Job summary
- Main area
- Discharge Lounge
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Early and Late shifts)
- Job ref
- 289-EI-55
- Employer
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Chelsea And Westminster Foundation
- Town
- Chelsea
- Salary
- £31,049 - £37,796 Per annum plus HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 08/10/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Staff Nurse Discharge Lounge
NHS AfC: Band 5
Job overview
Lead and managing the discharge lounge service to ensure it is smooth, well utilised and an effective resource within the trust providing quality nursing care to patients waiting for discharge from hospital.
Improving utilisation of the discharge lounge thus ensuring timely available beds in the trust from wards to improve and ensure good patient flow across the hospital.
Ensure good patient experience.
Key working relationships-
· Clinical site managers
· Pharmacy
· Discharge hub
· Ward managers/nursing staff
· Medical/surgical teams
· Social services and Community partners
· Multidisciplinary teams including transport
· Red cross services
Main duties of the job
· Maintain high standard of patients care throughout the patients’ journey
· To co-ordinate and facilitate patient transfers from all adult wards, clinics and ED to the discharge lounge and educate staff of appropriate patients
· Provide and maintain all nursing care as needed for patients within the discharge lounge.
· Develop and maintain a positive customer service focused environment to ensure excellent patient experience during the discharge process
· Support the Trust’s goal to reduce length of stay and discharge initiatives such as 2 before 12 and our 4 hour ED standard.
· Develop and maintain effective working relationships and communication with the pharmacy department to ensure that patients waiting for their medications are not delayed unnecessarily.
· Develop and maintain strong working relationships and communication with the discharge team, clinical site managers and transport team.
· To ensure smooth, safe and effective patient transition from hospital to patients discharge arrangements, appropriate transport is booked and follow up arrangements are made.
· Share discharge performance with deputy head of site and discharge manager.
Working for our organisation
Our Trust is one of England's top-performing and safest trusts. We operate two main acute hospital sites—Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital—along with award-winning clinics across North West London.
Our nearly 7,500 staff care for a diverse population of 1.5m, providing full clinical services including maternity, A&E and children’s services, plus specialist HIV and sexual health care. The CQC rates us Good in safety, effectiveness, care and responsiveness, and Outstanding in leadership and resource use.
We continually invest in our facilities, including a £30m expansion of critical care at Chelsea and an £80m Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Mid.
We are delivering sustainable healthcare through our Green Plan. In line with Greener NHS ambitions, we aim for net zero carbon emissions by 2045. Achieving this requires collective effort. We encourage staff to reduce their impact on carbon, waste and pollution wherever possible. Every action counts to create a healthier, more sustainable future.
We are committed to equal opportunities and believe diversity drives innovation and excellence. We welcome applications from the global majority, veterans and underrepresented communities, valuing the perspectives they bring.
If you haven’t heard from us within 3 weeks of the closing date, your application was likely unsuccessful. Employment is subject to a six-month probation. Some roles may require weekend shifts at multiple sites.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
· Identify problems and actively work towards resolving them.
· Actively look for ways to develop the service.
· Ensure the safety of all patients including visitors at all times.
· Ensuring safe clinical practice is maintained in the unit, especially in relation to junior staff.
· Identify own development needs and actively work towards own professional development with support from senior staff.
· Maintain the required mandatory training
· Maintain a professional portfolio for CPD, ensure all learning outcomes and reflective practice is recorded
Person specification
Application
Essential criteria
- Registered Nurse with 18 months experience
- Evidence of recent professional updating and relevant personal development
- Understanding of current issues in Acute NHS setting
- Good communication skills
- Discharge process knowledge
Desirable criteria
- Methodical, well organised approach
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Raelee Thompson
- Job title
- Discharge Lounge Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07386697327
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