Advanced Clinical Practitioner

Job Summary
Pilgrims Hospices is seeking an Advanced Practitioner to work as part of our Specialist Palliative Care Team, providing expert assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management for patients with palliative care needs across hospice, community and outpatient settings.

Main duties of the job
The Advanced Practitioner will demonstrate and work at advanced practice level applying their extended knowledge and skills in the principles and practice of palliative care to support patients with the most complex needs. Working as an independent practitioner the postholder is accountable and responsible for their own actions or omissions in line with the appropriate professional code of conduct and latest guidance on advanced practice. The postholder will use appropriate research in the field to drive decisions and practice development and thereby play a critical role in establishing & delivering future palliative care services for the local population.

About us
As an award-winning employer, Pilgrims provides end of life care services to patients and their families across east Kent. Our commitment is to provide open, compassionate care and expertise for patients and their families both in the community and in-patient units.

Our Vision
Of a community where people with a terminal illness, and their family and friends, are supported and empowered to live well in mind and body until the very last moment of their life.

Other Benefits
As an Employer of Choice, our commitment to supporting our employees and volunteers is a key priority.
Our hospices offer:

• Modern, friendly and highly professional working environments
• Opportunities for professional development through a range of extensive learning
• Alignment with NHS pay rates and continuity in membership of the NHS pension scheme
• A sense of achievement in supporting a worthwhile cause
• A sense of wellbeing
• A good work-life balance
• Locations across well-populated areas of east Kent all providing very good road and rail links
• NHS and financial discounts i.e. Blue Light Card
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Free hospice parking

Details
Date posted: 23 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8a
Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: B0497-26-0024
Job locations:

• Pilgrims Hospice Thanet, Ramsgate Road, Margate, Kent, CT9 4AD
• Pilgrims Hospice Canterbury, 56 London Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 8JY
• Pilgrims Hospice Ashford, Hythe Road, Ashford, Kent, TN24 0NE

Job responsibilities
Nature and Scope of the role

• Actions put patients first at all times.
• Practices within the appropriate professional code of conduct and adheres to all relevant professional, legal and regulatory guidelines.
• Develops own role within the Scope of Professional Practice and guidance on advanced practice.
• Assumes responsibility for own professional development and updates and maintains own clinical skills as required for the role.
• Works within the boundaries of the role function as it continues to develop at Pilgrims Hospices, and as agreed by Consultants in Palliative medicine, Director of Clinical Operations, Head of Nursing and Lead for Education
• Acts as a role model professionally and behaviourally.
• Complete an MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice or Palliative Care as well as the Non-Medical Prescribing Course. These will work alongside the completion and maintenance of a competency framework specific to specialist palliative care.

Principle Accountabilities, Responsibilities, and Clinical Practice Management

• Works as part of a Specialist Palliative Care Team, carrying out a comprehensive palliative care assessment, determining and providing plans treatment / interventions, advice or support as appropriate.
• Manages a caseload of patients within the specialist palliative care setting wherever clinical needs require.
• Maintains clinical records in line with hospice and professional guidance.
• Uses advanced clinical judgment to plan, implement and evaluate care for patients with complex palliative needs in clinic, in patient and community settings.
• Anticipates problems and risks and takes action before crises arise.
• As an independent prescriber, prescribes medicines for patients in accordance with local policies, national standards and formularies relating to independent prescribing.
• Participates fully as part of the specialist palliative care weekend rota team to ensure effective co-ordination of care, appropriate and timely responses for patients at all times. Duties are likely to include; ward and community visits to assess, reassess and review patients, instigating treatment for symptom control as required
• Assume a Clinical Lead role. Liaises with Consultant on call at weekends and out of hours as appropriate.
• Provides a source of expertise to all health care practitioners, including undertaking joint assessments as required.
• Identifies clinical issues and incidents within the specialty that may affect the quality of palliative care services. Working with the Head of Nursing, leads activities to counter these to ensure the delivery of a safe effective service.
• Works day to day with the Consultant in Palliative Medicine/ Lead Practitioner to ensure he/she is kept fully briefed of all palliative care patient activity. At times may function as the Clinical Lead
• Ensures nursing and MDT colleagues are aware of clinical activity ensuring the role links appropriately with all other nursing and therapy interventions in the best interests of patients.

Professional Leadership

• Demonstrates leadership skills when undertaking the comprehensive palliative care assessment and when planning and delivering care.
• Acts to ensure the care provided by other members of primary and secondary care service to support the patient or their carers throughout the palliative phase is in line with the patients overall benefit.
• Identifies need amongst all clinical staff for training, supervision and mentorship and works to address these needs with MDT colleagues
• Applies a repertoire of interpersonal skills in response to the different needs of staff and colleagues.
• Encourages proactivity and innovation amongst the MDT and demonstrates flexibly within parameters of hospice policies.
• Acts as role model and is accountable for own professional actions and decisions.
• Leads the development of ideas and specialist practice within the scope of the role. Innovates through exploring ideas with others and takes action which brings in different ways of working.

Clinical Audit and Research

• Ensures the delivery of high quality, clinically effective care by prioritising and using research and audit in practice.
• Identifies and leads audits and evaluation of work that may be required to develop and improve palliative/ end of life care for patients and their carers.
• Undertakes quality improvement initiatives and champions evidence based in service development plans / projects wherever possible.

Resource Management

• Manages own time and work effectively to meet objectives and requirements of the role.
• Is proactive as part of the senior clinical team in ensuring the totality of hospice skills are used to best effect to ensure appropriate and timely responses for patients
• Makes proactive use of the skills, resources and expertise across the hospice to ensure professional resources are utilised for the patients overall benefit
• Participates in the recruitment, selection and induction of hospice staff in order to efficiently utilise resources required to meet service objectives.
• Is aware of the local policies of partner organizations with regards to care practices, treatments and prescribing formularies.

Governance and Education

• Influences the setting and monitoring of standards of practice, ensuring delivery cost effective and evidence care.
• Supports the implementation and monitoring of clinical practice guidelines including standards, policies and protocols in line with national directives.
• Contributes to regular multi-disciplinary patient case reviews internally and externally.
• To be aware of professional responsibilities and comply with all appropriate policies, standards and guidelines. Understands and complies with guidance surrounding advanced practice.
• To be aware of ones own continuous professional development needs and maintain an annual personal development plan.
• Act as a resource and advisor in relation to Palliative Care Management for external colleagues.
• Contributes towards the palliative care educational needs of all practitioners within local partner organisations and works with MDT members and the education department to develop a palliative care education program that addresses these needs.

Service Development

• Reviews care pathways feeding reviews into appropriate discussions to ensure continual quality improvements.
• Participates in the setting of service objectives when the hospice reviews its strategic plans.
• Works with other disciplines to integrate best practice tools and to ensure decrease in duplication of elements of care, fragmentation of care and delays in response to patients needs.
• Maintains links with other Palliative Care Specialists in order to share or learn from examples of good practice.
• Critically evaluates relevant research findings in order to develop practice.

External

• Ensures effective working with external organisations in terms of communication, networking, policy development and coordination
• Assists in the development of policies, procedures and clinical protocols within the community and hospice related to Palliative Care.
• Develops and maintain close links with neighboring Community Trust, Acute and Mental Health Trusts and local nursing homes, in order to promote planned co-ordinated care for patients and education programmes for staff on palliative care issues.

Internal

• Director of Clinical Operations
• Director of Medicine
• Head of Nursing
• IT Manager
• Clinical Education and Training Lead
• Medical, AHP and nursing colleagues

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• 1st Degree
• Current registration on parts 1 of the NMC register
• Independent Prescriber with scope of practice to allow the prescribing of high dose controlled drugs in a specialist palliative care setting
• Masters in Palliative Care or Advanced Clinical Practice or a very closely related subject
• Completion of competency framework in palliative care

Desirable

• Community Nurse Qualification
• NVQIV in Management or equivalent
• Teaching qualification
• Advanced Practice Certificate

Knowledge, Skills and Other Requirements
Essential

• Must hold valid, unrestricted right to work in the UK without the need for employer sponsorship
• Completed Advanced Communication Skills
• Effective IT skills
• Comprehensive physical assessment, history taking and clinical decision-making skills
• Applied pharmacology and evidence based prescribing
• Leadership and team working abilities
• Motivational skills both for self and others
• Clear understanding of clinical governance specifically related to advanced practice
• Critical evaluation
• Has developed effective local and national networks
• Understanding of the current issues influencing Primary Care and the charity sector
• Understanding of community services
• Can describe the role of the specialist palliative care in relation to other developments in health and social care

Experience
Essential

• Capable and experienced working independently, able to plan and priorities with advanced decision-making skills.
• Management of change.
• Partnership working across sectors
• Experience of formal and informal teaching
• Management of clinical issues related to Specialist Palliative Care.
• Able to demonstrate previous successful experience of working at advanced practice level in a palliative care setting.

Desirable

• Clinical leadership in a multi-professional service
• Research Experience Specialist Palliative Care
• Experience in a specialist palliative care setting.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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.

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

Employer details
Employer name: Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent
Address: Pilgrims Hospice Thanet, Ramsgate Road, Margate, Kent, CT9 4AD, United Kingdom
Employer's website: Apply through our website (

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Kate White, View email address on meeveem.com, View phone number on meeveem.com

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.