Clinical Nurse Specialist - Heart Failure

Job summary
The post holder will:

• Work as an autonomous specialist practitioner within Royal Free London, delivering high-quality acute and chronic cardiology and heart failure care.
• Practise within professional boundaries and agreed protocols, using clinical judgment to manage complex patient care.
• Lead outpatient clinics, conducting clinical assessments, ordering appropriate investigations, and developing patient-centred care plans.
• Lead identification of undiagnosed heart failure cases using an automated NT-proBNP pathway, facilitating rapid diagnostic pathways.
• Review heart failure patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings to provide optimal evidence-based treatment, adjusting and titrating therapy to improve outcomes for patients.

Main duties of the job
Our Heart Failure Specialist Nurse Team plays a key role in delivering high-quality, patient-centred care. We have established innovative services, including automated NT-proBNP referrals, a Heart Failure Virtual Ward and a comprehensive heart failure pathway, working closely with cardiology, community and palliative care colleagues.

In this role, you will provide care across inpatient and outpatient settings, supporting patients throughout their heart failure journey from diagnosis to advanced disease. Responsibilities include optimising heart failure therapies, providing lifestyle and self-management advice, supporting discharge planning, preparing cases for MDT discussions, and contributing to the National Heart Failure Audit (NICOR).

We offer excellent opportunities for professional and career development. You will receive a comprehensive induction, supported by experienced Heart Failure Specialist Nurses, and follow the British Society for Heart Failure (BSH) Competency Framework to guide your development. There are opportunities to advance autonomous practice skills, contribute to research, education and training, lead service improvements, and develop leadership skills through Trust-funded programmes.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a supportive and forward-thinking team committed to innovation, learning and excellence in heart failure care.

This is a one year fixed term post to cover a secondment.

About us
The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's biggest and most innovative trusts. Across three main hospitals, our dedicated army of staff care for over 1.6million patients, treat more than 200,000 in A&E, deliver over 8,000 babies and carry out more than 17million tests.

Our size, scale and influence offer you unrivalled career opportunities and a forward-thinking approach to working that works around your lifestyle. From flexible hours and generous benefits, to next level training, we make it easier to take your career to the top

For more information please follow link

Job responsibilities
Please see attached job description for more information about this role and working at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

Person Specification
Royal Free World Class Values
Essential

• Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust Values

Education & professional Qualifications
Essential

• First level registration
• First level degree
• Evidence of post registration qualification in Coronary/Cardiac care
• Heart Failure Module
• Physical Examination course and evidence of using these skills in practice

Desirable

• End of Life/Advanced communication qualification or willing to work towards

Experience
Essential

• Minimum 5 years recent cardiology experience with minimum 2 years at band 6 in cardiac environment
• Evidence of teaching and developing others
• Ability to analyse and interpret ECG's, Echos and routine blood tests
• Extensive experience of nursing patients living with heart failure.
• Experience of service planning/managing change e.g. provide examples of projects/research undertaken under own initiative
• Experience of running nurse led clinics
• Experience of managing own caseload of patients

Skills and Aptitudes
Essential

• Expert specialist skills for the post
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of team
• Understanding of recognised standards & policies related to heart failure.
• Understanding of advanced practice nursing roles
• Understanding of audit and research process
• Basic computing skills
• Excellent patient assessment skills
• Excellent communication skills and ability to negotiate and influence
• Able to lead, manage and motivate others in complex problem solving and assessment skills
• Successful track record in conflict resolution and performance management
• Commitment to ongoing lifelong learning and personal development.
• Able to manage stressful situations and challenge decisions to ensure that patient needs are met
• Ability to develop collaborative working relationships with multi professional teams

Personal Qualities & Attributes
Essential

• Be a positive role model with the ability to demonstrate a credible and professional approach
• Flexibility in shift and working patterns to meet the needs of the service
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to work as a team and form professional relationships with colleagues
• To be flexible and approachable

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

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

Employer details
Employer name: Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Royal Free Hampstead, Pond St, London, NW3 2QG, United Kingdom
Employer's website: (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Heart Failure/ CRM Lead Nurse
Caroline Stuart
View email address on meeveem.com
View phone number on meeveem.com

Details
Date posted: 19 August 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: £58,133 to £65,261 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 12 months
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 391-RFL-8121148
Job locations: Royal Free Hampstead, Pond St, London, NW3 2QG, United Kingdom

Supporting documents
Privacy notice: Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)