Rheumatology Specialist Nurse

Overview

Rheumatology Specialist Nurse – band 7, based at Southport DGH, working across the MWL sites. Applicants must have the non-medical prescribing course and knowledge/experience of rheumatology conditions and treatments. Closing date: 24 July 2026.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a band 7 specialist Rheumatology nurse to join the team based at Southport DGH working across the MWL sites. You will require to have the non-medical prescribing course and have knowledge /experience of Rheumatology conditions/treatments.

To provide a high standard of care to rheumatology patients, by using the appropriate skills and knowledge in order to deliver the prescribed treatment and care for patients in an individual and sensitive manner. This will involve the planning, co-ordinating, delivering and evaluating nurse-led services for rheumatology patients and carers. This includes the nursing assessment and treatment of patients within the rheumatology speciality, who may have difficult acute and/or chronic presentations, to meet their physical, psychological and social needs throughout their illness within the hospital and community.

To participate in all aspects of the care of rheumatology patients requiring treatment with rheumatological therapies, including patient education, data collection and drug administration.

• To take responsibility for education of patients and carers with rheumatological conditions.
• To ensure safe prescribing and monitoring of Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDs).
• To work collaboratively with nurse specialists, other members of MDT team and consultant rheumatologists to optimise patient care.
• To work with the Day unit Team in providing holistic care for patients who attend the department to receive treatments.
• To assist with the education of these patients and carers, including the administration and monitoring of Rheumatological treatments.
• The post holder will be required to demonstrate good IT skills to input data and maintain the departmental databases.
• To be part of the training programme for Rheumatology nurses.
• The Rheumatology department is based at Southport DGH and offers outpatient services to patients who attend with rheumatological conditions.
• The nurses are based at Southport, working across MWL outpatient departments

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

Our services:

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme.

KEY DUTIES

• Develop and extend scope of professional practice to include venepuncture, cannulation and the administration of rheumatological therapies in line with NMC, National and Trust policies.
• To undertake the day to day running of the day unit clinics including logistics, admissions and discharge, arranging appointments for treatments, infusions or education.
• To collect data required for the British Society of Rheumatology Register for these therapies.
• To co-ordinate the prescribing of these therapies, including…