Bowel Cancer Screening Specialist Practitioner – Liverpool

A pivotal role in supporting the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) by:

• Working collaboratively with the Programme Hub.
• Co-ordinating and providing care from the screening centre to address the needs of individuals arising as a consequence of the screening programme.
• Co-ordinating health promotion activities by all sections of society.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Bowel Cancer Screening Specialist Practitioner to join the team working in the Liverpool and Wirral Bowel Screening Centre (Royal Hospital site). You will be dynamic, highly motivated and flexible in your approach to work. You will be responsible for delivering the highest quality of care to patients identified by the screening programme, including assessment for endoscopic procedures, delivery of results, and onward referral as required.

You will need to be able to make clinically informed decisions to manage patients along the screening pathway and follow them up afterwards. RGN registered with the NMC, ability and willingness to work flexible hours and travel between the centres associated sites across the region as required by the job role. Previous endoscopic, gastroenterological or bowel cancer screening experience is desirable but not essential.

Provide advice, information and support for those making direct contact with the screening centre. Be responsible for care delivery to patients identified by the screening programme, meeting the needs of patients arising from:

• Having been called to participate in screening.
• Having been identified as positive on screening.
• Having taken part in the Lynch programme.
• Needing to be assessed as fit to undertake screening colonoscopy or alternative diagnostic investigations.
• Needing to make informed decisions prior to undergoing screening colonoscopy or alternative diagnostic interventions.
• Having been identified as requiring further intervention, treatment, surveillance follow-up or discharge.

Use specialist knowledge and advanced communication skills with patients and carers when breaking bad news and providing psychological support on diagnosis, treatment and symptom management. Ensure timely access to screening colonoscopy or alternative diagnostic intervention and seamless transition to agreed pathways in primary, secondary, tertiary or out-patient care settings during all stages of the screening pathway.

Establish effective links with local colorectal cancer multi-disciplinary teams to ensure timely presentation and transfer of patients when cancer is detected. Establish links with local Lynch multidisciplinary teams to manage this cohort of patients effectively.

Populate and maintain the BCSP local database. Participate in ongoing data collection and quality assurance, service feedback and audit with particular responsibility for the follow-up of patients at 30 days. Perform comprehensive assessment of patient needs, plan, implement and evaluate care according to BCSP. Collect, collate, evaluate and report information, maintaining accurate patient records. Work collaboratively with other professionals and organisations to ensure patient needs are met, especially in relation to referrals to local MDTs.