Job overview

The Wirral Breast Unit has an exciting opportunity for an ANP to join our team.   Our same day diagnostic clinic for new patients provides a fast assessment service for women and men who have been referred by their GP with symptoms such as a breast lump, pain, rash or nipple discharge.

The primary focus of the role is to be an advanced, autonomous practitioner providing patient-centred clinical care, encompassing the skills of assessment, examination, diagnosis, treatment and discharge of patients. The postholder will operate within their own sphere of competence and agreed acceptable limits of practice to provide expert professional clinical advice.  The post is intended to provide improved outcomes for our patients in a rapid diagnostic service, by providing safe, kind and effective care.

The post holder will support our family history service that offers risk assessments to women who have breast cancer in their family. This includes personal risk of developing cancer and an assessment of the family risk of carrying a genetic alteration pre-disposing to these.

The postholder will also assist in the development of Breast Services in collaboration with members of the multi-disciplinary team in line with local and national initiatives.

Ideally, the successful candidate will possess advanced clinical and communication skills and will be able to demonstrate a sound understanding of the issues related to Breast. But training and support will be provided into the specialty.

Main duties of the job

Initiate and undertake preliminary investigations, under agreed protocols, following clinical assessment e.g. ultrasound and mammogram requests, appropriate blood analysis, Chest x-ray, ECG, and cardiovascular investigations.

Implement decisions made by senior medical staff.

Undertake advanced diagnostic and therapeutic procedures under agreed protocols e.g. assessment and drainage of breast abscesses, wound management and closure. (This list is not exhaustive and will expand with development of the ANP role).

Clerking Breast admissions.

Independently perform clinical review and formulate individual care and management plans.

Obtain consent for treatment/procedure as required.

Complete discharge summaries to General Practitioners.

Make appropriate referrals to specialties and professions allied to medicine both autonomously and on behalf of consultants to allow appropriate disposal of patients in the Breast Department.

Undertake research and audit within the service as required.

Develop practice-based protocols to lead advanced level of professional practice in care.

Implement and undertake training programmes for health professionals using specialist knowledge and skills.

Advocate health promotion strategies and modification of lifestyles/behaviour in terms of prevention of deterioration in disease process.

Undertake verification of deaths in the Breast Department.

Working for our organisation

All new colleagues can expect to receive a warm and friendly Wirral welcome from the very first time they make contact with us. We are described as “competent and caring staff” by our patients.

Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is situated on The Wirral peninsula which has a stunning coastline and beautiful countryside surroundings, with great activities for its residents.

We are one of the largest and busiest acute Trusts in the North West of England, comprising of the Wirral’s only Emergency Department. We provide a high quality range of acute care services and employ over 6,000 staff, who serve a population of approximately 400,000 people across Wirral, Ellesmere Port, Neston, North Wales and the wider North West footprint.

We have approximately 855 beds trust-wide and our financial turnover is in excess of £337m.

The Wirral is easily accessible with excellent transport links including motorway, train, bus or ferry and within easy reach to the major cities of Liverpool, Chester and Manchester as well as neighbouring North Wales.