Rapid Diagnostic Centre Associate Nurse Specialist

NHS; Oldham; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Oldham seeks an experienced Nurse Specialist for the Rapid Diagnostic Centre. This role focuses on delivering urgent diagnostic services for cancer pathways. You will engage in patient triage, coordinate care, and support multidisciplinary teams. Essential qualifications include a nursing degree and current NMC registration. This position offers an opportunity to make a significant impact in early cancer detection.

Benefits

Competitive benefits package

Flexible working opportunities

Annual leave allowance

Qualifications

• Experience in multi-professional working.
• Demonstrate initiative to proactively problem solve.
• Post-basic knowledge of cancer pathways is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Conduct phone triage for TWW referrals.
• Coordinate patient pathways for rapid diagnosis.
• Provide support to patients from referral to discharge.

Skills

Effective communication skills

Ability to work autonomously

Problem-solving skills

Education

Degree/diploma in nursing studies

Registered Nurse with current NMC registration

Job description

Go back Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Rapid Diagnostic Centre Associate Nurse Specialist

The closing date is 09 October 2025

The NCA RDC was launched in June 2020 and has experienced rapid growth. We are seeking an experienced Nurse Specialist, with some awareness of cancer pathways (though this is not essential), to contribute to the further development of this innovative diagnostic service. This is an exciting opportunity for someone eager to be part of a team that is helping to revolutionise the pathway for cancer diagnosis.

The RDC aims to ensure that patients with non-specific (Vague) but concerning symptoms--potentially indicative of cancer--have access to rapid diagnosis or exclusion of cancer within a maximum of 28 days. This will be achieved through all necessary diagnostic tests, carried out and reported within a streamlined, innovative pathway. The service is nurse-led, with senior medical input where required. Patients receive comprehensive information, guidance, and support throughout their RDC journey. The service is managed as a single entity across the Northern Care Alliance, with pathways initially delivered at two sites: Oldham Community Diagnostic Centre and Salford Community Diagnostic Centre.

This role offers the opportunity to help shape the RDC service at its formative stage, as well as providing hands-on patient care. Your ability to think creatively, embrace change, and be open to new ways of working is essential for this forward-thinking role.

Main duties of the job

The RDC provides an urgent referral service for patients presenting with non-specific symptoms that could indicate cancer, complementing the existing site-specific Two Week Wait (TWW) pathways. The service offers a rapid, holistic assessment of the patient to determine the appropriate diagnostic pathway, provide management advice, signpost to relevant support services, and facilitate swift onward referral to specialist teams if cancer is diagnosed.

Main duties of this role include:

• Conducting thorough telephone triage and assessment of TWW referrals
• Developing individualised investigation pathways tailored to each patient
• Coordinating patient pathways to ensure rapid progression through the diagnostic process
• Collaborating with multiple departments to support effective multidisciplinary team (MDT) working
• Providing holistic support to patients from referral through to discharge
• Maintaining accurate patient records and communicating pathway steps to patients, GPs, and other practitioners as required
• Working alongside the RDC nursing team, navigators, consultants, and the Programme team

The post holder will be cross-site working at both the Oldham and Salford Community Diagnostic Centres, where they will be involved in delivering clinical care within the RDC.

About us

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) provides hospital and integrated health and social care services to over one million people living across Greater Manchester. Our 20,000 colleagues care for people in hospital and in the community, working across Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford, to save and improve lives.

As a large NHS trust we are committed to enhancing the health of our local population by delivering consistently high standards of care and working closely with local authorities and key partners. We believe in our power and potential to make a difference and we're always looking for people who demonstrate our three core values - care, appreciate and inspire - to join our team.

In return, we can offer you a job role with purpose and flexibility. The size and scale of the NCA means we can provide more challenge and opportunities so your career can always be moving in the right direction. By joining us you can also access a competitive benefits package, including, a fantastic annual leave allowance, flexible working opportunities and protected hours for health and wellbeing activities, helping you to achieve more personal downtime and a better work-life balance.

Job responsibilities

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading. You can also read more information about working at the Northern Care Alliance within the attached Candidate Information Pack or by visiting our careers website: www.careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk

Person Specification

Qualification

• Registered Nurse with current NMC registration
• Degree / diploma in nursing studies (or equivalent nursing qualification and experience)
• Evidence of continuous professional development (CPD)
• Oncology module or equivalent

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Experience of multi-professional working, an effective team member who is able to relate to colleagues at all levels of the organisation with tact and diplomacy
• Effective communication skills in verbal, written and presentations, with advanced communications skills training or prepared to work towards this
• Demonstrate an ability to support and influence change
• Effective organisation and negotiation skills, demonstrating ability to coordinate workload and supervise members of the team
• Ability to work autonomously
• Demonstrate initiative to proactively problem solve with a solution focus
• Evidence of involvement with service users and stakeholders
• Evidence of delivery of high quality, safe and effective, cost -effective patient care
• Evidence of assessing patients in the clinical environment
• Ability to cope with emotional issues presented in the course of work and support others
• Have the ability to recognise own limitations
• Post-basic knowledge of cancer/ cancer pathways or relevant subject

Skills & Abilities

• Ability to travel to different geographical locations across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
• Nurse led triage assessment experience in suspected cancer patients
• Full UK driving license with willingness to use own car for work purposes

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.

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Norther Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Oldham & Salford Community Diagnostic Centres

Norther Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust

Oldham & Salford Community Diagnostic Centres