Project Lead Nurse/AHP Onco-Frailty

NHS; Brighton; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Brighton is seeking an experienced healthcare professional to lead a 24-month oncological frailty project. You will enhance patient care, provide education, and drive service innovation within a multidisciplinary team. Required qualifications include being a Registered Nurse, Occupational Therapist, or Physiotherapist with relevant experience. The role offers a competitive salary and is based on-site at Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Qualifications

• Experience at Band 7 within cancer, frailty or equivalent.
• Extensive experience working with patients with a cancer diagnosis.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Oncological Frailty Project Team.
• Conduct high-quality clinical reviews for frail cancer patients.
• Develop ambulatory pathways to reduce admissions.
• Provide expert guidance to the multidisciplinary team.

Skills

Excellent written communication skills

Effective communication with multidisciplinary teams

Ability to convey complex information

Knowledge of clinical issues in nursing

Education

Registered Nurse, Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist

Master's in advanced clinical practice

Job description

Overview

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced, forward-thinking healthcare professional to lead an innovative 24-month project focused on improving care for patients living with oncological frailty. Building on the 2022 Royal College of Radiologists' findings, this role will pioneer a stratified approach to frailty in oncology, using a multi-functional toolkit early in the patient pathway, and ensuring timely access to specialist review and targeted services.

This is a unique opportunity to enhance your leadership skills, shape future oncology pathways, and make a tangible difference in patient outcomes. You will receive a detailed induction, ongoing mentorship, and access to specialist oncology and frailty training, drawing on your healthcare expertise to innovate, influence, and inspire.

Working hours will be 08:30–18:00, Monday to Friday, with no unsociable hours. The post will be based at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, with an expectation of support across UHSx.

Please note: if you currently work for another NHS Trust or UHSussex and you are applying to accept this position as a secondment, you must seek agreement and authorisation from your current Trust/Manager before applying. Secondments cannot be agreed without this approval. If you are unable to gain approval you should refrain from applying unless you wish to take this role as a fixed term position.

Main duties

• The postholder will demonstrate compassionate, inclusive, visible and authoritative senior professional and specialist clinical leadership within the Onco-frailty Project Team and across the Cancer Division.
• The post holder will provide an accessible expert resource in onco-frailty to all disciplines of health care staff within the Cancer Division and act as an identified resource for information and advice to staff from other health and social care settings including the community nursing service.
• They will provide educational materials and face-to-face teaching for all levels of health workers within UHSx surrounding aspects of the management of frail cancer patients.
• Uphold and display the Trust values of Commitment, Care & Quality.

Details

Employer: University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (UHSx)

Location: Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5BE

Band: 8a • Pay: £55,690 to £62,682 per annum • Contract: Fixed term • Duration: 24 months • Working pattern: Full-time

Reference: 279-7444122-AUG25

Job responsibilities

• As part of the Oncological Frailty Project Leadership Team, combine advanced clinical expertise with strategic project leadership.
• Deliver high-quality clinical reviews for frail patients planning to and/or undergoing systemic anti-cancer therapies (SACT) and radiotherapy both in the Cancer Centre and ambulatory assessment units.
• Develop and implement new ambulatory pathways to prevent unnecessary admissions and reduce emergency department attendances for onco-frail patients, linked to the new supportive oncology pathways.
• Drive service innovation by improving patient selection for oncological interventions, optimising physical condition before and during treatment, and enhancing personalised care.
• Provide expert guidance to the multidisciplinary team (MDT) as a resource on oncological frailty.
• Lead and deliver education programmes to build MDT skills in managing oncological frailty and complex treatment toxicities.
• Collaborate with colleagues within the Cancer division across UHSx sites to ensure consistent, high-quality care.

Please see the full job description attached.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Registered Nurse, Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist
• Experience at Band 7 within cancer, frailty or equivalent
• Cancer or Haematology Nursing Pathway or equivalent OR AHP's: extensive experience working with patients with a cancer diagnosis / Haematology/Oncology speciality

Desirable

• Master's in advanced clinical practice or working towards
• Experience in project management
• Evidence of quality improvement initiative
• Teaching experience
• Leadership qualification

Skills

Essential

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with carers and multidisciplinary teams
• Ability to communicate highly complex and sensitive information to patients, carers, other professionals, and large groups
• Ability to support training and assessment of competency for Onco-Frailty
• Comprehensive knowledge of clinical and professional issues relating to nursing and midwifery / AHPs and the ability to apply these in practice

Desirable

• Teaching, assessing and presentation skills
• Specialist knowledge of Haematology/Oncology policies and procedures both Local and National
• Experience of writing reports and presentation skills

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Essential

• Evidence of undertaking own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
• Evidence of championing diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role)

Additional information

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and will require submission for Disclosure to check for any previous criminal convictions. UK registration with the relevant professional body is required.

Employer details

Employer: University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)

Address: Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5BE

Website: https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/