Job summary
- Main area
- Rheumatology
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 391-NMUH-7378982
- Employer
- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- North Middlesex University Hospital
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £61,631 - £68,623 Per annum inclusive of HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 28/09/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Lead Nurse Rheumatology
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Our trust has over 17,000 staff serving 2 million patients every year. It comprises Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital and more than 30 services in the community. This larger scale organisation provides an unprecedented opportunity for us to continue our pioneering work, particularly in finding ways to deliver even better care to our patients.
Our mission is to deliver world class care and expertise in our clinical services, underpinned by world class teaching and research and we will continue to measure our progress against our five governing objectives: excellent outcomes, excellent patient and staff experience, excellent value for taxpayers’ money, being safe and meeting our external duties, and building a strong organisation.
Everyone is welcome at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME, gender equality, staff carers and people with disabilities and lived experiences to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.
Click here to view our video Welcome to the Royal Free
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a lead rheumatology specialist nurse at North Middlesex health unit. We are seeking an experienced practitioner who is forward thinking, dynamic and proactive to lead the service.
The Rheumatology Department at North Middlesex consists of 4 Consultant Rheumatologists; 3 full time Clinical Nurse Specialists
Rheumatology activities are mainly based in the outpatient setting. There is a significant monitoring workload, especially for patients on Biologic treatments. In the department we promote an active audit and teaching interest to deliver the best care and patient experience. To provide a seamless service, continuity of care provision is essential and paramount and the Lead Nurse for Rheumatology will drive this.
Main duties of the job
The Lead Nurse will be required to actively participate in the assessment and monitoring of patients with rheumatology conditions. They will be pivotal for delivering the strategy of the service and drive it forward with consultant support. They will also be expected to undertake regular audits and will play a pivotal role in the development of strategies and the writing of policies.
The post holder is expected to undertake regular nurse-led clinics in addition to ad hoc clinics. The Lead Nurse for Rheumatology will also be involved in undertaking national and local audits. There is a dedicated patient advice line for patients taking DMARDS and Biologics which the lead nurse will have overall accountability for.
The post holder will provide support to ward nursing staff in the care of rheumatology in-patients and liaise with the Emergency Department and community colleagues in the promotion to avoid admissions. They will also deliver educational requirements with the support of other CNS in the Rheumatology department.
See Job Description for further details.
Working for our organisation
At the Royal Free London, our mission is to be world class in the provision of care and treatment to our local and wider population, clinical research and teaching excellence. We aim to deliver kind and compassionate care in all of our hospitals and satellite areas, to improve lives and help people thrive. We have over 10,000 staff across our various sites, all working towards the same aim which is to ensure our patients receive the very best care.
North Mid is part of North Central London integrated care system – consisting of the NHS and Local authority organisations in Camden, Islington, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey. As with other ICS’s, we are working increasingly closely with partners and indeed many of our financial and performance objectives are measured at this system level. Whilst all organisations remain as standalone, statutory bodies we have an ICS infrastructure for making shared decisions and agreeing shared approaches.
We are proud of our staff and want to ensure their training allows them to provide excellent clinical care. We are also a training unit for medical students from UCL and St George’s University Grenada, and for nursing and midwifery students from Middlesex and City Universities.
Take a tour of our hospital here
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Rheumatology service provides a diagnostic, wide ranging treatments and management advice service for a caseload of patients with a variety of Rheumatological conditions.
Act as a visible role model and expert autonomous practitioner
Provide strategic direction for Clinical Nurses Specialist team
Lead on the development, and implementation of programmes of nursing led care for individual patients and the client group as a whole
Lead training and education for nurses and allied health care professionals within the specialist area, internally and externally
Contribute to development of the department's clinical research strategy, and engage at all levels of research process
Responsibility for excellent standards of nursing care to patients through the planning, co-ordinating, delivering and evaluating nurse-led services
Lead on review and evaluate the provision of patient information & education sessions, in collaboration with the MDT
Work with the clinical team to create and enable a positive patient experience and promote staff wellbeing
See job description and person specification for further details.
Person specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential criteria
- NMC registration
- Masters' Level or working towards it
- Post Registration on Rheumatology
- Independent Nurse prescriber
Desirable criteria
- Leadership course
Skills and Abbilities
Essential criteria
- Able to prioritise workload
- Understanding of national and local audits
Desirable criteria
- Patient teaching experience
Experience
Essential criteria
- Track prove in working with different key stakeholders that impact patients with Rheumatology
- Understanding of Biologics and Able to manage caseload of patients undergoing biologics
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Louise Gillard
- Job title
- Associate Director of Nursing Specialist Medicine
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07483331409
- Additional information
Please contact the above if you wish to discuss the post further or to arrange an informal visit to the department.
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