Nurse Consultant - Discharge to Assess Services

Job overview

We are seeking an exceptional and innovative Nurse Consultant to provide strategic and clinical leadership across our Discharge to Assess (D2A) services. This is a pivotal role at the forefront of improving patient flow, reducing length of stay, and delivering truly integrated, person-centred care across health and social care systems.

The role will be primarily based at Haywood Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent; however, the post holder will have the opportunity to work across the wider system and influence the development of Discharge to Assess pathways. In addition, the post holder will support the development of admission avoidance initiatives in close collaboration with urgent care services.

This is an exciting opportunity for a forward-thinking leader to influence practice at scale, shape service development, and drive excellence across acute, community, and social care boundaries.

Main duties of the job

As a Nurse Consultant within MPFT, you will:

• Provide expert clinical leadership across the D2A pathway, ensuring safe, timely, and effective discharge from hospital settings
• Lead on complex clinical decision-making, supporting admission avoidance and optimising patient outcomes
• Influence and drive system-wide service transformation, working across organisational boundaries including the ICB, local authority, and provider partners
• Champion integrated working, ensuring seamless transitions of care for patients with complex and multi-factorial needs
• Lead service improvement initiatives to reduce length of stay, readmissions, and delays in discharge
• Provide consultancy-level expertise to multidisciplinary teams across the D2A Pathways
• Lead the education, training, and competency development of ANP and ACP colleagues, providing expert supervision and guidance to enhance advanced clinical practice, decision-making, and service delivery within D2A pathways.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Provide strategic and clinical leadership across Discharge to Assess (D2A) pathways, ensuring safe, timely discharge and high-quality patient care.

Lead on complex clinical decision-making, supporting admission avoidance, reducing length of stay, and improving patient flow across the system.

Deliver expert autonomous practice, assessing and managing patients with highly complex physical, cognitive, and social needs.

Work collaboratively across acute, community, primary care, and social care services to ensure integrated, person-centred care and seamless transitions.

Provide consultancy-level advice and support to multidisciplinary teams, including ANPs, ACPs, nursing staff, medical colleagues, and wider partners.

Lead service development and transformation, driving improvements in D2A pathways aligned to national and local priorities.

Champion quality improvement, patient safety, and clinical governance, ensuring services are evidence-based and continuously improving.

Contribute to system-wide planning and partnerships, influencing strategy across the Trust, ICB, and wider health and care system.

Lead the education, training, and development of the workforce, particularly supporting advanced practice roles and building capability across teams.

Represent the service at local, regional, and national level, promoting best practice in discharge, frailty, and integrated care.