Diabetes Specialist Nurse Primary and Community Care

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and compassionate Diabetes Specialist Nurse to join Modality East Surrey Medical Practice and help shape the continuing development of specialist diabetes care within primary and community care.

We support approximately 45,000 to 46,000 patients across our sites in Horley, Smallfield and Townhill in Caterham. You will join an established multidisciplinary team and work closely with GPs, nurses, healthcare practitioners, clinical pharmacists, healthcare assistants, community services and Consultant Endocrinologists.

Our existing Diabetes Specialist Nurse is moving on to pursue a different venture, creating an opportunity for someone new to build on the strong foundations already established while bringing their own expertise and ideas to the service.

The role combines autonomous specialist practice with clinical leadership, education and service improvement. You will support adults with Type 1, Type 2 and complex diabetes, including patients requiring treatment intensification, insulin management, diabetes technology or coordinated multidisciplinary care.

Previous general-practice experience would be advantageous but is not essential. We welcome applications from experienced diabetes nurses working in community, integrated or secondary-care diabetes services. Appropriate induction, supervision and development will be provided to support a successful transition into primary care.

Main duties of the job

The Diabetes Specialist Nurse will manage an appropriate specialist caseload and provide expert assessment, treatment, care planning and follow-up for patients whose needs extend beyond routine long-term-condition review.

You will:

• Assess and manage adults with Type 1, Type 2 and complex diabetes within your professional competence and agreed clinical pathways.
• Develop clear, personalised and evidence-based management plans, with appropriate monitoring, follow-up, safety-netting and escalation.
• Initiate, optimise and monitor diabetes treatments within your competence and prescribing arrangements.
• Support insulin initiation, dose adjustment and complex insulin management.
• Review and support the appropriate use of contemporary diabetes treatments, including GLP-1-based therapies and SGLT-2 inhibitors.
• Interpret capillary glucose profiles, flash glucose monitoring and Continuous Glucose Monitoring data.
• Run or contribute to specialist clinics involving CGM, complex insulin management and diabetic-foot assessment.
• Support patients using insulin-pump therapy within demonstrated competence and agreed shared-care pathways.
• Recognise and respond appropriately to hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia, sick-day risks and potential diabetic emergencies.

About us

Modality East Surrey Medical Practice is an award-winning training practice committed to delivering high-quality, compassionate and accessible care.

We are part of Modality Partnership, one of the largest GP partnerships in the country. This gives our teams the relationships and community focus of local general practice alongside the professional networks, shared learning and development opportunities available through a larger organisation.

We are proud of our multidisciplinary approach and our commitment to innovation, education and continuous improvement. Our clinical team includes GPs, nurses, healthcare practitioners, pharmacists, healthcare assistants, care coordinators and other primary care professionals, with established links to community and secondary-care services.

The wellbeing of our patients and staff is central to how we work. We want colleagues to feel valued, supported and able to speak openly, develop professionally and contribute ideas.

As an employee with us, you can benefit from:

Enrolment in the NHS pension scheme

Minimum 27 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays (pro rata)

Employee discounts and benefits scheme

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Education and career development pathways

Enhanced family-friendly policies

Flexible working options

Wellbeing support and initiatives

Details

• Date posted: 03 September 2026
• Pay scheme: Other
• Salary: Depending on experience Band 5 - 6 equivalent depending on experience
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
• Reference number: E0281-26-0154
• Job locations: Townhill Medical Practice, Guards Avenue, Caterham, Surrey, CR3 5XL, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Application Process

Modality Partnership is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and will make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process

Who we are looking for

We are looking for a confident, experienced and compassionate nurse who is passionate about improving outcomes for people living with diabetes.

You will need:

• Current NMC registration as an Adult Nurse.
• A recognised post-registration diabetes qualification or demonstrable equivalent specialist diabetes expertise.
• Substantial experience of managing adults with diabetes, including complex Type 2 diabetes.
• Experience operating at Band 6 level or equivalent.
• Experience of insulin management, dose titration and contemporary diabetes treatments.
• Experience of interpreting glucose-monitoring information, including flash monitoring or CGM.
• Knowledge or experience of managing Type 1 diabetes within established specialist or shared-care pathways.
• The ability to undertake comprehensive clinical assessment and formulate clear and safe management plans.
• Strong multidisciplinary working, communication and patient-education skills.
• Experience of supporting, supervising, mentoring or developing colleagues.
• An understanding of clinical governance, patient safety, information governance and evidence-based practice.
• Current Basic Life Support certification.
• Identify diabetes complications and arrange timely investigation, treatment, referral or specialist escalation.
• Work closely with GPs, Consultant Endocrinologists, clinical pharmacists, community teams and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Support the management of hypertension and wider cardiovascular and renal risk in people living with diabetes.
• Provide specialist advice and clinical leadership to nurses, healthcare practitioners and the wider clinical team.
• Contribute to clinical supervision, mentoring, education and competency development.
• Help colleagues develop confidence in insulin management, CGM, diabetes technology, documentation and supported self-management.
• Educate patients, carers and families about diabetes, medicines, insulin administration, glucose monitoring, foot care, lifestyle and the safe use of diabetes technology.
• Use clinical data and audit to identify patients with poor glycaemic control, uncontrolled hypertension, recurrent hypoglycaemia, high cardiovascular or renal risk, or gaps in essential diabetes care.
• Contribute to the development of clinical pathways, policies, templates and service-improvement initiatives.
• Work with the Clinical Director, Medical Director, Head of Operations and wider leadership team to improve and develop the patient journey.

A V300 Independent Prescribing qualification would be desirable but is not essential. Candidates who do not already hold the qualification should be willing to work towards it within an agreed timeframe where required for the role.

Primary-care experience, community diabetes experience, insulin-pump knowledge, diabetic-foot expertise, teaching qualifications and experience of service redesign would also be advantageous.

If you are an experienced diabetes nurse who would value the opportunity to bring specialist care closer to patients, support the development of colleagues and help shape an ambitious primary care diabetes service, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Informal conversations and visits are warmly welcomed.

For an informal discussion or to arrange a visit, please contact: Clare Jardin, 01293 771200 or clare.jardin@nhs.net

Pre-employment Requirements Vaccinations: Mandatory vaccination evidence is required for this role, including Hepatitis B, MMR, and Varicella.

Right to work: Proof of eligibility to work in the UK is required at interview stage.

References: References must be obtained prior to employment, including one from your current or most recent employer.

Employment history: Any employment gaps of six weeks or more must be declared.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).