Community Diabetes Specialist Nurse or AHP
Department: Medicine - Internal - Milton Keynes Integrated Diabetes Service (MKIDS)
Band: 7
Hours: 37.5, all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working

Due to successful expansion, a new post has become available. We are looking for a highly motivated, forward-thinking nurse to join our Integrated Diabetes Service, based in the community. Our team is committed to providing safe, effective, and compassionate complex diabetes care closer to home, while continually improving the quality of our services.

We are a small, friendly team seeking an approachable team player with experience and knowledge in diabetes who is eager to learn and develop further.

This role offers flexible working, including the opportunity to work from home one day per week in line with Trust policy and service needs. As a Diabetes Specialist Nurse (DSN), you will manage your own caseload with administrative support and have the flexibility to manage your own diary and appointments, with one fixed clinic day per week.

There is also an opportunity to train as a DESMOND educator and to undertake bank work delivering structured education sessions. This role would suit an experienced Diabetes Specialist Nurse looking for a new challenge or career progression, an experienced Practice Nurse wishing to specialise in diabetes, or a District Nurse or Acute Nurse keen to develop into a diabetes specialist development role.

Main duties of the job

• Provide specialist, evidence-based nursing care to support and facilitate high-quality, individualised care for people living with diabetes and their families/carers
• Manage a community diabetes caseload (out-patients and housebound), applying advanced diabetes knowledge and skills to support individuals with complex needs.
• Provide virtual, telephone and email advice to patients, primary care, and other healthcare professionals.
• Contribute to the domiciliary service across Milton Keynes and undertake joint visits for patients with very complex needs where an assessment visit to their home will help inform the management plan (housebound patients) through mutual agreed between the practice and the provider.
• Liaise with community nursing, allied health care professionals and ambulance crews across Milton Keynes specific to patient diabetes care.
• Deputise for the Lead DSN as appropriate on day to day operational issues as appropriate.
• Hold a valid UK driving license and be willing to drive between sites and undertake home visits.

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.

Job responsibilities

• To demonstrate a professional approach to the leadership and management of the in-patient, outpatient and community diabetes service.
• Assumes accountability and responsibility for practice and along with the members of the healthcare team, strives to attain the highest standard of practice.
• To be recognised as the clinical expert for diabetes representing the acute trust to external agencies. To be able to disseminate appropriate information to others across the acute trust.
• To provide a seven-day service to persons with Diabetes (PWD).
• To provide a seamless service for those who are vulnerable i.e. during pregnancy and young adults.

Clinical Expertise & Patient Care

Inpatient Care
Provide expert assessment, diagnosis, and interventions for inpatients with complex diabetes presentations. Triage and manage inpatient diabetes referrals, responding to clinical priorities and acuity.

Outpatient Care
Deliver autonomous specialist diabetes care in outpatient clinics. Receive referrals, triage, and review appropriate referrals. Provide care in specialist clinics including insulin pump therapy, antenatal diabetes, pre-conception care and diabetes technologies.

NonMedical Prescribing (NMP)
Independently prescribe diabetes medications within the scope of practice. Adjust medication following assessment and interpretation of diabetes data. Promote evidence-based prescribing and medication safety.

Nurse/Patient relationships

• Demonstrates and establishes a relationship of trust with patients, carers and families.
• Demonstrates expertise when dealing with complex patients with co-morbid conditions and their families who require new skills to live with a long term condition.

Person Specification

Qualifications and knowledge
Essential

• RGN
• Degree or Diploma in Diabetes Care
• Teaching Qualification
• Evidence of further education and experience of relevant aspects of diabetes care.

Desirable

• Independent Non-medical prescriber

Experience
Essential

• Experience of a Band 6 or equivalent in area of specialisation
• Experience of developing and influencing changing clinical practice
• Evidence of teaching

Desirable

• Audit awareness

Skills
Essential

• Excellent management skills of self and others
• Demonstrates evidence of Team working
• Ability to facilitate the management of change
• Ability to delegate appropriately
• IT skills
• Ability to work within a Multidisciplinary Team
• Evidence of leadership skills
• Risk management and Clinical Governance experience
• Teaching skills
• Work autonomously

Personal and people development
Essential

• Ability to be flexible and work on own initiative
• Motivated and Positive; Self directed and committed
• Good interpersonal skills
• Provide training to staff as required

Communication
Essential

• Proven excellent communication skills to include different ways of communicating.
• Ability to adapt communication styles to be appropriate for the situation

Specific requirements
Essential

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

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.