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Job summary

Main area
Surgery
Grade
Band 4
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
37.5 hours per week
Job ref
188-AC160626
Employer
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
University Hospital Southampton
Town
Southampton
Salary
£28,392 - £31,157 Per annum - pro rata
Closing
06/07/2026 23:59
Interview date
14/07/2026

Employer heading

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust logo

RTT Validator

Band 4

Job overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for the detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

As part of the Urology team within Surgery, the post holder will:

Use advanced, specialist knowledge of 18‑week RTT pathways to validate surgical patient journeys, ensuring all pathway events are accurately recorded and fully compliant with national RTT rules and UHS standards.

Identify, investigate, and correct data quality issues within surgical RTT pathways, applying expert understanding of the causes of poor data quality and ensuring all corrections align with national and local guidance.

Review, assess, update, and validate RTT data across UHS systems, including the Patient Administration System (PAS), using advanced pathway management skills to ensure surgical pathways are complete, accurate, and reflect true patient status.

Interpret and apply complex RTT guidance to support accurate reporting, ensuring surgical services maintain high‑quality data that supports operational performance, waiting list management, and statutory reporting.

Act as an RTT champion for Surgery, providing expert advice, supporting colleagues across clinical and administrative teams, and contributing to the delivery of RTT training to improve understanding, consistency, and data quality across the division.

Support continuous improvement by highlighting recurring issues, recommending process changes, and working collaboratively with operational teams to strengthen RTT compliance and pathway accuracy.

Working for our organisation

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast. 

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalising your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS, we’re committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients. 

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognising that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We’re committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

General Duties

1.    The post holder will be responsible for detailed validation of patient pathways adhering to Referral to Treatment (RTT) rules and in accordance with National RTT guidelines and UHS access policy.

2.    To assess, analyse, interpret and adjust information recorded on the Trust’s patient information system, ensuring accuracy of data throughout a patient’s journey. 

3.    To liaise with relevant staff to obtain information needed to appropriately validate pathways in accordance to 18 week RTT clock rules, ensure all information entered is accurately linked to an appropriate pathway. 

4.    To action pathway errors appropriately in order to prevent patients from breaching the 18-week target. 

5.    To support staff in their understanding and application of the 18 week pathway providing 1 to 1 training and mentoring and act as a point of contact on any RTT related queries 

6.    Ensure the accurate and efficient validation of ‘open pathways’. This involves working with clinical staff, operational management teams, other validation staff, line manager and corporate information team. 

7.    Pro-actively escalate potential breaches and other issues according to the department escalation guidelines. 

8.    To maintain an accurate record of the number of pathways validated and ensure appropriate comments are entered next to each record to efficiently act as an audit trail.

9.    Plan and prioritise own workload with little supervision, responding to a fluctuating workload and using initiative to problem solve and know when to escalate issues

10.    To audit and confirm the accuracy of the RTT data. Report accuracy issues back to the user in a structured and informative way, enabling the users to improve their knowledge of the patient pathways and data entry on PAS. 

11.    As part of the central validation team, provide cover for colleagues in times of annual leave or sickness absence to ensure continuity of work and also participate in induction and training of new team members.

12.    Work closely with the Outpatients Administration Centre to review working practices, identify new improved ways of working and find solutions to problems. 

13.    To be involved in creating and updating SOPs and to recommend changes to policies and procedures to enhance department’s ability to provide optimum service.

14.    Assist in internal auditing and production of ad hoc reports

What We're Looking For:

  • Keenness to learn
  • Able to demonstrate a flexible and ‘can-do’ attitude
  • Strong communication skills with the confidence to work with people across the organisation
  • The ability to comprehend complex rules around RTT and patient pathways
  • Ability to work in a changing environment.

Please visit our social media platforms, to find out more:

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Person specification

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

Essential criteria
  • GCSE or equivalent in English and Maths, grades 4-9 (A*-C)
  • A Level / NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration/Customer Care or relevant equivalent experience
  • Capable of attaining knowledge of the full range of organisational policies and procedures relating to 18-week pathways
  • Capable of attaining experience in the RTT validation process, acquired through training and relevant experience. Able to validate across a range of different specialties
  • Willing to work towards applying the 18 week rules to different patient pathways across a wide spectrum of specialities
  • To work towards being an expert in the use of the Trust’s patient information systems
  • Capable of building in depth experience of using full range of Trust IT systems and patient data systems and Level 3 PPW training
  • Significant administrative experience including initiating and maintaining office systems
  • Demonstrable experience in dealing with sensitive and confidential information under GDPR
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of training people / teams in national standards

Trust Values

Essential criteria
  • Working Together
  • Always Improving
  • Patients First

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Care quality commission - GoodDisability confident employerInclusion UK

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.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
George Muldowney
Job title
Access Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
02381202742
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