Trainee Rheumatology Practitioner

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust; Christchurch; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job description

As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.

We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £250m estates programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.

In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you’ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we’re also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.

We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.

We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.

At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.

As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.

Job overview

Applications are invited for the post of Rheumatology Practitioner within the Rheumatology department at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust. This can be an established Advanced Rheumatology Practitioner or someone wishing to advance their skills in rheumatology and enter at Band 6 level as a trainee.

We are looking for an innovative, motivated practitioner interested in rheumatology who would fit into this team. You will be expected to develop your rheumatology practice and become an autonomous practitioner caring for patients with Rheumatic conditions. The specialist practitioner service works within a multi-disciplinary team providing holistic care for patients including practitioner-led clinics, advice via a telephone helpline service, provision of shared care monitoring, and assisting in delivery of consultant led outpatient clinics.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to work in a multi disciplinary team environment. This would be suitable for an Allied Health Professional or clinical nurse with experience in rheumatology. You will be interested in injection therapy and independent prescribing training. To apply for the post you must have clinical patient experience.

Once Competencies are in place to progress then there is the opportunity to progress to a Band 7 once achieved.

This role requires an Active UK NMC or HCPC Registration.

Base Location: Christchurch Hospital and Poole Hospital.

Interview Date: TBC.

Main duties of the job

The role includes practitioner-led clinics, advice via a telephone helpline service, provision of shared care monitoring, and assisting in delivery of consultant led outpatient clinics.

Full support will be provided from the rheumatology practitioners as well as from the rheumatology consultants enabling you to develop your skills and be able to run outpatient clinics as well as the patient adviceline.

You will have excellent communication skills which will be essential in an MDT approach to management including linking with primary care.

Working for our organisation

Our values define who we are as #TeamUHD. They underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients, visitors, and each other, our valued teammates and colleagues.

UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme.

This means that some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or long term. Recruiting Managers interviewing for this role will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have about this at interview.

This service has a planned move to Christchurch site in Spring 2026.

Please note if the role or service is relocated as part of a planned move, employees will not be eligible for excess mileage reimbursement. Travel from the postholder's home to the new work base will be considered a normal commute. Any other changes not related to this relocation will be managed according to the relevant Trust or National terms and conditions.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail please read the full job description and person specification documents which are attached to this advert.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Willing to work towards Independent prescribing qualification.
• Registered Nurse / AHP.

Experience

• Recent experience / evidence of managing a caseload of rheumatology patients.
• Clinical knowledge of musculo-skeletal and inflammatory arthritis conditions and assessment.
• Teaching experience / mentoring and assessing.
• Demonstrate leadership skills and knowledge.
• NMR IRMER experience.
• Able to obtain, analyse and interpret information from patient assessment and interventions, to formulate diagnoses, plan and implement care plans.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, using a range of methods e.g. verbal, written and record keeping.

Please note:

Staff recruited are expected to be available to work flexibly across all our Trust locations to meet service demands.

This advert may be closed early if sufficient applications are received.

COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst this vaccination is not a condition of employment we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated.

Internal Candidates: staff employed prior to merger who voluntarily change jobs will be appointed to UHD terms and conditions.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.