Job summary
- Main area
- Discharge
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 6
- Contract
- Fixed term: 5 months (5 months from start date to be reviewed at 3 months)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (working over the weekend period)
- Job ref
- 249-7553838
- Employer
- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Great Western Hospital
- Town
- Swindon
- Salary
- £38,682 - £46,580 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 12/11/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Senior Discharge Flow Co-ordinator
NHS AfC: Band 6
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a unique organisation, serving as the sole integrated provider in the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire system. Our scope extends beyond boundaries as we oversee adult community services in Swindon and provide acute care from the Great Western Hospital.
Our 5,500 staff have 1.2m patient contacts a year, with 13,000 operations carried out in our Theatres, around 4,000 babies born, and our emergency attendances are now well over 100,000 per year. Those numbers only tell part of our story about what an exciting time it is to join Great Western Hospitals.
We are cultivating a culture that fosters our ambitions, prioritising equality, diversion, inclusion, wellbeing, and leadership. We aim to create an environment where every member of our team can truly thrive.
The Trust is a Disability Confident Employer; all applicants who have a disability can opt to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme, which means that, providing they meet the minimum essential criteria for the post, they will be offered an interview. We are also proudly accredited as a Veteran Aware organisation and have signed The Armed Forces Covenant.
If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close adverts prior to the published closing date. Therefore, we advise you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.
Job overview
The Senior Discharge Flow Coordinator will work alongside the Matron of Clinical Operations and Patient Flow to achieve effective discharge processes in the management of simple and complex cases. They will work independently but under the supervision of the Matron and Head of Clinical Operations by liaising with ward managers, multi-disciplinary teams (MDT), clinical teams, and system wide stakeholders to facilitate safe, effective patient discharges.
Building on their role as an integral part of the ward the Lead Discharge Flow Nurse will provide additional support to the Specialist Discharge Coordination for managing complex cases that require challenging coordination of multi systems to discharge patients, along with supporting rapid turn-around of patients to their home, working with areas at the front door and the Swindon Co-ordination Centre to reduce length of stay or admission, by accessing appropriate community services and safety netting.
The post holder will be a skilled and knowledgeable professional and will be an advisor for patients, family/carers and internal and external staff on discharge pathways and know how to escalate challenging barriers. Their work will be underpinned by the Hospital Discharge Policy and Trust discharge escalation policy to manage stranded patients (21-day length of stay) and Super-Stranded patients (50-day length of stay).
Main duties of the job
1. Takes a lead role in the discharge process to ensure the safe, timely discharge of patients, building competence and confidence and promoting a culture of prevention and early intervention with all staff.
2. To ensure discharge pathways and processes are monitored and unsatisfactory outcomes are investigated appropriately. This will include the review of complaints, datix and patient experience feedback.
3. Proactively supports staff to effectively manage patient flow delays, supporting the trusts work program to reduce incidence of stranded patients delayed transfers of care.
4. Follows agreed escalation processes for complex cases helping to avoid or resolve conflict if required.
5. Develops effective links and relationships with relevant professional partners to ensure as seamless a service as possible.
Working for our organisation
Our STAR values – Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect – are a golden thread running through everything we do. These values serve as a guiding principle, driving us towards our vision of delivering great joined up services to our local community. Whether at home, in the community, or within the hospital, our goal is to empower individuals to lead independent and healthier lives.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. Has the knowledge and skills to deliver best practice when planning safe and timely transfer of care, to achieve best outcomes for patients, reduce length of stay and optimise bed usage.
2. In conjunction with the Matron and Head of Clinical Operations, tracks, assesses and monitors patient length of stay, delayed transfers of care/stranded patients and process related issues, maintaining accurate reports in accordance with strict national deadlines and liaising with service representatives as required.
3. Establishes key links with all members of the multidisciplinary team and facilitate the development of discharge planning expertise.
4. To ensure stakeholders are consulted and patient experience and feedback contributes to the development of the service.
5. Arrange multidisciplinary team meetings (MDT), chairing when appropriate to, and maintain precise documentation of professional meetings following correct governance procedures.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Registered Nurse (Active NMC Registration)
- Educated to Post Graduate Diploma or above level qualification or equivalent experience of advanced practise.
- Evidence of continued personal and professional development
Desirable criteria
- Have local knowledge of the voluntary and health services surrounding the Swindon area.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experienced registered nurse
- In depth experience of leading and managing teams of nursing staff across different levels
- Significant experience of working in a multi-disciplinary environment with a range of health professionals
- Evidence of leadership and management development
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Rachel Palfreeman
- Job title
- Deputy Head of Patient Flow
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01793 607420
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