Upper GI Nurse Specialist (HPB)

Job Overview

The Upper Gastrointestinal Department has an exciting opportunity for a Band 7 Upper GI Cancer Nurse Specialist to join our established

Hepatobiliary (HPB) team , caring for patients affected by HPB cancers.

We are seeking an enthusiastic registered nurse with strong post‑registration experience, evidence of ongoing professional development and the ability to work flexibly within a dynamic environment. You will bring in‑depth knowledge of Upper GI/HPB care and demonstrate excellent communication skills with patients, families and the wider multidisciplinary team.

You will have a passion for delivering high‑quality, patient‑centred care, supporting individuals and their families through complex diagnostic and treatment pathways. In return, we offer a tailored induction, ongoing development supported by MDT colleagues, regular clinical supervision and the opportunity to work within the new state‑of‑the‑art

Dyson Cancer Centre , providing holistic and personalised care in a purpose‑built therapeutic environment.

Main duties of the job

• Provide specialist nursing expertise for patients with HPB cancers, acting as a key point of contact throughout the diagnostic and treatment pathway.
• Deliver high‑quality, safe and effective care with accuracy and autonomy, ensuring timely coordination across the MDT.
• Offer psychological and emotional support to patients and their families, promoting personalised and compassionate care.
• Work collaboratively with medical, surgical and AHP colleagues to ensure seamless pathway management and excellent communication.
• Contribute to service development, audit and quality improvement initiatives within the Upper GI/HPB service.
• Participate in ongoing professional development, clinical supervision and education activities for patients, carers and staff.
• Support the implementation of evidence‑based practice and uphold high standards of clinical care within the team.

Working for our organisation

We are proud to be part of BSW Hospitals Group - a formal partnership between the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. With a combined workforce of over 17, 600 colleagues, and budget of 1.6 billion the Group is united by a common purpose to deliver the best possible care to over 1 million people.

We are creating a health and care system that works with the people we care for, reducing the differences people currently face in access, experience and outcomes, improving the experience of our colleagues and tackling shared challenges like sustainability and finances. Every improvement we make across our Group will be guided by what creates the greatest benefit for our colleagues, our patients, our communities and our partners.

By working together, we make a real difference for our patients, each other, and our community. Every role matters in delivering the exceptional, person‑centred care we’re proud of.

We’re committed to a compassionate, inclusive culture where kindness is championed, differences are valued, and diversity makes us stronger.

We want to support you to thrive, taking your career to its full potential. We prioritise staff wellbeing – and yes, we even have a pool!

Discover what it’s like to live and work in Bath, explore our RUH staff benefits, and learn how we’re building healthcare for the future through the Dyson Cancer Centre and our commitment to research.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• Act as key worker for patients within the speciality, providing expert knowledge, specialist care and ongoing support throughout the cancer pathway.
• Maintain regular liaison and clear communication with all members of the multidisciplinary team, including other cancer nurse specialists, to ensure seamless coordination of care.
• Deliver individualised, holistic and responsive care using holistic needs assessment and personalised care planning, adapting to the changing needs of patients and their families.
• Provide specialist advice, information and education to patients and carers regarding diagnosis, treatment options, symptom management and ongoing care.
• Offer education, training and clinical support to colleagues across the Trust to ensure patients receive high‑quality, holistic and personalised care within the relevant area of expertise.
• Uphold patient confidentiality at all times and ensure all staff understand and adhere to confidentiality requirements.
• Use advanced clinical assessment and reasoning skills to recommend appropriate investigations and contribute to complex clinical decision‑making.
• Maintain accurate, timely and comprehensive written and electronic records in line with Trust policy and professional standards.
• Deliver specialist care to patients in a range of complex, sensitive and distressing situations, demonstrating resilience, compassion and advanced communication skills.
• Work collaboratively with the wider MDT to ensure evidence‑based, patient‑centred care,
• including timely referral to palliative and end‑of‑life services when appropriate.
• Build effective partnerships with patients, carers and relatives within the Gastroenterology/Oncology setting, ensuring they understand all aspects of their care and treatment, and providing advice across service boundaries.
• Act as a patient advocate, using advanced communication skills to lead and support difficult or sensitive conversations with compassion and clarity.
• Participate in or initiate complex discussions around advance care planning when required.
• Support medical colleagues during the delivery of difficult news, helping to communicate highly distressing information regarding diagnosis or prognosis.
• Encourage patient participation in health and wellbeing activities, working with MDT colleagues to promote recovery, resilience and self‑management.
• Consistently work at an enhanced level of specialist practice, demonstrating autonomy, leadership and a commitment to continuous improvement.
• Provide visible clinical leadership within the HPB/Upper GI service, acting as a role model for high standards of specialist nursing practice.
• Lead or contribute to service development initiatives aimed at improving patient pathways, reducing variation and enhancing the quality of care.
• Participate in, and where appropriate lead, audit, quality improvement and research activities to ensure the service remains aligned with national guidance, best practice and Trust priorities.
• Support the development, review and implementation of clinical guidelines, protocols and pathways to ensure safe, effective and evidence‑based care.
• Contribute to governance processes, including incident review, risk assessment and learning events, promoting a culture of safety and continuous improvement.
• Provide leadership in education by supporting the development of junior staff, facilitating learning opportunities and contributing to succession planning within the specialist nursing team.
• Represent the CNS service at relevant meetings, working groups and MDT forums, influencing service planning and contributing to strategic discussions.
• Use data, audit findings and patient feedback to identify areas for improvement and drive positive change across the service.

Person specification

See below

Essential criteria

• Post registration experience at Band 6 or above relevant to this post.

Desirable criteria

• In depth knowledge of HPB malignancies and their management.

Essential

Essential criteria

• Previous experience of working as a clinical nurse specialist.

Desirable criteria

• Advanced Communication skills

Please note - Due to recent changes in UK immigration and visa rules applicants who do not currently have the right to work in the UK may not be considered unless an alternative right to work solution can be provided. Candidates requiring sponsorship (or will need sponsorship at the end of a current visa e.g. those with graduate visa's) should review the eligibility criteria on the gov.uk website before applying: Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if we receive a high number of applications. We strongly encourage you to complete and submit your application in good time to ensure it can be considered.

Documents to download

• Band 7 HPB (PDF, 482.5KB)
• Join the RUH (PDF, 1.3MB)

Further details / informal visits contact

Name Kay Birch Job title HPB CNS Email address ***email_hidden*** Telephone number View phone number on unitedkingdom.jobradars.com Additional information

Informal visits/telephone calls welcome.