Viral Hepatitis Clinical Nurse Specialist

Overview

The post-holder will deliver high-quality care across Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust as part of a specialist multidisciplinary team supporting patients with viral hepatitis. They will play a key role in ensuring coordinated, timely, and seamless care for this patient group.

The Division is committed to fostering staff development and service excellence through robust training, education, and clinical practice across both acute and community settings.

Working under the guidance of the Lead Hepatology Clinical Nurse Specialists and senior colleagues, the post-holder will exercise clinical judgment in assessing, planning, and implementing treatment, ensuring patients and carers receive appropriate support and advice.

• To effectively deliver an evidence-based expert nursing service within an integrated specialist team
• To autonomously run nurse‑led clinics, subject to achieving required competencies, across secondary care and in the community setting to provide care for patients enrolled on the antiviral therapy care pathway, including antenatal viral hepatitis referrals
• To provide co‑ordinated care, in conjunction with senior members of the multi‑disciplinary team, for complex patients with viral hepatitis and risk factors for HCC
• To provide appropriate monitoring of patients living with Hepatitis B and/or Hepatitis C Virus on or off antiviral therapy, inclusive of HCC screening
• To collect appropriate data against NICE guidance and use audit as a tool to improve practice and evaluate services
• To provide a specialist nursing service for patients with viral hepatitis internal and external to the trust within an integrated team structure
• To work within the CNS team structure to provide adequate cross‑cover for nurse‑led and multi‑disciplinary clinics
• To accept responsibility for ensuring that new and follow‑up patients undergo clinical assessment and have an accurate plan of care in line with team protocols and guidelines, reflecting individual co‑morbidities, lifestyle issues and any recommendations made
• To co‑ordinate nurse‑led assessments for patients requiring antiviral therapy
• To initiate, monitor and adjust antiviral treatment (AVT) regimes as necessary, according to protocols, in conjunction with and under the supervision of the MDT
• To identify and initiate appropriate steps for effective care, including:
  • Requesting appropriate investigations to inform diagnosis or disease staging
  • Ensuring all patients who are new to the service are offered HIV testing
  • Performing Fibroscan to contribute to clinical decision‑making
  • Sequential monitoring of patients with HBV and HCV to identify patients with active disease
  • Requesting and interpreting relevant blood tests
  • Making and receiving referrals relating to antiviral treatment, including in antenatal care
  • Monitoring patients at high risk of developing complications of viral hepatitis including HCC
  • Working closely within the Operation Delivery Network, including weekly attendance at the KCH‑led viral hepatitis MDM
• To act as a patient’s advocate and counsel, maintaining a support network and contact link for patients and/or families/carers during and following treatment
• To maintain patient and carer confidentiality and preserve their dignity and privacy, at all times and in all situations
• To participate in local and regional multi‑disciplinary meetings (MDM) for patients with viral hepatitis to ensure adequate supervision and adherence to clinical governance
• To deliver safe, effective, evidence‑based health care by working within guidelines and using protocols developed for viral hepatitis and, in line with Trust policies and guidelines
• To attend meetings relevant to the role and represent views of others in formal surroundings
• To contribute both formally and informally to the education, training and development of clinical staff across the integrated pathway of care
• To contribute to the implementation of NICE guidance to ensure the continuous education of staff in appropriate clinical areas in relation to their understanding and utilisation of evidence‑based practice
• To establish effective working relationships with other health‑care professionals whose role impinges on the service

We reserve the right to close the post before the stated closing date, please apply early.

Please note that sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route is subject to Trust allocation and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) approval.

We encourage all suitable candidates to apply, including those who are Black, Asian or other ethnic minorities, have a disability (visible or not), or are LGBT+. We have staff networks for disability, LGBT+, multicultural inclusion and women, and we celebrate diversity across our workforce.