Discharge Officer

Job overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Job Title: Discharge Officer Contract Type: Permanent

Under current Home Office rules, this role is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship.

Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if we receive a large number of applications.

Main duties of the job

Are you passionate about making a real difference to patients’ journeys through hospital care? Join our friendly and dedicated team, the Complex Discharge Team, as a Discharge Officer, where you’ll play a key role in helping patients leave hospital safely, smoothly, and on time.

In this rewarding role, you’ll work closely with a wide range of professionals — nurses, doctors, therapists, social workers, and community teams — to coordinate discharge plans from the very start of a patient’s admission. You’ll be the vital link between the ward, patients and families, and partner organisations, ensuring every discharge is planned, communicated, and completed efficiently.

Your work will have a direct impact on improving patient flow, reducing delays, and supporting the Trust’s goal of providing exceptional, patient-centred care. No two days will be the same — you’ll be managing your own caseload, problem-solving in real time, and seeing the positive results of your efforts as patients safely return home or move on to the next stage of their care.

You’ll be part of a supportive and proactive team, working alongside and reporting to Advanced Discharge Officers, Complex Discharge Practitioners and other senior leaders. Together, you’ll help ensure every patient’s discharge is safe, timely, and well-coordinated.

If you’re organised, compassionate, and thrive in a busy environment where teamwork truly makes a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

As a Discharge Officer, you’ll be at the heart of our patient flow and discharge process — supporting patients, families, and the multidisciplinary team (MDT) to ensure every discharge is safe, timely, and well-coordinated.

You’ll manage a caseload of patients across designated wards, working in partnership with clinical and community teams to help patients transition smoothly from hospital to home or ongoing care. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to patient experience and service efficiency every single day.

Key Responsibilities

Coordinate and support the safe discharge of patients from the point of admission, ensuring plans are realistic, proactive, and person-centred.

Work closely with nurses, doctors, therapists, social workers, and community partners to ensure discharge plans are communicated, documented, and delivered on time.

Monitor and update patient discharge information on the hospital’s digital systems (UHS Apps), escalating any issues or delays to the appropriate teams.

Liaise with care agencies, care homes, and social services to arrange assessments, confirm placements, and restart care packages.

Act as an advocate for patients and their families, providing clear discharge information and ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making.

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for someone who is organised, compassionate, and confident communicating across multiple teams. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:

Strong organisational and multitasking skills, with the ability to prioritise a busy workload and meet deadlines.

Excellent communication and teamwork, with the confidence to liaise effectively with staff at all levels and external partners.

Experience in an administrative or patient-facing role, ideally within a hospital or healthcare setting.

Good IT skills and confidence using Microsoft Office and hospital systems.

A proactive and empathetic approach to supporting patients and their families during their hospital stay.

Additional Information

You’ll work as part of a rota, which includes weekdays, weekends, and bank holidays as eRostered.

The role is based at Southampton General Hospital.

Full training and ongoing support will be provided, with opportunities to develop your knowledge at UHS.

This post is subject to standard NHS employment checks, including references and right-to-work verification.

Applicant requirements

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.