About this role
Job summary
Role: Hospice Nurse Specialist (HNS)
Hours: Full time 37 hours
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £49,387 - £56,515 per annum (4-point scale), plus an unsocial hours enhancement of £1,733 based on Point 1. Total annual package: £51,120
Appointments are normally made at Point 1 of the salary scale, in line with the organisations pay policy. A higher starting salary may be considered where the successful candidate demonstrates relevant experience, skills and competencies for the role.
Closing date: 03 August 2026
Interview date: 11 August 2026
Do you have a passion for palliative and end-of-life care?
Would you like to be part of an Outstanding-rated hospice team, providing compassionate care that makes a genuine difference to patients and those important to them?
At Wigan & Leigh Hospice, our people are at the heart of everything we do.
Together, we deliver outstanding specialist care and support to people living with life-limiting illnesses and those important to them.
We are proud to be rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), reflecting the dedication, expertise and compassion of our colleagues and volunteers.
Our values: Compassion, Accessibility, Respect and Excellence - are at the heart of everything we do.
We are seeking a compassionate and motivated Registered Nurse (Adult) with current NMC registration to join our Hospice Nurse Specialist team, providing safe, responsive and high-quality specialist palliative care to patients and their families.
Main duties of the job
This is an opportunity to use your clinical expertise, judgement and communication skills to make a meaningful difference at one of the most important times in peoples lives. We are looking for someone with excellent communication skills, emotional resilience and the ability to manage complex and sensitive conversations.
Experience in palliative care, oncology or managing complex long-term conditions is desirable, although we welcome nurses from all clinical backgrounds who are keen to develop specialist skills. You will need to work autonomously while contributing effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team, with a commitment to person-centred specialist palliative care.
Working across community and outpatient settings, you will provide specialist palliative care assessments, reviews, symptom management and personalised care planning for patients with complex needs. You will support advance care planning, helping patients achieve their preferred place of care where possible, while providing compassionate support to families and carers.
You will contribute to our daily WHISPAR Single Point of Access meetings, supporting referral triage, appropriate allocation of patients and timely access to services. You will work collaboratively with healthcare professionals, contribute to education and learning, and promote best practice across the hospice and wider teams.
About us
This is a 37-hour per week role, working Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm. The post also forms part of a weekend rotational shift pattern, requiring flexibility to work 10 weekends per year (Saturday and Sunday), including bank holidays where required, as part of an agreed rota.
Please note: This role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route of the UKs points-based immigration system. Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK and will be required to provide evidence of this before taking up the post.
Successful appointments will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) check as part of the pre-employment screening process
If you have not heard from us within two weeks after the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. We appreciate the time and effort taken to apply and thank you for your interest in joining our team.
For more than 40 years, Wigan & Leigh Hospice has supported people living with life-limiting illnesses and those important to them across our local community.
As an independent charity, we provide specialist palliative and end-of-life care tailored to the needs of each individual.
We are committed to protect the privacy and security of your personal information. To see how we do this please visit our website and read our Role Applicants Data Protection Compliance Statement (Privacy Notice).
Job description Job responsibilities
** For details of the job description and person specification for this role please refer to the attached job description **
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
1st level Registered General Nurse (RGN) Degree in a health-related subject Advanced Communication skills
Desirable
Recognised Post-registration Palliative Care Qualification Independent prescribing qualification
Experience Essential
Significant post registration experience of professional practice with patients with progressive and/or complex conditions Experience of advance care planning Experience of caseload management including review of referrals, triage and case reviews Experience of using clinical systems and good clinical record keeping skills Proven experience of working effectively in a team. The ability to establish and maintain good relationships with the multi-disciplinary team. Experience of the provision of supervision, development and mentoring of others
Desirable
Significant experience of palliative and end of life care provision Experience working in a community setting Experience of delivering formal education sessions Experience of undertaking clinical audit Experience of involvement in service development and service improvement
Personal Qualities & Attributes Essential
Committed and enthusiastic to the development of the team Committed to the Hospice mission and aims Full UK driving licence Access to a vehicle insured for business use during shifts Flexibility to work unsociable hours
Skills & Abilities Essential
Good numeracy skills Ability to work effectively in emotionally demanding situations. Ability to use various IT packages to a good standard Able to work autonomously, prioritising and manage own workload and escalating appropriately Ability to use initiative Good decision-making skills Good time management and organisational skills Flexibility, reliability and adaptability. Understanding of the need and the ability to maintain confidentiality Good record keeping skills
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 Wigan and Leigh Hospice
Address Wigan & Leigh Hospice
Kildare Street
Hindley
Wigan
Greater Manchester
WN2 3HZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.wlh.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)