Job overview
This role is at the heart of delivering seamless cancer care across the inter-trust pathway. The post holder will act as a patient navigator, ensuring every step of the journey is managed proactively, tracked accurately, and progressed without delay. By keeping pathways moving in line with Cancer Waiting Times Targets and escalating issues when needed, they will help patients receive timely treatment and reassurance.
As a key member of the cancer service team, the post holder will coordinate Site/Local Multi-Disciplinary Team (S/LMDT) meetings, making sure clinicians have the right information at the right time. They will attend meetings, capture outcomes, and support the smooth transfer of patients and records between trusts, enabling collaborative decision-making and continuity of care.
Data will be a cornerstone of this role. The post holder will collect and maintain accurate information using local and national datasets, including Open Exeter and the Trust Cancer Waiting Times database. They will analyse breaches, highlight trends, and share insights with the Cancer Manager, Lead S/LMDT clinician, and Service Improvement Clinical Lead, driving improvements and ensuring services meet national standards.
This is a dynamic and rewarding position, combining patient advocacy, operational coordination, and data-driven improvement. The post holder will make a tangible difference to patient experiences and outcomes, while supporting the wider cancer service to deliver excellence.
Main duties of the job
Patient Navigating:
1. Prospective and proactive management of the inter-trust cancer pathway, monitoring, reporting and tracking cancer patients, ensuring that the patient’s journey is processed in a timely and efficient manner, in line with the SSG agreed pathway and with the Cancer Waiting Times Targets.
2. Resolving delays in the pathway at the earliest opportunity and where this is not possible escalating issues in accordance with Trust and network procedure
S/LMDT:
3. Co-ordinating and providing administrative support to the cancer S/LMDT(s), ensuring that all relevant paperwork and clinical information is available including case notes, imaging
and pathology as necessary. To attend S/MDT’S keeping comprehensive records of attendance, outcomes as discussed.
4. Ensuring the timely and efficient transfer of patients and information between trusts involved in the patient pathway, adhering to network SSG agreed communication pathways and protocol.
Data collection and analysis:
5. Ensuring data collection is undertaken in a prospective manner, assuring accuracy at all times. Using both local and national datasets, including Open Exeter and the Trust Cancer waiting Times data base.
6. Analysing target breaches and report to Cancer Manager and Lead S/LMDT clinician and S/LMDT Service Improvement Clinical Lead
Working for our organisation
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.
Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Job Description and Person Specification are attached to this job, please review for the full details and responsibilities
1.To navigate patients through their care pathway, from point of referral to treatment, in accordance with the pathway steps and timescales agreed by the SSG. Using hospital IT systems of reporting including PAS, endoscopy reporting systems, radiology reporting systems and histology.
2.To proactively pre-book appointments in accordance with the SSG agreed pathway ensuring that wherever possible patients reach each step in accordance with SSG agreed pathway timescales.
3.To escalate diagnostic appointments for target patients, (if booked outside the appropriate timescale).
4.To proactively identify and resolve delays at all stages in the patient pathway. Where this is not possible, to follow the escalation procedure and network policy for inter-trust transfers, highlighting any relevant issues to line Management.
5.To ensure that patients who require transfer to a tertiary centre are transferred in accordance with the network and SSG agreed timescales, using the appropriate SMDT referral proforma. Making sure that the SMDT referral proforma is complete and sent to the centre within 24hours of the clinical decision to refer the patient and that that all the clinical information as specified by the SSG is transferred within agreed timescales.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
7. Good standard of general education
8. General administration
9. GCSE Math & English (or equivalent)
Desirable criteria
10. IT skills equivalent to RSA2, NVQ2 or relevant experience of Microsoft Word Packages
Experience
Essential criteria
11. Ability to prioritise own workload
12. Good time management
13. Experience of data collection and analysis
14. Good computer skills including use of all Microsoft Office Packages
Desirable criteria
15. Minute/note taking
16. Shorthand
17. Knowledge of other computer software packages
18. NHS Experience
Knowledge
Essential criteria
19. Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
20. Able to work on own initiative
21. Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
22. Strong organisational skills
23. Analytical skills
24. Working knowledge of Databases.
25. Knowledge of service improvement.
26. Evidence of good attendance and timekeeping
Desirable criteria
27. Knowledge of patient administration system (PAS)
28. Knowledge of clinical terminology
29. Knowledge of Health Service Circular (HSC) on Cancer performance targets
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.