ED/SDEC Patient Navigator

Job overview

The post holder will provide high quality patient care through dedicated administrative support as part of the multi-disciplinary team, being the point of contact for all administration and clerical issues relating to patients’ pathway of care, tracking and supporting them from admission to discharge ensuring the best use of resources.

The post holder will be accessible, customer focused, visible and knowledgeable, displaying sensitivity and tact and have the skill to prioritise tasks with discretion to organise a varied and changing daily workload. The post holder will display sensitivity and tact when dealing with patients and relatives, prioritising tasks with discretion to organise a varied and changing daily workload.

Main duties of the job

Main Duties and responsibilities:

• To be responsible for the oversight of patient flow through the department, liaising with clinicians and nursing staff to ensure that the patient journey throughout the department is completed in a timely way
• To liaise with Clinical Site Management Team and ED and SDEC staff to enable efficient bed management for those patients who need onward admission to a ward in the main hospital ensuring the patient flow is as seamless as it can be
• To monitor patients journey time within the ED Department and highlight to the NIC if patients are nearing their 4 hour journey time
• To ensure coding on patient management systems is completed before patient transfer or discharge
• Prompt and facilitate the 2 hour huddles with NIC & CIC
• To chase clinicians for patient plans and assist with bleeping speciality teams
• To ensure that patients are going for their scans promptly (liaising with the ED team and radiology)
• To book / chase inpatient beds when required (including liaising with the site team)
• To book in ambulances and patient transport

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Provide general reception duties for patients. Be aware of the needs and concerns of patients and provide a friendly, efficient and courteous service to patients, relatives and visitors, providing them with advice and information as appropriate. Inform teams of patients’ arrival and deal with telephone queries and internal security access. Use empathetic approach to patients and/or relatives seeking assistance from clinical staff/senior managers as appropriate.
• To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team maintaining efficient systems and processes relating to patient attendances and admissions. This includes maintaining accurate computerised and manual records, inputting registration and waiting list data onto the Trust’s computer systems and ensuring that all patient records are kept up to date with any details relevant to the patient’s attendance and/or admission. This may include registering new patients within a clinic setting and checking demographic information during patient encounters.
• To accurately record patient activity on the Trust Patient Management systems, including day case and outpatient clinics and keep all relevant clinical systems and diaries up to date, as a permanent record of attendances.
• To ensure all patient records are available to clinical staff. This may include receiving discharge summaries, histology reports etc and preparing them and patients’ records for review by clinicians.
• Access X-rays through the trust systems and update doctors as required.
• Ensure that all patient documentation is filled in patients’ notes &/or transferred to appropriate ward, medical records &/or other departments as required
• To provide administrative support to managers to enable efficient processes.
• Facilitate discharge processes, including liaising with relatives, carers, patient transport and other involved agencies as agreed with the respective clinicians to ensure integrated approach to patient care.
• Ensure paperwork is accurately completed including admissions, discharges, transfer of patients and data entry requirements.
• To liaise with clinical staff to ensure that specialist equipment is available, where required, and that clinical teams are aware of patients with specialist needs.
• To liaise with other clinical/ diagnostic teams to ensure all diagnostics tests are carried out within an appropriate timescale.
• Liaise with appropriate Trust facilities managers to ensure premises are compliant with health & safety requirements and maintenance issues are reported and resolved effectively.
• Contribute to quality and service improvement initiatives to improve services.
• To arrange translation services, in liaison with the appropriate departmental manager, as required. This may include foreign language &/or sign language translation. Ensure that such services are available for the period of patient attendance &/or admission as appropriate.
• Use effective listening/communication skills when dealing with potentially distressed or bereaved patients and/or relatives.
• Promptly answer telephone enquiries, taking and relaying messages in a polite and helpful manner, taking action or signposting as appropriate.
• Provide cover for colleagues during periods of planned annual leave and sickness.
• To undertake additional administrative tasks and responsibilities as required.
• Adhere to all Trust policies including Infection Control, Hygiene Code, Data Protection Act, Uniform Policy, taking appropriate account of patients’ rights and diversity and ensuring fair access to services.

Applicant requirements

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.