Senior Cancer Pathway Navigator

Job overview

The Senior Cancer Pathway Navigator is a key leadership role within the Cancer Services Team, responsible for overseeing the effective coordination and management of patients across cancer pathways to ensure timely diagnosis, treatment and compliance with national cancer waiting time standards. The post holder provides expert pathway management, proactively identifying and resolving delays, escalating risks, and working collaboratively with clinicians, MDTs, diagnostic services and operational teams to support the delivery of safe, high-quality cancer care.

The role also provides day-to-day management and oversight of the Oncology Booking Hub, ensuring first outpatient appointment are coordinated efficiently and patients receive timely access to care. The post holder will lead and support the team; driving service improvements, maintaining data quality, and ensuring patients receive clear communication and a seamless experience throughout their cancer journey.

Through effective leadership, pathway oversight and performance management, the Senior Cancer Pathway Navigator plays a critical role in supporting patient safety, improving patient experience, achieving cancer waiting time standards, and delivering the Trust's cancer performance and strategic objectives.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will support the clinical team in implementing early diagnostic pathways for patients with a suspected head & neck cancer to achieve definitive diagnosis by day 28.

The post holder will improve patient experience by providing an accessible, friendly non-clinical contact for patients and their families. You will provide support and information throughout the diagnostic patient journey, thus reducing anxiety and providing reassurance. You will provide information on interventions/tests, ensuring the patient arrives fully prepared.

The role provides day-to-day management and leadership of the Oncology Booking Hub, ensuring services are delivered efficiently and consistently. This includes overseeing the appointment booking processes, managing workload allocation, supporting staff development, and ensuring appropriate administrative systems and processes are in place to meet service demands.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• On a daily basis to provide hands on support to consultants, nurses and patients in all Head and Neck outpatient clinics, this will involve arranging investigations with patients, potentially same day investigations, explaining the pathway to patients, and ensuring the patient is booked a follow-up appointment
• To oversee and have responsibility of the Head and Neck Cancer PTL, ensuring it is appropriately monitored and managed proactively; pathway activities and milestones are booking in line with the national and locally agreed pathways. This will require effective and regular communication with the MDT Coordinating Team
• Co-ordinate information flow from diagnostic teams to patients, primary care and MDT teams when investigations are required for suspected cancer staging
• To be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Oncology Booking Hub team, including recruitment processes, production and review of appraisals, training and managing attendance.

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.