Severn Transfer Practitioner - Retrieve, Adult Critical Care Transfer

Main area Adult Critical Care Transfer Service Grade Band 6 Contract Fixed term: 12 months (Flexible working required 365 24/7) Hours Part time - 23 hours per week (Flexible shifts including nights, evening and weekend work) Job ref 387-S0398-ALX

Employer Bristol NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Retrieve Severn Base Town Bristol Salary £39,959 - £48,117 per annum, pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 21/09/ :59 Interview date 30/09/2026

Severn Transfer Practitioner - Retrieve, Adult Critical Care Transfer

Band 6

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) have merged as of 1 st July 2026 to become Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. This will create an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) describes algorithms that can be used to produce new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations, and videos. It is developing all the time and is now being used as a support mechanism for all kinds of content-based creations. Please note the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced member of critical care staff to take up a role as a Transfer Practitioner, working for Retrieve (Severn Base).

Retrieve is the South West’s dedicated Adult Critical Care Transfer Service, commissioned by NHS England South West Specialised Commissioning, hosted by Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and supported by the South West Critical Care Network (SWCCN). We are looking for a registered critical care practitioners who can deliver high-quality transfer care to critically unwell patients across the South West.

Retrieve began in November 2020, one of the first dedicated Adult Critical Care Transfer Services in the country. This truly ground-breaking service has been responsible for creating a blueprint for the national specification. Retrieve's achievements have also been recognised by being awarded the BMJ 2021 Critical Care Team of the Year award and the Intensive Care Society Impact award 2022

Retrieve provides a single point of contact for all adult critical care transfer referrals 24 hours a day via a dedicated 0300 number. All calls are managed by a Duty Consultant who triages, coordinates and can provide remote decision-support if required.

Main duties of the job

As a Band 6 Transfer Practitioner, following completion of the appropriate additional training, you will assume responsibility for the specialised care required to transfer critically ill adults. There is an expectation that you continue to develop your clinical and management skills by demonstrating an ability to work remotely in the referring centres, in partnership with the local teams.

On occasion, the role involves working independently, providing Practitioner-delivered transfers of Level 2 (high dependency) and Level 1 (ward level) patients. This is supported remotely by the Retrieve Duty Consultant and will typically involve collaborative working with a doctor from the referring hospital.

You will be expected to support and mentor new members of the multi-professional team, demonstrating an active role in the ongoing education programmes.

In partnership with the SWCCN, the post holder will support the relationship between the Service and referring centers.

Supported by the Lead Nurses and Senior Transfer Practitioner, successful applicants will be involved with service projects, audit and research, delivery and completion of education and outreach.

There will be a requirement to work shifts including nights, evenings and weekends, with the occasional potential to overrun. There will be a requirement to work with highly infectious patients and therefore a necessity to comply with infection prevention and control guidance.

Working for our organisation

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations,operatingfrom three main sites at Southmead, Bristol citycentreand Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that theSouth Westhas to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This role will provide an opportunity to join a dynamic team of Transfer Practitioners, Transfer Doctors and Duty Consultants across the southwest. Joining the service will allow you to further extend your critical care skills and become an expert in the transfer of the critically ill patients. The Transfer Practitioner role requires the skills of experienced ITU staff to care for these vulnerable patients. Join us as we provide excellent critical care in transfer 24 hours a day across our region.

For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Due to high volumes of applications, this advert may close before the advertised closing date.

Person specification

Personal Qualities

• Ability to act as a role model, providing excellent patient care and promoting a culture where staff feel valued
• Strong organisational skills - prioritising complex situations
• Attention to detail in the development, production and dissemination of documents and information
• Excellent communication and leadership skills

Education and Qualifications

• Relevant professional registrations with the NMC
• Educated to Degree level or working towards completion
• Assessing and mentoring qualification or willingness to undertake
• Completion of Steps 1-3 competencies
• Evidence of master's level academic study or willingness to work towards masters (in relevant health related study)
• Significant recent operational experience in speciality of Intensive Care
• Teaching qualification
• ALS provider or willingness to undertake

Knowlege, skills and abilities

• Significant recent operational experience in speciality of Intensive Care
• Work within Trust and Service guidance and standard operating procedures, as well as nationally agreed guidelines / standards
• Understand and evidence the use of audit in clinical practice
• Ability to work with advanced technologies
• Flexibility in working practices (unsocial hours)
• Self-motivated and able to motivate others
• Excellent critical care clinical skills
• Able to work across professional team and organisational boundaries
• Ability to work in a highly demanding specialist environment and use of reflective practice
• Evidence of delivery teaching programmes to staff groups
• Evidence of presentation at local and regional level
• Recent relevant experience with intra-hospital and inter-hospital transfer
• Understanding of professional and current issues in critical care transfer

Experience

• Previous experience of change management and problem solving
• Portfolio of evidence showing achievements in practice / speciality
• Competent in the use of IT packages such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint
• Previous experience of research and audit
• Good knowledge of ARCEMS or willingness to learn ARCEMS, Retrieves electronic patient record system
• Competent to utilise medical databases and search engines to access current evidence and literature
• Evidence of presentations at local and regional level

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.

• As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
• The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
• BFT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
• To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
• If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
• The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
• By applying for this post, you are agreeing to Bristol NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
• Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.

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.

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