About this role
Job summary
Be part of something new, meaningful, and truly life-changing. As a Clinical Nurse Specialist with Marie Curies Sunderland Identification and Support Service, youll help shape an innovative service designed to reach people earlier, offer compassionate expert support, and make a lasting difference to those approaching the end of life and the people who matter most to them.
Main duties of the job
This role supports the newly established Sunderland Identification and Support Service, helping identify and support people who may be approaching the last year of life.
Working in Primary Care, you will use the NHS Early Identification Tool to identify patients who may need palliative care support, build relationships with patients and families, support advance care planning, assess needs through home visits, and coordinate referrals to hospice, voluntary and community services. The role is autonomous, involving caseload management, partnership working, service development, and support for the Healthcare
About us
Marie Curie is the UK's leading end-of-life charity. We are the largest non-NHS provider of end-of-life care in the UK, the only provider across all 4 nations, delivering palliative and end of life care and support across the country, while providing information and support on all aspects of dying, death, and bereavement. Our leading research pushes the boundaries of what we know about good end-of-life, and our campaigns fight for a world where everyone gets to have the best possible quality of life while living with an illness, they're likely to die from.
Job description Job responsibilities
Join Marie Curie and help shape a new service that will make a real difference to people approaching the end of life.
Clinical Nurse Specialist - Sunderland Identification and Support Service
Salary: Marie Curie Clinical Pay Scale, aligned with AFC Band 6 £39,959 - £48,117 per annum (£19.98 - £24.06 per hour) pro rata
Hours: Full Time (37.5 hours) and Part Time (22.5 hours) available
Contract: Permanent
Location: Broadway Medical Centre, Springwell Health Centre, Springwell Road, Sunderland, SR3 4HG
Working Pattern: Monday to Friday
Closing Date: 9 August 2026
Interview Date: To be confirmed
About the Role
This is an exciting opportunity to join our newly established Sunderland Identification and Support Service and play a key role in improving outcomes for people who may be approaching the last year of life.
Working within Primary Care, you will use the NHS Early Identification Tool to proactively identify patients who are likely to be in their final year of life but who may not yet have been recognised as requiring palliative care support.
As the first point of contact, you will build meaningful relationships with patients and their families, offering personalised support, facilitating advance care planning conversations, and helping individuals access the services and resources that can make a real difference to their quality of life.
You will undertake home visits, assess patient needs, provide expert advice, and coordinate referrals to hospice, voluntary sector and community-based services. This is a highly autonomous role, giving you the opportunity to manage your own caseload while working collaboratively with GP practices, community teams, hospice services and wider health and care partners across Sunderland.
The role also includes supporting the Healthcare Assistant within the service, contributing to training and development activities, and participating in incident reviews and service improvement initiatives.
About You
We are looking for a compassionate and experienced nurse with a strong background in palliative and end of life care who is passionate about proactive, patient-centred support.
You will have:
Registered Nurse status with current NMC registration Experience in palliative and end of life care A mentorship, teaching or assessor qualification, or equivalent experience Excellent communication skills with the confidence to lead sensitive and complex conversations Strong assessment, care planning and clinical decision-making abilities The ability to work independently and manage a varied caseload effectively Knowledge of community health and social care services An understanding of the needs of patients approaching the end of life and during the terminal phase Experience of working collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams Cultural awareness and competence in delivering person-centred care A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle insured for business useCore working hours are 8.30 am to 4.30 pm; however, flexibility is required to meet the needs of patients, including occasional out-of-hours appointments.
What You'll Gain
At Marie Curie, we are committed to supporting our people to thrive professionally and personally through a range of excellent benefits, including:
27 days annual leave plus 8 public holidays (pro rata) Competitive family-friendly and sick pay policies Comprehensive continuing professional development opportunities Industry-leading learning and training programmes Defined contribution pension schemes Marie Curie Group Personal Pension Scheme Season Ticket Loan scheme Cycle, computer and satellite navigation loan schemes Introduce a Friend scheme Support with eye care costs Blue Light Card entitlement Benefit Hub employee discount scheme 15% staff discount in all Marie Curie shops Life assurance coverApply Now
If you are an experienced nurse looking for the opportunity to shape and develop an innovative service while making a lasting difference to patients and families across Sunderland, we would love to hear from you.
To apply, please upload your most recent CV demonstrating, how you meet the person specification and why you would like to work for Marie Curie.
Together, we can ensure more people receive the care and support they need at the end of life.
Additional Information
At Marie Curie, our values are central to everything we do. They guide how we care for people, how we work together, and how we make decisions every day. We are committed to creating a workplace that is safe for everyone staff and volunteers alike supportive, inclusive and rewarding. We take stringent steps to ensure that anyone who joins our organisation are suitable for their roles and are committed to safeguarding all our people from harm. We actively consider our impact on the planet, embedding sustainability into everyday decisions to create a lasting, positive difference for the individuals we care for and the world we share.
We believe everyone should have the opportunity to thrive and fulfil their potential. Marie Curie is deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, recognising both the social justice imperative and the strength a diverse workforce brings. We actively encourage applications from people of all cultures, perspectives and lived experiences.
We are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. If you require any support, please contact us at [email protected].
Every application we receive is personally reviewed by a member of our Talent Acquisition team, and in return, we ask that your application authentically reflects you your experience, perspective and voice.
This role will be subject to receiving an enhanced DBS criminal record check.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early. Agencies need not apply.
At Marie Curie, our values are central to everything we do. They guide how we care for
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Registered Nurse status with current NMC registration; Experience in palliative and end of life care; A mentorship, teaching or assessor qualification, or equivalent experience.
Desirable
Excellent communication skills with the confidence to lead sensitive and complex conversations; Strong assessment, care planning and clinical decision-making abilities; Knowledge of community health and social care services.
Experience Essential
Experience of working collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams; Cultural awareness and competence in delivering person-centred care; A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle insured for business use.
Desirable
The ability to work independently and manage a varied caseload effectively; An understanding of the needs of patients approaching the end of life and during the terminal phase.
Additional criteria Essential
Compassionate and experienced nurse with a strong background in palliative and end of life care who is passionate about proactive, patient-centred support.
Desirable
Flexibility to meet the needs of patients, including occasional out-of-hours appointments.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Marie Curie
Address Broadway Medical Centre, Springwell Health Centre,
Springwell Road
Sunderland
North East
SR3 4HG
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)