Advanced Clinical Specialist MECFSNHS
Job summary
Manage and provide expert input into the most complex ME/CFS and Long Covid presentations. Provide advanced assessment, clinical reasoning, risk management and pathway planning. Support triage and clinical prioritisation, including complex referral review and pathway allocation. Lead or contribute to MDT discussions, complex case reviews and clinical decision-making. Provide advice and guidance to colleagues on fatigue, pacing, post-exertional malaise/post-exertional symptom exacerbation, symptom fluctuation and severe presentations. Support personalised care and support planning for patients with complex needs. Ensure care is adapted for people with severe symptoms, sensory sensitivity, relapse risk or reduced functional capacity. Act as an escalation point for clinical complexity, risk, deterioration or uncertainty. Contribute to the development of clinical pathways, service standards, patient resources and outcome measures. Support audit, service evaluation, clinical governance and continuous improvement. Provide supervision, mentoring and support to less experienced colleagues. Work collaboratively with GPs, secondary care, community services, voluntary sector partners, patients, families and carers.
Main duties of the job
The Advanced Clinical Specialist will provide highly specialist physiotherapy assessment, clinical management and pathway leadership for people with suspected or diagnosed ME/CFS and/or Long Covid across Kent and Medway. The role carries responsibility for the most complex, high-risk and clinically uncertain physiotherapy presentations within the service, including people with severe, highly fluctuating or multi-system symptoms such as fatigue, post-exertional malaise/post-exertional symptom exacerbation, breathlessness, pain, cognitive difficulties, sleep disturbance and autonomic symptoms. Working as a senior member of the multidisciplinary service, the post holder will hold a specialist clinical caseload, provide advanced input into triage and pathway allocation, lead physiotherapy formulation for complex cases, support MDT decision-making and provide clinical supervision and guidance to physiotherapy colleagues and wider team members. The post holder will help shape the physiotherapy model within the service, ensuring interventions are safe, evidence-informed, person-centred and aligned to current NICE guidance, professional standards and the service model, with a clear focus on preventing avoidable symptom exacerbation and improving quality of life, function and participation.
Job description
Advanced Clinical Specialist Full Time/Part Time Up to £62,879 depending on experience Kent and Medway Join our team We are looking for an experienced and confident Advanced Specialist Practitioner to join our new ME/CFS and Long Covid Service across Kent and Medway. This is a key clinical role within a multidisciplinary service supporting adults with ME/CFS and Long Covid, including people with complex, severe, fluctuating and multi-system symptoms. You will provide advanced clinical input, support MDT decision-making and help shape safe, consistent and personalised pathways for patients. The role will suit a registered clinician with strong experience in complex long-term condition management, rehabilitation, community care or specialist practice. You will act as a senior clinical resource within the service, supporting colleagues with complex cases, contributing to governance and helping ensure the service is delivered in line with NICE guidance, professional standards and contractual requirements. What you'll do Manage and provide expert input into the most complex ME/CFS and Long Covid presentations. Provide advanced assessment, clinical reasoning, risk management and pathway planning. Support triage and clinical prioritisation, including complex referral review and pathway allocation. Lead or contribute to MDT discussions, complex case reviews and clinical decision-making. Provide advice and guidance to colleagues on fatigue, pacing, post-exertional malaise/post-exertional symptom exacerbation, symptom fluctuation and severe presentations. Support personalised care and support planning for patients with complex needs. Ensure care is adapted for people with severe symptoms, sensory sensitivity, relapse risk or reduced functional capacity. Act as an escalation point for clinical complexity, risk, deterioration or uncertainty. Contribute to the development of clinical pathways, service standards, patient resources and outcome measures. Support audit, service evaluation, clinical governance and continuous improvement. Provide supervision, mentoring and support to less experienced colleagues. Work collaboratively with GPs, secondary care, community services, voluntary sector partners, patients, families and carers. About you You will be a registered nurse or allied health professional with substantial experience supporting people with complex, long-term or fluctuating conditions. You will bring: Current professional registration with the relevant UK regulatory body. Significant experience in complex case management, specialist practice, rehabilitation, long-term condition management or community-based care. Advanced clinical reasoning, assessment and risk management skills. Strong understanding of ME/CFS, Long Covid, post-exertional malaise/post-exertional symptom exacerbation, pacing, fatigue management and symptom-contingent care. Confidence leading MDT discussions and supporting clinical decision-making. Experience supporting colleagues through supervision, mentoring, training or clinical advice. Ability to work with ambiguity, complexity and uncertainty. A strong commitment to safe, evidence-based, personalised and inclusive care. Helpful experience Experience in ME/CFS, Long Covid, complex rehabilitation, respiratory, neurology, pain, mental health, occupational health, frailty, community services or service development would be particularly valuable. What we can offer you At Cora, we want colleagues to feel supported, trusted and able to make a real difference. This is an opportunity to play a senior role in shaping a new specialist service for people whose symptoms are often complex, poorly understood and life-limiting. We can offer: A senior clinical role within a developing specialist service. The opportunity to influence pathway design, service quality and patient experience. A supportive and multidisciplinary working environment. Varied delivery across clinic, community, virtual and home-based settings. Opportunities to contribute to supervision, training, audit and service improvement. A values-led culture focused on better care, better outcomes and better experiences. We are Cora Health Cora Health is reimagining healthcare for people to thrive. We believe healthcare can always be better. We deliver care at scale, but we will always care for the individual. Our services support people to get back to better, back to their best, or simply find a path forward. Our values guide how we work: We start with a can-do attitude. We act with empathy. We're committed to better. Equality, diversity and inclusion At Cora Health, we are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome, respected and able to thrive. We value different perspectives, backgrounds and experiences, and we therefore welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds. We are also committed to supporting reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. Apply today If you are an experienced registered nurse or AHP who wants to help lead and shape a compassionate, evidence-based ME/CFS and Long Covid service, we would love to hear from you. Cora Health reserves the right to close this vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date should a high volume of applications be received. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.
About us
Cora is a leading provider of community healthcare services in the UK. We deliver MSK (musculoskeletal) services, diagnostic imaging, day-case surgery, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, podiatry, persistent pain management, mental health, orthopaedic and rheumatology services. We want everyone to have the opportunity to thrive. We help people help themselves, to get back to their best or to simply find a new way forward.