Specialist Palliative Care Nursing Team Lead

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare institution in Cambridge is seeking a Lead Nurse for Specialist Palliative Care to lead their nursing team. This key role involves managing complex palliative care cases, overseeing daily operations, and championing staff education and development. The successful candidate will bring advanced clinical expertise and strong leadership skills to drive innovation and enhance patient experience across both inpatient and outpatient services. Competitive benefits and flexible working arrangements are offered.

Benefits

On-site leisure facilities

Reduced cost bus travel

Flexible work arrangements

Colleague-only café

Subsidised parking

Qualifications

• Experience managing complex palliative care cases.
• Track record in education and training delivery.
• Experience in audit and research within palliative care.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Palliative Care nursing team.
• Oversee day-to-day operations of the service.
• Support staff development and training.

Skills

Advanced clinical expertise

Leadership

Communication skills

Education and training development

Audit and research experience

Education

Registered Nurse qualification

Job description

Lead Nurse – Specialist Palliative Care

We are seeking an inspiring and expert Lead Nurse for Specialist Palliative Care to lead our Palliative Care nursing team of Clinical Nurse Specialists and Specialist Support Nurses. This is a new role to introduce strategy and vision for specialist palliative care nursing across Cambridge University Hospitals.

This senior role offers the opportunity to provide strong professional leadership while remaining grounded in clinical practice. You will oversee the day-to-day running of the specialist palliative care nursing service, support and develop a skilled team of CNSs and SSNs, and ensure our care pathways remain safe, effective and aligned with national standards. Working closely with medical colleagues, senior nursing colleagues, operations teams and partners across the system, you will help to strengthen patient experience and drive innovation across both inpatient and outpatient services, including the anticipated Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital.

You will bring advanced clinical expertise to the management of complex palliative care cases, offering autonomous assessment, symptom management and sensitive communication at times of uncertainty. Alongside this, you will champion the education, wellbeing and professional growth of the specialist nursing workforce, fostering a culture that values excellence, compassion and continual improvement.

A key aspect of the role will be contributing to the multi-disciplinary development, and supporting the running of, a new end of life care ward, scheduled to open in early 2026. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape a cohesive, collaborative model of care across the hospital, while working with our community and ICB partners to influence the design of future services across community and hospice settings.

Crucial to the role is also track records in development and delivery of education, experience of audit and research in palliative care, and an interest in Quality Improvement would be advantageous.

Why choose Cambridge University Hospitals?

• Our values and reputation for outstanding care
• Opportunities to experience a range of specialities
• Career and development opportunities
• Preceptorship and mentoring programmes delivered by a dedicated clinical education support team
• Research experience and opportunities
• Lovely location and quality of life
• Excellent schools/colleges and transport links (road, rail and air)

Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.

Immigration and Prioritisation

Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:

• applied for a Graduate visa
• or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment
• or the Trust has agreed that they will Sponsor you as a Skilled Worker and you will complete your studies within 3 months of the anticipated start

For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.

Application Details

This vacancy will close at midnight on 26 January 2026.
Interviews are due to be held on 17 February 2026.

Benefits to you

At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.

On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.

CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.

Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.

We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.

This advert closes on Monday 26 Jan 2026.