The increasing numbers of patients diagnosed with lung cancer and the specialised care they require has been recognised in government documents. In response, nursing posts have been set up in acute hospital trusts to specialise in the care of patients with lung cancer. However, these posts have been criticised for a lack of planning and evaluation (Moore et al 2003). This article describes a study which aimed to profile the job of the lung cancer nurse specialist (LCNS), determining the consistency and characteristics of the posts across the UK. It has also established the views of the LCNS towards home visiting and assessed how many LCNS offer a home-visiting service.