Patient Care Navigator

Job overview

The Care Navigator plays a pivotal role in supporting safe, effective patient care and ensuring smooth patient flow across Ward 28 and Ward 29. Working closely with the multidisciplinary team, you will help coordinate care from admission through to discharge, promoting early discharge planning and preventing unnecessary delays.

You will support the shift leader in delivering structured and effective board rounds, identify and address barriers to discharge, and liaise with internal teams and community services to facilitate safe, timely transitions of care. The role requires strong organisational skills, clear communication, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a busy surgical environment.

As a Care Navigator, you will contribute directly to improving patient experience, reducing length of stay, and minimising avoidable readmissions, ensuring patients receive high-quality care and are discharged at the earliest safe opportunity.

Main duties of the job

• Support the Shift Leader in coordinating and delivering effective daily board rounds.
• Promote early discharge planning from the point of admission.
• Identify, escalate, and help resolve barriers to discharge in a timely manner.
• Liaise with the multidisciplinary team (MDT) to coordinate patient care and discharge plans.
• Communicate effectively with patients, families, and carers regarding discharge arrangements.
• Work closely with community services and external agencies to facilitate safe transitions of care.
• Ensure discharge documentation and referrals are completed accurately and promptly.
• Monitor patient flow and support timely transfers within the hospital where required.
• Contribute to reducing length of stay and preventing avoidable readmissions.
• Maintain accurate records and provide updates on discharge progress.
• Escalate any concerns relating to patient safety, delays, or complex discharge needs.
• Support service improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing patient flow and experience.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For more detailed information, please read the job description linked below.

As a Trust we are keen to offer and encourage flexible working opportunities to address health and wellbeing and work-life balance for our employees, this will have a positive impact on the care we provide.

Flexible working is part of a wider commitment to improve the quality and experience of working life and we recognise that it is a key contributor for the recruitment and retention of our employees.

We therefore support and encourage open conversations around a specific working pattern to suit your work-life balance or a multi-role career, if it works for you and works for the role, we'll do our best to make it happen.

Local flexible working arrangements are developed in partnership between the line manager and employee in order to ensure equality of access to flexible working, as far as practicable, regardless of role, shift pattern, team or pay, based on: patient/service user and staff experience, service delivery and work-life balance of colleagues.

We are committed to creating and maintaining a fair and supportive working environment and culture, where contributions are fully recognised and valued by all and staff feel empowered to carry out their duties to the best of their abilities. As employers we are committed to promoting and protecting the physical and mental health and well-being of all our staff. This underpins our values as set out in the NHS Constitution, supports us to be an Employer of Choice and ultimately enables our employees to support the effective care of our patients.

We strongly value the different perspectives and ideas a diverse workforce brings to deliver better outcomes for our patients.  We welcome applications irrespective of people’s age, disability, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances.

To learn more about Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, and discover the unique benefits on offer to employees, view our latest videos, plus more, please visit our recruitment website at https://join.humberhealthpartnership.nhs.uk/

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“We are committed to safeguarding the welfare of children/vulnerable adults and expect the same commitment from all staff and volunteers”.

Please be aware that all new employees starting work with us will be charged for the cost of their DBS check, if it is required for their role.