skills and knowledge in the assessment, planning and development of the Cancer service.
• Assist the ACP/Lead CNS in business and management strategies for the provision of quality care in Cancer and the efficient use of resources.

Personal Development:

• To maintain own personal and professional growth through participating in annual review, with their appraiser identifying their development needs and implementing a personal development plan.
• Demonstrate evidence-based care.

Please refer to the Job Description for further details.

Person Specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential

• RGN Adult
• Diploma/degree or working at advanced level
• Mentorship

Desirable

• Cancer Course/modules (degree level)

Experience
Essential

• Post registration experience in in Cancer
• Experience of Care for patients with Cancer/ oncology
• Team leading experience
• Balancing and prioritizing care and staffing needs
• Experience in educating & training staff

Skills
Essential

• Ability to delegate appropriately and recognise own & others competence & role boundaries
• IT skills-use of email & clinical databases
• Leadership and management experience
• Team awareness and ability to view the wider picture
• Awareness of current issues in nursing
• Ability to facilitate & support the development of innovative nursing practice

Desirable

• Assertiveness

Personal and people development
Essential

• Ability to be flexible, to have flair and initiative to be able to work within & manage a team
• Motivated, positive - self-directed and committed.
• Proactive
• Able to deliver and receive constructive feedback

Communication
Essential

• Advanced clear style
• Self-awareness and diplomacy
• Aware of impact of own words/style
• Excellent written and documentation style

Specific requirements
Essential

• Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations

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
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address
Cancer Nurse Practitioners (Dept)
Milton Keynes
MK6 5LD
United Kingdom

Employer's website
https://www.mkuh.nhs.uk/working-at-mkuh (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Lead Cancer Nurse
Emelda Moos
Emelda.Moos@mkuh.nhs.uk

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.
Applicants must have current UK professional registration.