Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner – Acute Stroke

Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner – Acute Stroke Overview

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust is looking for an enthusiastic Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner to join its Acute Stroke Service. This post sits at the centre of high-quality hyper acute and acute stroke care, supporting patients throughout the stroke pathway across the hyper acute stroke unit, acute stroke wards, and rapid-access TIA clinics. The successful candidate will train toward an advanced clinical practitioner role and, once qualified, will work as an experienced and autonomous clinician delivering advanced assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing management for people with suspected or confirmed stroke or transient ischaemic attack. The role is built around the four pillars of advanced practice: clinical care, leadership, education, and research, with a strong emphasis on direct patient care and service development. The service is expanding, and the postholder is expected to join a weekend rota, which may evolve as additional roles are approved and recruited.

The trust describes this as an opportunity to become part of an established ACP community. The post includes protected development time and structured support to help the successful applicant grow into the role and contribute to the wider service.

What you will do

• Undertake the required ACP training and study programme and work toward completion of the qualification.
• After qualification, provide advanced clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and ongoing management for patients with suspected or confirmed acute stroke or TIA.
• Work across the hyper acute stroke unit, acute stroke wards, rapid-access TIA clinics, and other relevant clinical areas to support the full stroke pathway.
• Assess patients with acute neurological symptoms and distinguish stroke and TIA from stroke mimics.
• Practise independently within the agreed scope of the role and make expert decisions in complex, urgent, and time-critical situations.
• Support the hyper acute stroke pathway by completing initial assessment and prioritisation, coordinating urgent imaging, assisting with thrombolysis and thrombectomy pathways, and monitoring for deterioration.
• Prescribe independently to support secondary prevention and symptom control in line with national and local guidance.
• Request and interpret imaging and pathology investigations relevant to stroke and TIA management.
• Provide advanced care in TIA and rapid-access stroke clinics, including risk stratification, starting secondary prevention, and arranging onward referral.
• Work closely with stroke consultants, stroke nurses, therapists, radiology, and emergency services to ensure timely and safe care.
• Lead the patient journey from arrival through to discharge within the hyper acute and acute stroke pathway.
• Use audit and data collection to identify opportunities for service improvement.
• Monitor readmission and re-presentation rates after stroke or TIA and use the findings to improve care delivery.
• Contribute to stroke-specific research, audit, and quality improvement activity.
• Help develop and review stroke pathways, clinical guidelines, and patient information resources in line with national best practice.
• Take an active role in the trust’s ACP community and contribute to teaching, supervision, and service development across the advanced practice pillars.

What the trust is looking for

• A registered general nurse or allied health professional with current UK professional registration.
• A teaching, assessment, or mentoring qualification.
• Experience of teaching patients and staff, either formally or informally.
• Substantial experience in stroke, neurosciences, or acute medicine relevant to stroke services.
• Experience working as an autonomous practitioner in a specialist area.
• Knowledge of the professional standards and guidance relevant to NMC or AHP practice.
• Evidence that you can work across organisational boundaries and collaborate effectively with different teams and services.
• Experience of applying research evidence in clinical practice.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• A commitment to maintaining fitness to practise through an individual competency profile.
• Strong communication, presentation, and decision-making skills, with the ability to write and speak clearly.
• A clear understanding of the role and service, plus the ability to lead, support, and evaluate change.
• Desirable: a master’s degree in advanced practice or an equivalent qualification.
• Desirable: non-medical prescriber qualification.
• Desirable: current, up-to-date knowledge of advanced practice.
• Desirable: working knowledge of acute stroke pathways, HASU processes, and secondary prevention.

Support and benefits

• 20% of working time is protected for non-clinical development across the four pillars of advanced practice.
• ACP peer teaching is available.
• Support is provided by the trust ACP lead.
• An allocated medical supervisor will be in place.
• You will join an established ACP community within the trust.
• The service is growing, giving the postholder the chance to contribute to development and improvement during an exciting period of expansion.

Working pattern and location

This is a permanent Band 7 post on the Agenda for Change pay scale, offered on a full-time basis with flexible working available. The role is based at Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax, with work across stroke-related clinical areas and clinics as required. The postholder is expected to participate in a weekend rota, and this arrangement may change as more ACP roles are approved and recruited.

Visa sponsorship and checks

Applicants who need a current Skilled Worker visa sponsorship to work in the UK are invited to apply and will be considered alongside all other candidates. The post is also subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. Applicants must hold current UK professional registration.

About the trust

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust employs more than 6,500 staff and provides compassionate care from Calderdale Royal Hospital, Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, community sites, health centres, and patients’ homes. Its services include urgent and emergency care, medical and surgical services, maternity, gynaecology, critical care, children’s and young people’s services, end-of-life care, and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services. The trust also delivers community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale. As a foundation trust, it operates with independent governance while remaining part of the NHS, with a focus on quality improvement, responsiveness to local needs, and putting patients first.

How to apply

The closing date for applications is 27 July 2026. The vacancy reference is 372-MED2657. For questions about the role, contact General Manager Georgia Kelly at [email protected].

Degree Requirement: Not Specified

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