Colorectal Lead Nurse | Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
| Posting date: | 24 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £55,690 - £62,682 Per Annum (Subject to formal banding) |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 26 March 2026 |
| Location: | Dorchester, DT1 2JY |
| Company: | Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | 7763665/405-26-NM080COLO |
Summary
The Lead Colorectal Nurse is a senior advanced clinical practitioner responsible for the delivery, leadership and development of nurse‑led colorectal services across the Trust. The post holder provides autonomous assessment, diagnosis and management of patients with colorectal symptoms, ensuring safe, timely and high‑quality care aligned to national cancer and RTT standards.
The role combines advanced clinical practice with service leadership, workforce oversight and clinical governance responsibilities. The post holder will lead nurse‑led symptomatic and urgent suspected cancer pathways, provide professional leadership to the colorectal nursing workforce, and work closely with consultant colleagues, operational managers and primary care partners to optimise patient pathways and overall service performance.
The post holder will provide expert autonomous clinical practice, delivering a range of nurse‑led colorectal clinics including symptomatic assessment, urgent suspected cancer and follow‑up clinics. They will undertake advanced assessment, diagnostic decision‑making, independent prescribing and the requesting and interpretation of investigations. They will act as named clinician for defined surveillance cohorts and provide specialist advice to primary care with appropriate escalation to consultant surgeons.
The role includes leading the operational delivery and development of nurse‑led colorectal pathways, ensuring adequate clinic capacity, monitoring pathway performance and cancer standards, and contributing to demand‑and‑capacity planning and service improvement. The post holder will provide line management, leadership and supervision to the colorectal CNS workforce, supporting staff development, performance management and advanced practice competency.
They will act as a senior clinical leader within Trust governance structures, contributing to PSIRF processes, morbidity and mortality discussions, audit, quality improvement and compliance with professional standards. The role requires effective communication of complex information, close multidisciplinary working, and representation of colorectal nursing at internal and external forums. The post holder will maintain high professional standards and support education, research and ongoing development within the service.
At DCHFT, we pride ourselves on the care we provide for our patients, and on the culture, we are creating for our staff. We work hard to create a fair, inclusive environment for our staff.
Our Mission is to work in partnership to provide high quality, compassionate services and to nurture an environment where people can be at their best. Our vision is healthier lives, empowered citizens, thriving communities.
We are a Trust that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from people in all under-represented groups.
We understand that some applicants may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in preparing their application materials. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind candidates that all submissions must be truthful and accurately reflect your own experiences and suitability for this role.
Personal integrity and authenticity are central to our recruitment process. We value honesty and appreciate applications that are genuine and representative of the individual behind them.
This role is eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). We welcome applications from individuals who require sponsorship to work in the UK. Sponsorship will be offered subject to meeting UKVI eligibility criteria.
Our DCHFT Job Description and Person Specification (attached) tells you all about this role, what to expect and what is needed to succeed. When completing your application please make sure to tell us how your experience and skills fit the person specification.
Please contact us at Recruitment@dchft.nhs.uk if you are unable to view or download the attachment.
For all our roles, we are looking for staff who hold our Trust Values of Integrity, Respect Teamwork and Excellence, and who are passionate about providing the best patient care. To read more about our Trust and our Values search Dorset County Hospital online.
This advert closes on Monday 9 Mar 2026
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