Cancer Pathway Tracker

Job overview

Applications are invited for a part-time Cancer Pathway Tracker hosted within the Surgery and Cancer at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, supporting the Cancer Data Team for three days per week. This post provides an opportunity to join an enthusiastic Cancer Services team within the Trust.

This is a key post within cancer services and an exciting opportunity to coordinate the ongoing work and service development across our integrated organisation. We are looking for an innovative, enthusiastic and dynamic individual who is well organised and motivated to join our cancer data team.

The role is based at University Hospital Lewisham, but role may require working at Queen Elizabeth Hospital due to the needs of the service.

Please be advised we are not able to offer sponsorship for this post

Main duties of the job

The post holder will ensure that the patient’s pathways are tracked fully and that the data collected is of high quality to ensure that national and local targets are delivered.

This involves navigating patients through their pathways to treatment or discharge, ensuring that all patients are escalated in a timely manner to managers & clinical teams when needed and coordinating the preparation and chairing of MDM meetings, with the aim of improving the care and experience of cancer patients treated within the Trust.

Experience within cancer services and knowledge of Cancer Waiting Times guidance and working knowledge of Somerset would be desirable as well as a good understanding of patient pathway navigation. In return we can offer you an interesting and rewarding opportunity to make a valuable contribution to the delivery of patient services.

Please be advised we are not able to offer sponsorship for this post

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY:

The post holder will be responsible for tracking cancer patients in line with national cancer targets and will facilitate data collection for suspected/ diagnosed cancer patients, entering the information onto appropriate database(s). The post includes providing administration support for the MDT Co-ordinators and data collection for the National Cancer Audits. This post is key to providing high quality information and ensuring patient’s progress effectively on the cancer pathway.

Main Responsibilities:

Support of Multi-disciplinary (MDT) meetings:

• To help support the MDT Co-ordinators prepare, organise and facilitate MDT meetings by collating all relevant patient information to enable full discussion of patient management by the clinical teams.
• To ensure adequate quantities of supporting paperwork are copied and available to the MDT team as required.
• To support the MDT Co-ordinators in the production and circulation of lists of patients to be discussed, this includes liaising with clinical and administrative staff from different departments of the hospital.
• To cover MDT meetings when requested by the relevant MDTC in peak periods.

Data collection for cancer waiting times monitoring (patient tracking):

• Ensure the cancer database is updated in a timely and accurate manner to enable the clinical teams to meet the cancer targets.
• To establish and maintain a record of all newly diagnosed cancer patients. Collate and compare information from a variety of sources such as pathology, surgical, chemotherapy and radiotherapy reports.
• To support accurately and record the outcome of clinical decisions made by the Consultant, as recorded in the health records as necessary.
• To fully utilise all hospital systems and third party reports to obtain/verify relevant patient information.
• To input data into Somerset and to ensure Somerset is accurately updated in a timely fashion.
• To develop working knowledge of the Somerset system to ensure accurate and timely collection of CWT data.
• To support the MDT Co-ordinator to manage and track the patients through every stage of the patient pathway on a daily basis, to ensure diagnostic tests and any subsequent treatments are achieved within targets and escalate any potential delays in pathways as protocol which will result in CWT breaches as soon as these are identified.
• Maintain close communication with the MDT co-ordinator updating them on a regular basis on work progress and alerting them to of any problems that may result in a delay in the patient’s treatment.
• To support all CWT Processes/protocols to be implemented and actioned within the necessary timeframes in order to avoid breaches of the cancer pathway milestones.
• To maintain local MDT protocols as required to fully support service provision.
• To support actions relating to tertiary referrals ensuring they have completed by next working day.
• To support and undertake collection of all relevant patient data onto Somerset.

General

• To ensure that telephone calls are dealt with promptly and appropriately in a professional and efficient manner.
• To maintain and develop relationships within the department, the Trust, and other outside agencies.
• To provide cover the MDT support officer as required. When needed a certain degree of manual handling is involved in the physical pulling and carrying of patients’ case notes.
• The post holder will be constantly dealing with data and listening to discussions about cancer treatment and sometimes end of life care for patients which at times can become emotionally draining.
• To attend non-clinical Mandatory training in the Trust policy.
• To be responsible for the maintenance of absolute patient confidentiality and data protection at all times in line with Trust Policy.
• To handle sensitive or contentious information appropriately, using tact, diplomacy and persuasive skills as required to obtain best outcome.
• To work in accordance with all Trust and Directorate policies.

Review of this job description

This job description is intended as an outline indicator of general areas of activity and will be amended in the light of the changing needs of the organisation. To be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder on a regular basis.

Confidentiality

The post holder must ensure that personal information for patients, members of staff and all other individuals is accurate, up-to-date, kept secure and confidential at all times in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998, the Caldicott principles and the common law duty of confidentiality. The post holder must follow the record keeping guidelines established by the Trust to ensure compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Data Protection Act

All staff who contribute to patient care records are expected to be familiar with, and adhere to, the Trust’s Standards of Records Keeping Policy. Staff should be aware that patients’ care records throughout the Trust will be subject to regular audit.

All staff who have access to patients’ care records have a responsibility to ensure that these are maintained efficiently and that confidentiality is protected in line with the Trust’s Code of Confidentiality Policy.

All staff has an obligation to ensure that care records are maintained efficiently and that confidentiality is protected. Staff are also subject to this obligation both on an implied basis and also on the basis that, on accepting their job description, they agree to maintain both patient / client and staff confidentiality.

In addition, all health professionals are advised to compile records on the assumption that they are accessible to patients in line with the Data Protection Act. LGT Jan 2014