Advanced Clinical Practitioner (Lung Oncology)

The ACP (Lung Oncology) is a highly advanced practitioner. They will demonstrate highly developed specialist knowledge and skills in the diagnosis and management of lung oncology patients, working under the clinical direction of a consultant clinical oncologist. As a lead specialist in a defined area of radiotherapy related care, the ACP (Lung Oncology) will formulate clinical decisions and complex treatment plans to manage acute and chronic illness and will respond to actual and potential health problems appropriately. They will participate in the direct clinical management of patients from first presentation at the hospital, until discharge. This includes history taking, systematic physical examination, and requisition of appropriate clinical investigations. Formulation of clinical management plans and re-evaluation of implemented treatment plans as appropriate. The post holder will undertake contouring of tumour volume, organs at risk, nodal groups/involvement with
regards to radiotherapy treatment planning. The post holder will prescribe radiotherapy treatment. The post holder will undertake contouring of tumour volume, organs at risk, nodal groups/involvement with regards to radiotherapy treatment planning. The post holder will prescribe radiotherapy treatment.

Working for our organisation
The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.
Working hours must be flexible to fit the needs of the service and individuals will be expected to participate in all shift patterns and will be contracted to work between 6am and 11pm., + The post holder will provide and receive highly complex, and sometimes sensitive information on aspects of patient care.
+ Persuasive, motivational, negotiating, training, empathic or re-assurance skills will be routinely utilised and they will be required to achieve consensus amongst themselves, the consultant medical colleagues and other members of the MDT.
+ The post holder will lecture to radiographers, postgraduate scientists, doctors in training and others and assist in the organisation of the department's teaching programmes.
+ They will consent patients for treatment and procedures as per hospital policy
+ The post holder will accept and make appropriate referrals from/to other professional colleagues. Check and interpret referrals and take action as clinically indicated
+ They will contribute to the coordination and effective management of the admission and discharge process as appropriate for disease group with reference to relevant policies.
+ They will educate patients and their carers on issues surrounding health promotion and illness prevention and promote and facilitate changes to lifestyle where appropriate. They will prepare accurate and concise records and reports both verbal and written. They will communicate with the patient's referring specialist, GP and other community and hospice based services at regular intervals as appropriate.
+ They will ensure effective communication with patients, relatives and members of the multidisciplinary team and work with team members on issues relating to patient management and advocacy and will collaborate within the Cancer Network and offer clinical support to colleagues within cancer units, relating to individual patient management.
+ The post holder will participate in strategic review of the service including representing the service at internal and external strategy planning meetings, advisory boards and relevant working groups as appropriate.
+ They will publish results in peer reviewed journals that are in the top quartile for their discipline and have an international impact.
Knowledge Training and Experience
+ The post holder will have highly developed specialist knowledge across radiotherapeutic, chemotherapeutic, surgical, palliative and other medical aspects of patient care within lung oncology. This will be underpinned by theoretical knowledge and extensive relevant practical experience, acquired through a combination of in-depth experience and postgraduate post-registration study, such as that obtained through a master's degree. They will have significant formal training in, or experience within lung oncology.
+ They will maintain and develop this expertise and competence in order to enable collaboration with senior colleagues and medical staff, and to facilitate the management of patients.
+ They will exhibit the knowledge, skills and experience to allow them to act as an expert resource and provide advice and support to ward/departmental areas and to The Christie's local, regional, national and international partners.
+ The post holder will maintain professional registration and practice through CPD including maintaining a professional portfolio to demonstrate competency in line with the trust competency framework so as to ensure that skills remain optimal and new elements can be added to the skills portfolio. They will identify their own development needs in line with service requirements and participate in setting a personal development plan. To support this they will work with a named mentor from within the medical team.
Analytical and Judgemental Skills
+ The post holder's key function will be as an ACP (Lung Oncology) supervising critical elements of the patient pathway in patients under the care of a Clinical Oncologist who acts as the consultant of record. As such they will act as part of a clinical team led by the oncologist. They will assess complex facts and situations, using analytical skill, interpretation and comparison of a range of options using a wide variety of assessment methods. In the clinical management of patients, competing, contradictory or unclear inputs are expected. Owing to the nature of the post following the whole patient pathway, they may have competing expected outcomes from the patient, the Trust, and other healthcare partners.
+ The post holder will continually review and evaluate their own role and clinical practice informing the annual review process. They will practice evidence based health care and by assessing clinical evidence, best practice guidelines and national policy statements will be responsible for defining developing, monitoring and updating Trust clinical policies in relation to their own area of practice. They will analyse relevant national policies in specific tumour sites, advise on impact for service, and contribute to the implementation of changes and evaluation of processes in partnership with the MDT.
Planning and Organisational Skills
+ The post holder will plan and organise complex clinical management plans. Plans will be formulated and adjusted to respond with developments and changes in circumstances such as changes in the patient's conditions. This will involve developing, structuring and scheduling activities, including the allocation of tasks to colleagues, within the Trust or from partner organisations. They will have responsibility to lead on translating developments within their specialist area for implementation in the clinical setting.
+ The post holder will plan and manage own workload and the workload of the service, in a flexible manner, ensuring that service provision meets the need of patients.
Responsibility for Patient/Client Care
+ As a ACP (Lung Oncology), the post holder will provides highly specialist clinical and technical services. They will provide highly specialised advice to the Radiotherapy Multi-Professional Team which contributes to the design, implementation and monitoring of their radiotherapy and other elements of the clinical pathway of patients undergoing treatment for lung cancers.
+ The post holder will prescribe drugs, including concurrent chemotherapy, unlicensed medication and drugs used within clinical trials as qualified Supplementary and/or Independent Prescriber; medications so prescribed will include opioids and as such the post holder will comply with the relevant Controlled Drugs policies and regulations. They will comply with the Trust's non-medical prescribing (NMP) policy.
+ They will prescribe blood products as per hospital policy.
+ The post holder will recognise patients' needs and act as an advocate for patients, carers and support partners. They will develop patient specific information and ensure patients receive appropriate information, advice and support in relation to their illness and treatment.
+ They will refer patients to other professionals as appropriate and provide an environment that encourages patient centred involvement.
+ The post holder will assess, recognise and manage radiotherapy radiation-induced toxicity and cancer-related side effects during and after treatment.
+ The post holder will perform clinical assessments, such as rectal, vaginal and oral examinations; they will request relevant investigations for patients attending for treatment and review; following investigation they will interpret the results and take action appropriately. They may administer oral, rectal or intra-vesicle contrast media.
+ At all times, they will ensure interventions are undertaken in line with best practice guidance and will perform clinical procedures safely according to defined protocols.
+ The post holder will undertake contouring of tumour volume, organs at risk, nodal groups/involvement with regards to radiotherapy treatment planning. The post holder will prescribe radiotherapy treatment.
+ The post holder will contribute to the clinical governance process, including adverse incident reporting/investigation and the management of complaints, as appropriate.
+ They will be provide care, support and information to those involved in their patient's life and care, including partners, family, friends and informal or formal carers. They will ensure that the emotional and physical well-being of patients, families and carers are fully considered at all times in the context of their care and actively participate in decision-making. They will maintain the safety, dignity and confidentiality of their patients at all times.
+ They will triage and communicate management plans in line with best practice, for patients who have been referred to the speciality service; liaising with the appropriate clinical team members in order to ensure correct management plans are reached within a suitable timeframe.
+ Pursuant to the Ionising Radiations (Medical Exposures) Regulations, 2000 (as amended) (IR(ME)R), act in the role of Referrer, Practitioner and/or Operator for imaging, treatment and treatment verification exposures and will at all times make follow departmental and diagnostic group policies in regards to referral, optimisation, justification and authorisation of radiotherapy.
The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.
We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.
We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy
All positions within the Christie are subject to the receipt of satisfactory written references, medical clearance and evidence of your Right to Work in the UK. Some roles will require a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. Please note if you are successfully appointed to a post with this Trust, you will be required to pay for your own DBS Disclosure.
By applying for this post you are agreeing to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, I regret that on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful.
The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.
Overseas candidates wishing to apply for this position and who would require immigration sponsorship, may wish to self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the post on the UKVI website.
You should be aware the Trust operates a No Smoking Policy and therefore employees are not permitted to smoke at work.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated, experienced, and enthusiastic Advanced Clinical Practitioner to become part of the Radiotherapy and Lung clinical oncology team at The Christie NHS FT Radiotherapy department based at Withington site.
Ideally educated to Masters level, you will be expected to practice autonomously at an advanced level with highly developed specialist knowledge and skills in the diagnosis and management of lung oncology patients. As a lead specialist in a defined area of radiotherapy related care, the ACP (Lung Oncology) will formulate clinical decisions and complex treatment plans to manage acute and chronic illness and will respond to actual and potential health problems appropriately. They will participate in the direct clinical management of patients from first presentation at the hospital, until discharge. The post holder will undertake contouring of tumour volume, organs at risk, nodal groups/involvement with regards to radiotherapy treatment planning. The post holder will prescribe radiotherapy treatment.
You will be a key member of the clinical team, which includes Advanced Clinical Practitioners and will be a part of a large cross-trust multi-disciplinary team. You will be involved in the clinical training and development of qualified AHP's, nurses and support staff.
We are open to discussing a Band 7 training post for this role if you do not already possess the essential skills required.