Job overview

The job purpose is to form the core of a device assisted therapies (DAT)service at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. This service forms a comprehensive care pathway for those with advanced/complex Parkinson’s disease, allowing equitable access to infusion based dopaminergic treatments (apomorphine, foslevodopa-foscarbidopa and levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel) and Deep Brain Stimulation within the catchment area of UHPNT.

Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS at Risk staff throughout Devon who is able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.

Main duties of the job

UHPNT will be the first centre across the South West Peninsula to run a dedicated DAT clinic, it is anticipated that satellite clinics will in due course open at other acute NHS Trusts across the South West Peninsula. Part of the role of the proposed candidates will be to provide support for Parkinson’s nurse specialists to establish and run clinics at these centres. This will entail a strong element of regional education to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing of best practice. 

The role is anticipated to be predominately hospital based. Most clinical contact will be in person, either at UHPNT sites or within the community (including where appropriate at the patient home). There may be a limited opportunity for some home working, however this would be anticipated to be largely restricted to administrative or service development tasks.  

The role will require a prescribing qualification, however we encourage applications from those who do not currently possess this qualification, as we will provide support and time for the right candidate to obtain this. In this case appointed candidates will commence to role at band 6 level with progression to band 7 upon completion of a prescribing qualification. We will also consider applications on a less than full time basis for this role.

Working for our organisation

We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.