Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust • Dorchester DT1 2JY
About this role
Dorset County Hospital is advancing the care of our frailty services in partnership with our community service providers. Under theFrailty Working Togetherprogramme we are excited to be developing our frailty services to include a bespoke Frailty Same Day Emergency Care Unit. This will compliment other frailty pathways for patients where same day tests and investigations can inform treatments that better meet patient’s wishes and reablement in a domiciliary setting rather than hospital. We wish to offer the right, highly motivated person an exciting opportunity to help us create this vision for patients with frailty. This person will be hugely passionate about all aspects of caring for patients with frailty and will drive an ethos of personalised care.
Through CPD, research and audit DCH is committed to progressing the frailty service to meet the future needs of its surrounding community.
The Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) for Frailty will also bring ideas, enthusiasm and skill to provide new opportunities for our registered and support workforce. We recognise a number of pipelines into the professional registered care workforce through apprenticeships, international recruitment and return to practice and will need to provide opportunities for staff to work across the frailty pathway to better understand how it is connected to ensure smooth patient transitions through it.
The ACP has a key working relationship with all members of nursing, midwifery, AHP, medical staff and members of the multidisciplinary team involved in the care of patients.
The ACP is an experienced Senior Nurse/Midwife/AHP who has successfully completed formal education at Master’s level on a recognised ACP programme.
The ACP bridges the professional and clinical boundaries between Nursing/Midwifery/AHP and medical care often enabling them to take on the role and responsibilities formerly undertaken by Medical Practitioners. The ACP practices both autonomously and in partnership with the multidisciplinary team under the clinical supervision provided by a Consultant and/or Team Leader
For areas where ACPs cover roles previously undertaken by Medical Practitioners, The ACP complements the Middle Grade medical rota and the ACP rota by acting as a senior, expert, skilled resource.
The post holder will use collaborative and independent judgement to assess, investigate, diagnose, plan, implement, manage and evaluate Clinical Nursing/Midwifery/AHP and medical care and management of patients. The ACP will take a lead in the on-going assessment, investigations, procedures, treatment and management of patients in their speciality area.
Consideration will also be given to practitioners undertaking the ACP training and have the relevant frailty experience.
At Dorset County Hospital (DCH) we aspire to providing outstanding care for people in ways which matter to them. Our trust strategy is focussed on three strategic goals: People, Place, and Partnership. It signals our intention to truly value our staff. Our people are our most important asset, and we want them to feel valued, welcomed, respected, they belong and matter. We recognise the link between high levels of staff satisfaction and improving patient experience and outcomes.
We understand that some applicants may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in preparing their application materials. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind candidates that all submissions must be truthful and accurately reflect your own experiences and suitability for this role.
Personal integrity and authenticity are central to our recruitment process. We value honestly and appreciate applications that are genuine and representative of the individual behind them.
UK Sponsorship
This role is eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). We welcome applications from individuals who require sponsorship to work in the UK. Sponsorship will be offered subject to meeting UKVI eligibilitycriteria.
Our DCHFT Job Description and Person Specification (attached) tells you all about this role, what to expect and what is needed to succeed. When completing your application please make sure to tell us how your experience and skills fit the person specification.
Please contact us at Recruitment@dchft.nhs.uk if you are unable to view or download the attachment.
For all our roles, we are looking for staff who hold our Trust Values of Integrity, Respect Teamwork and Excellence, and who are passionate about providing the best patient care. To read more about our Trust and our Values search Dorset County Hospital online.
We are a Trust that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Dorset County Hospital has a number of employees from overseas delivering high quality services and we recognise the value of diversity in leadership.
This advert closes on Thursday 28 May 2026
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