Diabetes Specialist Nurse

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in London is looking for an experienced Diabetes Nurse to manage complex cases and provide quality care in line with national standards. The role involves clinical leadership, patient education, and mentoring junior staff, focusing on improving diabetes management within the community.

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse with diabetes-specific education.
• Minimum 5 years post-registration experience, including 3 years in diabetes care.
• Knowledgeable in insulin therapies and GLP-1 mimetics.

Responsibilities

• Manage complex diabetes caseload in community settings.
• Initiate and titrate insulin and GLP-1 therapies.
• Support junior staff and ensure adherence to national guidelines.

Skills

Advanced clinical assessment skills

Communication (written and verbal)

Knowledge of national policy and guidelines in diabetes

Education

Registered Nurse

Relevant Diabetes Course or equivalent

Independent Non Medical Prescriber

Job description

The post holder plays a pivotal role in shaping and delivering high-quality diabetes care across Greenwich in line with Oxleas NHS Trust objectives. They provide clinical leadership for service improvement, promote good clinical governance through audits and research, and ensure compliance with national standards such as NICE guidelines. Additionally, they offer tailored education and support to patients, carers, and healthcare professionals, while managing and mentoring junior staff to foster a skilled and integrated multidisciplinary diabetes service.

Main duties of the job

Responsible for independently managing a complex caseload of patients with diabetes in the community, using advanced clinical skills to assess, treat, and support patients with newly diagnosed, unstable, or complex diabetes. The role includes initiating and titrating insulin and GLP-1 therapies, supporting co-morbidity management, and promoting patient self-management in collaboration with GPs and the wider MDT. The postholder will deliver evidence-based care aligned with national guidelines (NICE), maintain accurate clinical records, and support service development, education, and junior staff supervision. Ongoing professional development and participation in clinical governance activities are integral to the role.

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We're Kind
• We Listen
• We Care

Job responsibilities

Manage a complex caseload generated from a defined diabetes population.

Use advanced clinical skills for assessing and treating patients with diabetes using relevant clinical protocols for newly diagnosed patients with diabetes, patients with unstable diabetes and patients with complex needs and/ or complications of diabetes.

Identify, monitor, and review patients with Diabetes in the community and in nurse led clinics with regard to symptom control, prescription and titration of medication adhering to local guidelines.

To take the lead in empowering patients to make appropriate decisions abouttheir treatment including Initiation and adjustment of insulin dosage and initiation of GLP-1 medication.

To initiate appropriate treatment for patients with suboptimal diabetes control including insulin initiation and change of insulin regimens.

To demonstrate knowledge of new and advanced therapies for diabetes control, such as GLP-1 mimetics and SGLT-2 medications.

Work closely with family and GP practices to maximise patients health potential.

To support, advise and recommend treatment regimens for diabetes and other comorbidities, including hypertension and lipid management in accordance with local and national guidelines, such as NICE and BHS guidance.

To provide advice and support for GP practices in order to raise the standard of diabetes care to prevent microvascular and macrovascular complications as evidenced by UKPDS, DCCT and NICE guidance.

To deliver evidence-based practice in line with clinical governance, trust policies and procedures and NMC guidance and support junior staff in doing same.

To have undertaken the Non-Medical Prescribing Course and liaise with the medicines management team on issues around prescribing.

To maintain own personal and professional development and attend regular one to ones and appraisals in order to identify own training and development needs.

To maintain own clinical knowledge and awareness of evidence-based research, national changes, and initiatives in diabetes care, by attending study days, workshops, conferences, and by private study.

To participate in clinical supervision on a regular basis either by self or in a team environment.

To maintain accurate, contemporaneous clinical records which are patient held in line with trust and professional guidelines.

To prioritise and evaluate own workload and support junior staff in doing same.

To take direct responsibility for the advanced assessment of patients physical, emotional, financial, and psycho-social needs.

To discuss with patients, relatives, and carers specific aspects of care and treatment, including physical complications, drug efficacy and side effects etc.

To develop personalised care plans for patients on the case load.

To work within the Long-Term Conditions team to ensure delivery of holistic, streamlined and patient-focused care.

To empower patients to manage their condition in their own environment.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse
• Relevant Diabetes Course or equivalent
• Independent Non Medical Prescriber
• Community Nursing experience

Experience

• Minimum 5 years post registration experience with 3 years spent in diabetes care
• Knowledge of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes including diabetes oral treatments, insulin therapies and GLP-1 mimetics

Skills

• Evidence of Advanced clinical assessment skills
• Knowledge of national policy and guidelines in relation to diabetes
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal

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.

151-153 Goldie Leigh ,Lodge Hill London SE2 OAS

151-153 Goldie Leigh ,Lodge Hill London SE2 OAS