Multiple Sclerosis ACP Team Leader

Job Overview

The MS Team within Frimley Health is long established and passionate about delivering excellence in care to people living with MS. An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced MS Nurse to join the team as an ACP and team leader.

You will work at an advanced practitioner level, providing clinical support and leadership to the MS Nursing teams cross site. You will review patients in clinic and virtually, prescribing appropriate therapies as agreed by MDT, and symptom management therapies. You will be actively involved (with the support of the consultant nurse) in strategic planning and the service delivery of MS nursing care and will be required to equally divide your time equally across both Frimley Park and Wexham Park Hospitals.

This is an 18 month fixed term contract. There is a requirement to work in both Frimley Park and Wexham Park hospitals.

Main duties of the job

• You will be a non medical prescriber and have completed your health assessment module.
• You will be required to examine patients in clinic and measure their EDSS which is a requirement set by NHSE when prescribing disease modifying therapies.
• You will assess patients for relapse, disease progression and symptom management.
• You will request relevant imaging according to protocol and patient need.
• You will lead the nursing team and support their development and learning and work closely with the consultant nurse and neurology team manager on service development initiatives.

Working for our organisation

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is committed to being an inclusive and disability confident employer and has been awarded the Gold for the Armed Forces Employment Recognition Scheme. We provide first class development opportunities for all staff and have a wide range of professional, management and leadership, and clinical skills training available.

Here at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, we know how important it is to have a healthy work life balance; this benefits not only individuals but the patients we care for too.

We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service and its users.

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Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• To work at an advanced practitioner level supporting the consultant nurse and consultant neurologist in leading and evolving MS services for patients with a new or established diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS).
• The post holder will continue to develop nurse led services cross site including developing and reviewing protocols/ guidelines, utilising evidence-based research. Actively disseminate best practice though academia and conference presentation and participate in MS clinical research studies.
• Provide support and clinical advice to all patients across the disease trajectory. Initiating and prescribing disease modifying therapy and overseeing the blood monitoring of these treatments.
• Assess the patient’s needs then develop, prescribe and adjust treatment plans.
• Establish external funding sources for the Trust (where appropriate) to enable sustainability and expansion of existing services and the development of new services.
• Work in conjunction with CCG’s/ICB’s to develop the MS pathway in line with the integrated care system.
• To operate at a strategic level with regards to development of services cross site with the support from the consultant nurse, and working with the multi-disciplinary team to ensure equality and excellence in care for people with MS.
• Manage the existing and expanding MS nursing team cross site which consists of MS Specialist Nurses, MS Co-ordinators and a community team of MS practitioners – ensuring annual appraisals are maintained and educational needs are met to ensure they meet the required criteria for revalidation by the NMC.
• Working closely with the Neurology Integrated Team Manager and supporting them with the wider neurology department during periods of absence.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• First level registration
• MSc in Advanced Practice or working towards
• Physical assessment and history taking module, Level 7
• Non- medical prescribing module
• MS Development Module
• GCP trained
• Mentor qualification

Desirable criteria

• Neurological examination course.

Experience

Essential criteria

• Extensive experience working in MS care as a Band 7
• Significant experience of managing complex care needs for people living with MS
• Prescribing experience
• Research experience

Desirable criteria

• Team leadership
• Experience and exposure to strategic planning and implementation of change management and service development
• Experience of managing employee relations issues

Skills

Essential criteria

• High level communication skills including excellent presentation, verbal and written skills
• Confident in analysing and interpreting blood results and acting accordingly within scope of practice
• Ability to demonstrate highly advanced clinical reasoning skills
• Remains up-to-date with professional practice and new research with evidence of personal contribution
• Demonstrates up-to-date in-depth knowledge of DMT’s, including NHSE prescribing criteria and processes

Desirable criteria

• Experience with using EPIC EPR system
• Triaging general neurology referrals

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust (FHFT) is proud of its strong reputation, record of achievement and ambition for the future. We serve a population of over 900,000 people across Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and South Buckinghamshire, and remain committed to improving the health and wellbeing of our communities.

Our new organisational strategy – FHFT 2030 – sets out our ambition to be the best place to receive care and the best place to work in the NHS. Underpinned by our Trust values – Committed to Excellence, Working Together, Facing the Future, and being a modern, compassionate, Healthcare Organisation – we are creating a culture where our people can thrive and patients always come first.

We continue to invest heavily in our services and facilities. This includes the development of a new hospital at Frimley Park, major expansion of diagnostics and inpatient capacity, and the continued transformation of services across our sites. We have already delivered a brand-new £100m state-of-the-art Heatherwood Hospital, a £49m Emergency Assessment Centre at Wexham Park, and a £10m upgrade to maternity services.

We are also committed to sustainability and the NHS Net Zero ambition. Our new hospital and estate developments are being designed to be environmentally responsible, energy efficient, and future-proofed, featuring on-site renewables energy and intelligent energy systems. Through our green plan, we are embedding sustainable practices across all areas of care and operations, ensuring we reduce our environmental impact while improving population health and wellbeing. Our staff are key to helps us deliver on our ambition and to ensure sustainability is a core component of care delivery and our operations.

Alongside estates’ investments, we are embedding a strong focus on digital innovation and quality improvement. Our electronic patient record (Epic), launched in 2024, is already enabling safer, more connected, and more effective care for patients, while giving staff the tools they need to do their best work. Our electronic patient record also supports safe and effective digitised care pathways, savings time and carbon, whilst delivering excellent quality of care.

Everything we do is guided by our values, shaping how we care for patients, support colleagues, and build a sustainable future for healthcare together.

Apply online now