Laboratory Cancer Navigator

Job overview

Laboratory Cancer Navigator

Department: Cellular Pathology

Band 3 - £24,625 - £25,674 per annum pro rata

Fixed-term contract for 12 months from start date

Full-time 37.5 hours per week, all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working

Cellular Pathology is a busy but friendly department processing more than 22,000 histology specimens and 1200 cytology specimens per year & plays a vital role in the Trust's diagnostic cancer service.

We are looking for a competent and versatile individual with a positive "can do" attitude who is willing to learn new skills to join our team in the role of Laboratory Cancer Navigator.

The successful candidate will act as a navigator tracking the specimens of patients on a cancer pathway through the laboratory process, from receipt to report, working collaboratively with the laboratory and admin teams, the consultant Histopathologists and Cancer Services.

The successful candidate will have experience of working in a healthcare environment and have a knowledge of national cancer pathways and targets. In addition to this, you must have excellent communication skills and be IT literate.

For more information, please contact Amanda Brice, Laboratory Manager or Marie Delaney, Operational Manager / Chief Biomedical Scientist on 01908 995820.

Interview date: 28.07.2025

Main duties of the job

• Working as part of a team of staff within the department to assist in the timely provision of a diagnostic Cellular Pathology service.
• Supporting the technical and medical team to ensure the turnaround of 2WW cancer specimens within the 28-day faster diagnosis standard in line with national guidance. The 2WW (week wait) standard applies to patients urgently referred with suspected cancer.
• Helping the Cellular Pathology team to meet departmental and trust KPI’s for 2WW and screening programme specimens.
• To be an interface between the department of Cellular Pathology and its service users and other healthcare professionals including cancer services.
• To ensure that all patient and specimen information is accurate and up to date and to escalate concerns over delays to the technical and medical teams.
• The individual will organise their own day to day work tasks or activities, prioritising their workload, liaising with senior staff and the management team when needed.
• The post holder will work independently, guided by the Trust health and safety policy as well as Standard Operational Procedures, seeking advice when appropriate.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To contribute to the trust complying with clinical governance and risk management and ensuring all mandatory training is completed in accordance with the trusts guidelines and policies.
• To work with the laboratory management and senior team to ensure compliance with regulatory standards including those of ISO 15189, the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) and screening programmes.
• To become familiar with the laboratory and hospital computer systems.
• To establish effective and collaborative working relationships with key staff.
• The post holder must have a full working knowledge of national cancer pathways and targets including 2WW urgent referrals, the 28-day faster diagnosis standard and the 31- and 62-day targets for decision to treat until treatment and GP referral until treatment, respectively.
• To monitor and track PTL waiting lists for the different specialities, representing the department at a weekly PTL meeting. Identifying actions and acting on these appropriately and in a timely manner to ensure compliance.

• Please refer to the job description for further details

We believe success lies in the diversity of our employees and are committed to promoting equality, encouraging diversity and embracing inclusion. We welcome applications from everyone interested in working for us.

MKUH is committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and as such we offer a range of flexible working practices.

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

MKUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of MKUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.

By applying for this role, you accept if successful, that information from your application will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system.  Your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS.   This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which aims at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.

Upon commencing  employment  with  the  Trust,  all  employees  (except Medical & Dental Staff on national terms and conditions) are  subject  to  a probationary period lasting  a  period  of  six  months  with  an  option  to extend  for  a  further  six  months  to  a total of  12 months