Bed Manager
Closing date: 15 March 2026
An exciting secondment opportunity has arisen to join the Community Hospital Inpatient Bed Management team based at Maidstone Hospital.
Community hospitals provide a range of comprehensive health services for patients aged 18 or older, primarily focusing on older, frailer individuals. Units mainly provide rehabilitation and end‑of‑life support for palliative patients and their families.
Patients are referred to the ward either from the acute setting for further rehabilitation and assessment or directly from home via their GP or local community nursing teams. The Bed Management team triages patients and allocates them to the most appropriate bed and location. While there is no direct patient care, it is essential to understand the role of a Ward Band 6 and the responsibilities they hold when caring for patients.
Main duties of the job
* Address challenges related to bed availability, patient flow, and resource allocation.
* Oversee and optimise patient flow within the Community Hospitals, ensuring efficient bed utilisation and timely admissions and discharges.
* Coordinate admissions, discharges, and internal transfers to maintain optimal bed occupancy and facilitate timely patient movement.
* Liaise with clinical teams, other departments, and external organisations to ensure smooth patient flow and effective communication.
* Monitor bed occupancy, identify trends, and generate reports to support decision‑making and process improvement.
About us
Rated “Outstanding” by the CQC, we are passionate about delivering high standards of patient care and excellent services to improve the health of our communities. We need outstanding people who share our values: compassionate, aspirational, responsive, excellent.
We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from people with varied backgrounds, perspectives and experiences.
We ask for information about your protected characteristics on our application forms. This information is not visible to anyone involved with short‑listing or interviewing you, except when you choose to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme due to disability. Short‑listers will see two ticks alongside your application to ensure they apply the principles of the scheme to your submission.
The data we collect helps us ensure we attract diversity among our applicants, that all our colleagues have equitable access to career opportunities and supports us on our journey to being a Great Place to Work.
As a flexible‑working friendly organisation, we want you to be able to work in a way that best suits you and our patients. Talk to us about a flexible working arrangement that does not involve sacrificing time for personal interests or family commitments. We will support you in working flexibly in a way that suits us both.
See where you can go with KCHFT career pathways.
Job responsibilities
As a community trust, many of our roles require individuals to be able to drive. You will be asked to confirm that you have a full UK driving licence where required. We are committed to supporting candidates with disabilities into employment; if you cannot drive due to a disability, please contact the Recruitment Team at kentchft.recruitment@nhs.net, quoting the vacancy reference number so we can support you further.
Refer to the job description and person specification for detailed criteria. Please review the person specification carefully and include examples in your application that demonstrate how you meet these criteria. If you need an application form in an alternative format, let our recruitment team know. All information you supply on your application should, to the best of your knowledge, be true and accurate.
We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible; a vacancy may close early if there is high interest.
We strongly encourage colleagues in clinical and non‑clinical roles who have direct or social contact with patients to be fully vaccinated to ensure safety for all.
Find out more about the community difference here.
We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to #teamKCHFT, #come2community.
Person Specification
Qualifications, training and experience
* Level 6 Degree or equivalent qualification, or equivalent knowledge acquired through experience plus a diploma in nursing.
* Experience managing complex caseloads and supporting/mentoring others.
* Registered health care professional with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
* Full UK/EU driving licence.
Knowledge and skills
* Customer‑focused approach.
* Provide patients, clients and their families with the best possible experience.
* Proficiency in IT systems and databases.
* Up‑to‑date knowledge of clinical practice and evidence‑based procedures.
* Awareness of developments within the NHS and understanding of National Service Frameworks and NICE guidance.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) will be required to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Salary
£38,682 to £46,580 a year pro‑rata per annum.
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