Job overview
We are looking for an organised, proactive, and compassionate Band 4 Discharge Coordinator to join our Early Intervention Team (EIT) at Addenbrooke's Hospital. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a dedicated team that plays a key role in promoting admission avoidance and ensuring timely, safe and effective discharges from the hospital.
As a Discharge Coordinator, you will work alongside EIT Clinicians, Ward Teams, and Community Partners to identify patients with potential discharge needs early in their hospital journey. You will support early discharge planning, coordinate care between hospital and Community Services and liaise closely with families and external agencies to ensure a seamless transition of care.
A key part of this role involves identifying patients who could be safely managed at home or in alternative care settings, helping to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and improve patient flow.
This role requires excellent communication, organisational and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to work flexibly in a fast-paced environment. In return, you'll join a supportive and experienced team committed to person-centred care and continuous improvement.
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1. The Discharge Coordinator will be Ward-based, coordinating discharges to enable a reduction in length of stay, reduction in the number of lost bed days and increase the quality of complex discharge planning whilst supporting members of the MDT team.
2. The Discharge Coordinator will track the progress of patients through their hospital journey and will develop robust plans to facilitate timely discharge.
3. The Discharge Coordinator will escalate issues with external organisations, which could cause a discharge delay via Early Intervention Team escalation process. Negotiation with staff, services and patients will be a vital part of this role to ensure the patient journey is progressed appropriately and safely.
4. This role will involve developing excellent working relationships across the health boundaries and with patient and their families / carers.
5. The Discharge Coordinator is responsible for undertaking pathway 1 and 2 referrals via EPIC and will complete and track referrals to relevant services to enable discharge planning to take place at the correct stage in the patient's hospital journey.
Working for our organisation
Our Trust
Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust comprises Addenbrooke's Hospital and the Rosie Hospital in Cambridge. With over 13,000 staff and over 1100 beds the priorities of the Trust focus on a quality service which is all about people – patients, staff and partners. Recognised as providing 'outstanding' care to our patients and rated 'Good' overall by the Care Quality Commissioner, is testament to the skill and dedication of the people who work here. CUH's values – Together - Safe, Kind, Excellent – are at the heart of patient care, defining the way all staff work and behave. The Trust provides accessible high-quality healthcare for the local people of Cambridge, together with specialist services, dealing with rare or complex conditions for a regional, national and international population.
CUH is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves. We value our differences and fully advocate and support an inclusive working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential. We want to ensure our people are truly representative of all the communities that we serve. We welcome applications for all positions in the organisation irrespective of people's age, disability, ethnicity, race, nationality, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity status or social economic background.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Early Intervention Team consists of Frailty Specialist Nurses, Therapists (PT/OT) and Complex Discharge Specialist Surses (CDSNs).
We offer a single referral point for Frailty assessments, Therapy assessments and Complex Discharge Planning to Emergency Department and Medical Assessment Units.
We believe in strong multidisciplinary team work, valuing the individual contributions of the team, as well as supporting the wider organisation in understanding and caring for frail older people.
Please see the attached Applicant Information Pack (combined Job Description and Person Specification) for key duties and responsibilities.
Due to Home Office immigration rules, a full time permanent vacancy cannot be filled by individuals on a Student visa. Therefore, please be advised that if you are a Student visa holder, we will not be able to offer you a full time permanent contract unless you have:
6. applied for a Graduate visa
7. or you will have successfully completed your course and have applied for a Graduate visa before the anticipated start date of your employment
As per Home Office guidelines, please be aware that, unfortunately, the Trust is unable to offer sponsorship for this particular position.
For NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough based roles, all applicants from NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have identified that they are at risk of redundancy will be prioritised over those not at risk. However, interviews cannot be guaranteed.
The advert will close at midnight on 30 November 2025.
Interviews are due to be held on 16 December 2025.
Benefits to you
At Cambridge University Hospitals, we want to do all we can to support good working days. We offer development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including on-site leisure facilities, shopping concourse and day nurseries. Our good work programme currently includes providing reduced cost Stagecoach bus travel to and from Cambridge University Hospital site. Park and Ride bus journeys between Babraham Road and Trumpington sites are free, as is the route to and from Cambridge train station and our hospitals. We also subsidise the cost of parking on site for eligible staff.
On CUH campus, hot food is available 24/7 and at a reduced cost for colleagues. Recently we launched the first of our staff pod break spaces. Located in the Deakin Centre, we have a purpose-created colleague-only café, with free tea and coffee, a break space and private outside area for colleagues to rest, refuel and recharge. Just one of the ways we are working hard to support good working days at CUH.
CUH is committed to assisting employees in achieving a good work-life balance irrespective of role or personal circumstances. Flexible arrangements may include, but are not limited to, part-time working, job-share, term-time working and flexible start and finish times.
Please note if you would like to discuss the required hours of this role further, you should approach the contact given. In some cases, alternative working hours will be considered.
We welcome applications from the Armed Forces.