Band 7 Head & Neck Macmillan Cancer Nurse Specialist Team Lead

We have an exciting opportunity to join University Hospitals of Northamptonshire as a Band 7 Head & Neck Macmillan Cancer Nurse Specialist Team Lead on a permanent, full‑time basis. We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated nurse with a passion for head and neck cancer care, who can provide strong clinical leadership within a specialist cancer service. Working as an autonomous practitioner, you will lead the Head & Neck Macmillan Cancer Nurse Specialist Team, managing a complex caseload of patients with head and neck cancer.

You will ensure patients have timely access to expert symptom management, psychological support, information and advice, while working collaboratively with the wider multidisciplinary team. The post involves cross‑site working between Kettering General Hospital and Northampton General Hospital, and close working across ENT, Maxillofacial and Oncology services at both sites to ensure coordinated, high‑quality care throughout the patient pathway. You will have clinical support from the Band 8a Head & Neck Advanced Clinical Practitioner and provide clinical leadership for the Head & Neck Macmillan Cancer Nurse Specialist Team, supporting high standards of care and professional development.

You will work as an autonomous practitioner, independently assessing, planning and managing care for patients with head and neck cancer across the pathway; manage a complex specialist caseload, delivering expert symptom management, psychosocial support, information and advice to patients and their families; coordinate and deliver care across ENT, Maxillofacial and Oncology services, ensuring seamless multidisciplinary working at both hospital sites;

lead and contribute to multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings, advocating for patients and ensuring holistic needs are addressed; provide expert clinical advice and support to colleagues across inpatient and outpatient settings; support service development and quality improvement, contributing to audit, guideline development and pathway redesign; act as a resource for education and training, supporting learning for nursing staff, AHPs and the wider MDT;

ensure effective cross‑site working between Kettering General Hospital and Northampton General Hospital to maintain continuity of care; and maintain accurate documentation and contribute to clinical governance, risk management and compliance with national and local standards.

Northampton General Hospital is one of the largest employers in the area and we are on an exciting journey. All of our divisions are committed to doing things better, with more efficiency as we update, modernise, and advance. We have also entered into a Group Model with neighbouring Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and become University Hospitals of Northamptonshire.

• Compassion
• Accountability
• Respect
• Integrity
• Courage

• Provide clinical leadership and day‑to‑day coordination of the Head & Neck Macmillan CNS Team.
• Support and supervise CNS colleagues, promoting professional development, reflective practice and high‑quality care.
• Escalate clinical, operational and workforce issues appropriately to the Band 8a Head & Neck Advanced Clinical Practitioner.
• Contribute to workforce planning, service sustainability and cross‑site consistency of practice.

• Work collaboratively within the multidisciplinary team, including attendance and contribution to Head & Neck MDT meetings.
• Ensure effective cross‑site working between Kettering General Hospital and Northampton General Hospital, maintaining equity of service delivery.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support seamless care pathways.

• Actively contribute to Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) reviews and action plans relevant to head and neck cancer services.
• Support delivery and monitoring of national cancer waiting time standards and performance targets, including data collection and service improvement initiatives.
• Participate in clinical audit, quality improvement projects and pathway…