Breast Cancer Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Band 8a

Job overview

Breast Cancer Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Band 8a

Site: West Middlesex University Hospital, Isleworth Road

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Breast Care Team at Chelsea & Westminster NHS Foundation Trust. This role focuses on supporting the effective delivery of breast services, with particular emphasis on breast pain and family history clinics.

The post holder will play a key role in ensuring appropriate use of the breast care pathway, promoting timely screening, accurate diagnosis, and efficient patient flow. The role is designed to optimise capacity within one-stop clinics for patients requiring urgent assessment, while also reducing unnecessary anxiety for individuals who do not need management on a suspected cancer pathway.

The Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) / Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) will undertake autonomous clinical assessment, diagnosis, and management of patients presenting with undifferentiated or undiagnosed conditions. This includes developing and implementing treatment plans, referring patients for appropriate investigations or specialist input, and facilitating safe and effective discharge.

In addition to clinical responsibilities, the role includes contributing to audit and research initiatives and supporting the development, review, and implementation of departmental policies, protocols, and guidelines in line with national standards and best evidence.

Main duties of the job

Role Summary

The Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) / Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) will utilise advanced specialist knowledge and clinical skills to deliver autonomous, high-quality care to patients within the breast care service. The post holder will be accountable for the independent assessment, diagnosis, and management of patients presenting with undifferentiated and undiagnosed conditions, including the development of appropriate treatment plans.

They will also be responsible for referring patients to relevant specialties for further investigation or management, across both inpatient and outpatient settings, and for facilitating safe and effective discharge.

The successful candidate will be a registered nurse or registered healthcare professional, educated to MSc level in Advanced Clinical Practice (or equivalent), and hold independent non-medical prescribing qualifications with the NMC or an equivalent professional body.

The post holder will demonstrate expert knowledge across all aspects of breast care, including advanced clinical assessment, critical decision-making, and evidence-based clinical management. They will be committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centred care. In addition, the role carries a Trust-wide responsibility to promote clinical excellence by providing expert advice, guidance, and clinical leadership to nursing staff and the wider multidisciplinary team.

Please note: This role may involve weekend working across multiple sites.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical Provision & Expertise Practice

The post holder will:

• Works closely with the multidisciplinary team to facilitate the provision of high-quality care for all patients attending the Breast Units diagnostic, one stop and family history clinics
• Uses highly developed clinical knowledge to independently assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate treatments and interventions for patients presenting to the specialty with complex undifferentiated or undefined presentations.
• Undertakes physical examination as indicated by the patient’s condition; autonomously analysing complex clinical signs and investigation results to consider differential diagnoses and diagnose conditions, initiating treatment as required.
• Requests investigations such as blood, urine and other laboratory tests, electrocardiographs (ECGs), ultrasound scans, X-Rays and computed tomography (CT) scans in accordance with IR(ME)R regulations and as local policy allows
• Autonomously formulates appropriate management plans for patients, formulates clinical decisions and often complex treatment plans to manage acute illness and acute episodes of chronic illness including referral, admission or discharge.
• Act as an autonomous practitioner in managing and providing advice regarding benign breast conditions.
• Maintain the safe remote surveillance of Family History and Open Access patients.
• Appropriate and accurate telephone advice and support to patients who have previously undergone treatment for breast cancer or who may be an increased risk of developing the disease
• Demonstrate safe critical decision-making in the clinical decision-making process and be able to initiate appropriate and timely response to patient reported cues
• Act in accordance with NMC Code of Conduct and guiding documents
• Prioritises health problems and intervenes appropriately in complex, urgent and emergency situations, including initiation and leadership of resuscitation
• Manages clinical events involving patients, often requiring unpredictable and high levels of mental and/or physical effort according to the patient’s dependency and clinical need.
• Prescribes and reviews medication (as an independent prescriber) for therapeutic effectiveness appropriate to patient need and in accordance with best/evidence-based practice and national and local protocols and within the role’s scope of practice and legal framework
• Integrates both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment in patient care/management plans.
• Assesses patients with mental health needs using local policy and guidelines and refers to the appropriate services
• Communicates effectively with patients, carers, colleagues and others using appropriate communication styles. Anticipates barriers to communication and ensures patients and significant others are kept fully informed and consent to treatment.
• Acts as a resource for staff, advising on local, national and Trust policy, procedures and guidelines ensuring patient safety and clinical governance
• Demonstrating evidence of autonomous advanced practise of core capabilities across the four pillars - clinical practice, leadership, education and research- within their speciality
• Demonstrating expert knowledge and understanding of breast cancer, benign breast diseases and associated treatments

PLEASE SEE JOB DESCRIPTION/PERSON SPECIFICATION FOR FULL DETAILS OF THE ROLE