Lead Cancer Nurse: Sponsorship Available

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

Lead the future of cancer care across Somerset

This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced and inspirational cancer nursing leader to shape and influence cancer services across Somerset.

As our Lead Cancer Nurse, you will provide strategic and professional leadership for specialist cancer nurses and Allied Health Professionals across the Trust. Working at a senior level, you will play a pivotal role in developing outstanding patient-centred cancer services, improving outcomes, enhancing patient experience, and ensuring our workforce is equipped to meet the growing needs of our communities.

You will work collaboratively with clinical, operational and executive colleagues, leading major service improvements and influencing cancer care delivery across organisational and system boundaries.

Main duties of the job

Reporting to the Associate Director of Patient Care within Clinical Support & Cancer Services, you will:

  • Lead the development and delivery of the Trust-wide Cancer Nursing Strategy.
  • Provide professional leadership and oversight for specialist cancer nursing teams and AHPs.
  • Champion high-quality, patient-centred cancer care across acute and community settings.
  • Drive service improvement programmes, quality assurance initiatives and clinical governance activities.
  • Lead workforce planning, development and succession planning for cancer nursing services.
  • Work closely with regional and national partners, including SWAG Cancer Alliance and Somerset ICB.
  • Ensure patient experience and the patient voice remain central to service development and improvement.
  • Influence strategic decision-making at Trust, system and regional levels.
  • Represent the Trust as a senior cancer nursing leader in regional and national forums.

If you are an experienced cancer nursing leader with the vision, credibility and passion to make a difference across Somerset, we would love to hear from you.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Registered Nurse with current NMC registration
  • Educated to degree level in a relevant subject
  • Postgraduate diploma or MSc in Nursing, or equivalent experience
  • Evidence of ongoing professional development

Desirable

  • Cancer specific qualification
  • Quality improvement or audit training
  • Root cause analysis training

Experience

Essential

  • Leading and developing teams
  • Understanding of the environment in which the Trust operates, its role in serving the public, and the national agenda for the NHS
  • Experience of working in a senior nursing role in cancer services
  • Experience of working in multidisciplinary teams
  • Operational and clinical management in a complex healthcare setting
  • Change management including patient pathway redesign
  • Clinical governance, clinical risk management, audit and peer review processes

Additional Criteria

Essential

  • Please refer to the attached Job Description

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Closing Date: 22 October 2026

To apply for this job please visit somersetft.tal.net.