Cardiology Lead Nurse - Cross Site

NHS; Bedford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Bedford is seeking an experienced Cardiology Lead Nurse to provide leadership in cardiology services and patient care. The ideal candidate will coordinate cardiology nursing services, manage a team, and ensure high standards of care. Applicants should be a registered nurse with significant cardiology experience and leadership skills. This role offers an opportunity to enhance patient outcomes in a supportive environment.

Benefits

Access to a programme of training and development

Promoting equality and diversity in recruitment

Qualifications

• Experience in cardiology at a band 7 or above.
• Proven track record of leading changes in practice.
• Evidence of continuous professional development.

Responsibilities

• Deliver individualised patient care according to changing health care needs.
• Provide leadership and advice to ensure continuity of care delivery.
• Manage a significant caseload of cardiology patients.

Skills

Leadership and specialist clinical advice

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Knowledge of cardiology

Education

Registered Adult Nurse (NMC)

Degree or education relevant to cardiology

Mentorship/teaching qualification

Recognised qualification in cardiology

Tools

NHS IT systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Go back Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Cardiology Lead Nurse - Cross Site

The closing date is 29 October 2025

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Lead Cardiology Specialist Nurse to provide effective and efficient leadership across our cardiology services at Luton and Dunstable Hospital and Bedford Hospital.

This key leadership role will focus on the development, coordination, and delivery of cardiology specialist nursing services and the Cardiac Catheterisation Suite/Cardiac Centre, ensuring the highest standards of patient care and a cohesive, high-performing cardiology service across both sites.

The post holder will play a vital part in shaping and developing a high-quality, patient-centred local cardiology service, working closely with the multidisciplinary team to enhance outcomes, service delivery, and patient experience.

Main duties of the job

The Lead Cardiology Specialist Nurse will work alongside the Deputy Head of Nursing to provide professional leadership and specialist clinical advice, education and support to all level of health care providers including colleagues working in nursing, midwifery, medical and Allied Health Professionals.

The post holder will be an expert, autonomous practitioner, working under the supervision of the Clinical lead, with a broad experience of all aspects of cardiology. They will manage their own caseload and supervise the caseload of the cardiology specialist nursing teams. They will lead on the development of appropriate evidenced based programmes of education and care for people with cardiology conditions.

The post holder will increase awareness of cardiac concerns by disseminating knowledge and skills to other health care professionals and people with cardiac conditions and their family /carers, thereby improving the day to day and long term management of cardiac conditions through enhanced self-care.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

Job responsibilities

The Job Description and Person Specification are attached to this job, please review for the full details and responsibilities

Key responsibilities

• To deliver evidence based individualised patient care according to patients changing health care needs. Providing leadership and specialist advice to ensure effective continuity of care delivery.
• Be recognised as a clinical expert in the management of cardiac conditions, to set standards and engage in autonomous high-level decision making.
• To manage a significant caseload of patients with cardiology conditions, managing complete programmes of care. Working with patients and carers to empower them to make informed decisions about their health, in particular, those at high risk of developing complications that require intensive therapies, technology, or education and support.
• To promote and contribute to the clinical governance agenda.
• To lead on the development of standards and protocols that concerns the nursing care of people with cardiac conditions

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Relevant experience, degree or education, knowledge and experience to degree level
• Registered Adult Nurse (NMC)
• Further relevant training in speciality
• Evidence of continuous professional development
• Mentorship/ teaching and assessors qualification
• Recognised qualification in cardiology (any specialism)
• Project Management Qualification

Experience

• Proven experience of working in cardiology at a band 7 or above
• Leading changes in practice in a complex environment to improve performance/services.
• Identifying and interpreting national policy and implementing required changes.
• Evidence of individual research or audit of nursing practice
• Clinical credibility
• Experience in working collaboratively across agencies and organisations to improve patient care
• Experience in working with service users and carers to improve patient pathways and ensuring involvement in care planning
• Experience of managing a team

Knowledge

• Financial procedures including budget setting and knowledge of financial processes
• Awareness of national nursing and midwifery initiatives in relation to cardiology and specialist services
• Understanding of change management.
• Able to use IT systems including Microsoft Office.
• Understanding of the current NHS agenda and health policy including transformation and workforce.
• Knowledge of service improvements and project management.
• Knowledge of risk management and governance
• NHS IT systems
• Understanding of the relationship between providers and commissioning organisations.

Personal Skills

• Good analytical and problem solving skills - ability to respond to unexpected demands.
• Ability to work independently and make autonomous decisions
• Strong communication skills both written and verbal - able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive information and use influencing and negotiation with individuals and groups including stakeholders
• Ability to embrace, lead and drive change in a complex environment
• Ability to organise and prioritise own workload
• Able to work flexibly to meet the demands of the role
• Demonstrates a strong desire to improve performance and services
• Able to form and maintain excellent professional relationships with all members of the multi professional team

Other

• Ability to travel independently and routinely within/around Bedfordshire as required for the cross-site role.

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.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust