Job summary
We have a new and exciting opportunity for Band 6 Palliative Nurse Specialists to join the Access Community Nurse Specialist Team here at St Peters Hospice, Brentry.

The Access CNS Team work between 07:45 and 20:00, 7 days a week to manage the clinical Advice Line, taking calls from external healthcare professionals, patients and their families.

The team also lead our new, nurse led outpatient clinics, assessing patients who are well enough to attend an appointment in Brentry.

As a specialist nurse working at the forefront of the hospice, you will be a key resource, providing evidence based, contemporary support and advice.
You will need knowledge and experience of palliative care, excellent communication skills, the ability to confidently and dynamically prioritise an unpredictable workload and a passion to continuously improve and develop.

Main duties of the job
Whilst working predominantly autonomously, you will have the support of the wider hospice team, regular clinical supervision and exposure to wider teaching and development of your skills/knowledge.

Working as a Palliative Access Community Nurse Specialist requires a core skill set

• Holistic assessment via phone and face to face within our outpatient clinics
• Problem solving, decision making, symptom control and prescribing advice
• Advance care planning and completion of Respect plus
• Joint working / signposting with internal and external MDT

The team work a mix of long and short shifts over 7 days.

We can offer either full time or 30 hours per week.

You will be given excellent support to develop your nursing skills into a specialist role. There are opportunities for professional development and specialist training in palliative care, including Physical Assessment and Clinical Reasoning and Independent Prescribing.

For further information or to arrange an informal visit, please contact Cate Robbins, Lead Nurse Specialist - Access and Community Teams at cate.robbins@stpetershospice.org (01275 391438) or Maddie Muston, Access CNS team lead at madeline.muston@stpetershospice.org (0117 9159462)

Closing Date for Applications: Thurs 16 July 2026
Interview Date: Wed 29 July 2026

About us
We've spent over 40 years helping people die in peace, and with dignity. Combining compassion with clinical expertise, we provide patients with the best possible care at the end of their lives.

We're here for the people around our patients too those closest to them. Before, during and after a bereavement, we provide support that's remembered forever.

We think it's that unforgettable support that inspires people to give back to St Peters. To fundraise for us. Donate. Volunteer. We're not exaggerating when we say that we couldn't do what we do without our wonderful supporters. We really can't thank them enough.

We want to help many more people to die well. And we're doing this by teaching others. As a centre of educational excellence, we share our skills with other health professionals, helping the NHS and care homes to provide better end-of-life care.

We're here for all, for free, forever.

The Benefits
If you join our clinical team, we offer NHS Agenda for Change benefits such as:

• NHS equivalent salaries
• Generous holiday entitlement and recognition for previous NHS service (up to 33 days for 10 years' service)
• Continuation in the NHS pension scheme for existing members
• Recognition of previous NHS service for sick pay

Job responsibilities
The Access Community Nurse Specialist is an expert in ensuring high quality palliative care is delivered to patients and their families. They possess specialist knowledge and skills in physical symptom control, social, emotional and spiritual care. They work both independently and as part of the wider healthcare team.
The role includes:

• Skilled holistic assessment, both remote and during face-to-face outpatient clinics, to effectively identify the needs of patients and those close to them.
• Skilled, specialist palliative telephone advice and support to patients, relatives, carers and external professionals, escalating to the hospice multidisciplinary team and external services as appropriate.
• Assessing urgent clinical referrals and self-referrals to St Peters Hospice, effectively identifying patient and family members needs including levels of urgency.

Self and carer referrals

• Work collaboratively with clinical and administrative colleagues in managing self-referrals; providing a responsive and patient-centred service.
• Assess the appropriateness and urgency of self and carer referrals, seeking further information and advice as appropriate

Core Clinical Responsibilities

• Take and analyse a clinical history in a relevant, succinct and logical manner either remotely or face to face
• Independently assess the patients needs, identify their priorities and work with the patient and those close to them towards achieving them
• Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the options for achieving control of symptoms and the ability to make safe clinical decisions and offer advice to the primary health care team
• Provide information to patients, taking account of their individual needs, taking advice from those who are close to them, colleagues and external professionals where appropriate
• Refer to other members of the hospice multi-professional team.
• Refer/signpost patients and carers to other health and social care professionals where appropriate
• Demonstrate an ability to explore the personal resources of families/carers to facilitate where possible that patients are cared for in the place of their choice
• Support and coach carers at home in managing a relative whose condition is deteriorating
• Recognise and manage palliative care emergencies
• Bring closure to the nurse-patient relationship and provide for a safe transition to another care provider as appropriate
• Act as a resource to other professionals, both internally and externally, on specialist palliative care and end of life care issues
• Be involved with and support MDT meetings when required
• Deputise for team leader
• Work collaboratively with clinical and administrative colleagues to provide a responsive and patient-centred service
• Recognise the impact of caring for dying patients on yourself, internal and external colleagues and offer / seek support

Potential Additional Clinical Responsibilities
The post holder may undertake additional responsibilities when they have passed the relevant module and using the skills in current practice, as below.

In addition, to practice Non-Medical Prescribing, the post holder must be registered as a Non-Medical Prescriber with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Current NMC registration
• Relevant qualification at degree level (or equivalent)
• Communication skills training, or willingness to undertake

Desirable

• Valid UK driving licence
• Mentoring training
• Experience of teaching
• Non-medical prescribing, or willingness to undertake
• Physical assessment and clinical reasoning, or willingness to undertake

Experience
Essential

• Minimum 2 years post registration
• Recent significant palliative care experience

Desirable

• Experience of using EMIS database

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. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).