Band 6 Specialist Palliative Care Nurse
At a glance
- Band
- Band 6
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Part-time
- Hours / week
- 30
- Posted
- 04/09/2026
- Closes
- 22/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This contract type is not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
NHS Trusts cannot issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for part-time, bank, locum, zero-hours, job-share or short fixed-term (under 12 months) contracts under current Home Office rules. This applies even when the wider Trust holds a Skilled Worker licence.
Role summary
This is an exciting opportunity for a Band 6 Specialist Palliative Care Nurse to join the team at West Cumberland Hospital. The role involves providing high-quality, person-centred care to patients and their families, developing specialist palliative care skills, and working autonomously to manage a clinical caseload. The post holder will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to deliver compassionate care across hospital sites and support community teams. It is ideal for someone with palliative care experience looking to specialise further.
Essential criteria
- Registered Nurse (Level 1) with current professional registration.
- Evidence of sustained personal and professional development.
- Degree-level education or equivalent experience.
- Post-registration qualification or demonstrable specialist development in palliative care or a relevant field.
Desirable criteria
- Post-registration qualification in palliative care, oncology, advanced communication or another relevant clinical speciality.
- Evidence of undertaking relevant specialist palliative care education or development.
- Evidence of ongoing professional development relevant to the role.
- Knowledge and Experience
- Demonstrable specialist knowledge of palliative and end-of-life care.
- Experience assessing and managing patients with complex palliative care needs.
- Knowledge of clinical governance, quality improvement and evidence-based practice
- Understanding of multidisciplinary and cross-organisational working
- Ability to apply evidence and professional guidance to practice.
- Experience supporting education, supervision or development of colleagues
- Experience of working within a specialist palliative care service.
- Experience of caring for patients with complex palliative and end-of-life care needs.
- Experience of supporting patients and families with advance care planning and complex decision-making.
- Experience of working across organisational boundaries, including acute, community, primary care or hospice settings.
- Experience of supporting or delivering education to other healthcare professionals.
- Experience of participating in clinical audit, service improvement or research.
- Knowledge of current developments and national guidance relating to palliative and end-of-life care.
- Knowledge of advance care planning, treatment escalation planning and end-of-life care
- Knowledge of symptom management and the principles of palliative prescribing.
- Awareness of the wider health and social care system and the role of different services in supporting patients with palliative care needs
- Skills and Aptitudes
- Highly developed verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to communicate sensitively in difficult and emotionally challenging situations.
- Ability to work autonomously and prioritise competing demands.
- Sound clinical judgement and recognition of professional limitations.
- Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
- Ability to contribute to audit, quality improvement and service development.
- Competent IT and electronic record-keeping skills.
- Experience or competence in non-medical prescribing.
- Advanced communication skills, including experience of facilitating difficult or complex conversations.
- Experience of using electronic patient record systems and clinical information systems.
- Ability to contribute to quality improvement and service development.
- Personal Circumstances
- Flexible and adaptable to changing service needs
- Self-motivated, compassionate and approachable.
- Able to work effectively in unpredictable and emotionally demanding situations.
- Able to demonstrate tact, diplomacy and professional resilience.
- Satisfactory occupational health screening.
- Current driving licence and ability to travel between service locations where required.
- Ability and willingness to work across both hospital sites and provide support to community services where required.
- Ability to travel between service locations as required by the needs of the role.
- Registered Nurse (Level 1) with current professional registration.
- Evidence of sustained personal and professional development.
- Degree-level education or equivalent experience.
- Post-registration qualification or demonstrable specialist development in palliative care or a relevant field.
- Post-registration qualification in palliative care, oncology, advanced communication or another relevant clinical speciality.
- Evidence of undertaking relevant specialist palliative care education or development.
- Evidence of ongoing professional development relevant to the role.
- Knowledge and Experience
- Demonstrable specialist knowledge of palliative and end-of-life care.
- Experience assessing and managing patients with complex palliative care needs.
- Knowledge of clinical governance, quality improvement and evidence-base
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 6 at £37,338 – £44,962 a year, across England.
This advert: £39,959 – £48,117 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 3d ago · Closes in 16d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Band 6 Specialist Palliative Care Nurse
The closing date is 22 September 2026
Job summary
An exciting opportunity for a Band 6 Specialist Palliative Care Nurse to join the Specialist Palliative Care team at West Cumberland Hospital, providing high-quality, person-centred care to patients and their families. The role offers the opportunity to develop specialist palliative care skills, working alongside Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs), the Consultant in Palliative Medicine and the wider multidisciplinary team to support the delivery of compassionate care across the hospital.
The post holder will manage a clinical caseload, prioritising and responding appropriately to the fluctuating and sometimes unpredictable needs of patients and families. They will work with a high degree of autonomy, using professional judgement and seeking support from senior colleagues when required. The post holder will work flexibly across both hospital sites and provide support to community teams where required, according to the needs of the service.
This would be an ideal role for someone who has some knowledge and experience in palliative care and would like to develop their skills and pursue a specialism in this area of care, supported by an experienced specialist team.
Based at West Cumberland Hospital, the post will support patients w
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