Cancer Pathway Navigator, Cancer ServicesinWorcesterinWorcesterPUBLISHED WED 15 JAN 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen, on a 12 month fixed term contract, for a dynamic and motivated individual to join the Cancer Services teamto act as the patients navigator and ensure the management of patients is efficient and effective, taking into account the individual needs of the patients and the requirements of the service, contribute to the achievement of the National Cancer Waiting Time Targets, National Audits and Cancer Registry, facilitate the patient pathway by co-ordinating and proactively tracking the timeliness of patient treatments within the National guidelines.

The ideal candidate will be confident, enthusiastic, dynamic and self-motivated with the ability to display advanced IT, administrative and organisational skills along with excellent knowledge of cancer pathways. Competence in data collation and input, along with excellent IT skills, across a broad range of systems will also be required.

The post holders will be required to work autonomously and demonstrate excellent communication and negotiation skills to deal with complex situations with service users and clinicians either over the phone or face-to-face. Commitment and compassion for patients and the quality of care they receive will be imperative.

To act as the patients navigator tracking their timed pathway against the national guidance to ensure patients receive their treatment within the guidelines of the National Waiting Time targets. This includes monitoring patients referred to other Trusts in the Network and influencing their pathway pathway, via the local MDT. The post holder will be responsible for capturing information about patients; ensuring up-to-date relevant information is recorded on the Trusts databases. To understand the patient pathway, including the diagnostic and staging investigations and treatment options available is essential. The post holder must also facilitate collection of data for all cancers and enter this on the Somerset Cancer Registry (SCR).

About us

WORCESTERSHIRE ACUTE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST

JOB DESCRIPTION

Post Title: Cancer Pathway Navigator

Pay Band: 4

Hours: 37.5

Contract: 12 months fixed term

Location / Department: Countywide, Cancer Services

Accountable to: Cancer Services Manager Trustwide

Reports to: Service Improvement Manager & FDS Lead Cancer Services Trustwide

Key Working Relationships:

Internal:

Directorate Managers, Directorate Support Managers

Cancer management team

Cancer Quality Assurance Manager

Core and Extended members of MDT, Radiologists, Histopathologists, Oncologists

Lead Clinician for the MDT

Histopathology and Cytology staff

CNSs & other nursing staff

Medical secretaries

Palliative care teams

IM&T staff

Cancer services booking office

External:

Cancer Network specialist MDTs

Other hospital notes, data, histopathology and images

Secretaries at the cancer centres

West Midlands Strategic Clinical Network

Expert Advisory Group

Clinical Commissioning Group

Job Purpose:

To act as the patients navigator tracking their timed pathway against the national guidance to ensure patients receive their treatment within the guidelines of the National Waiting Time targets. This includes monitoring patients referred to other Trusts in the Network and influencing their pathway pathway, via the local MDT. The post holder will be responsible for capturing information about patients; ensuring up-to-date relevant information is recorded on the Trusts databases. To understand the patient pathway, including the diagnostic and staging investigations and treatment options available is essential. The post holder must also facilitate collection of data for all cancers and enter this on the Somerset Cancer Registry (SCR).

Key Duties:

To have full understanding of Trust and National targets relating to cancer and other waiting times and to navigate patients through their diagnostic and treatment pathways within these principles.

Working on your own initiative with minimum direct supervision for the tracking of all patients diagnosed with cancer or suspected of having cancer, in order to ensure a timely diagnostic and treatment process and accurate entry of clinical data.

To maintain the accuracy and effectiveness of the Trusts Patient Tracking database -SCR, ensuring it is kept up-to-date and current.

To proactively monitor patients progress, highlighting problems to the cancer and directorate management team and escalating where necessary according to local protocols.

To liaise with MDT co-ordinators, clinicians, clinical nurse specialists, other medical staff, medical secretaries/PAs and administrative staff and to ensure all patients on a pathway are identified and tracked. This will involve negotiating with and instructing relevant personnel, departments of clinic bookings/diagnostic tests/admissions that need to be arranged to ensure prompt treatment.

To identify patients who are likely to breach their targets and escalate appropriately according to local guidance to enable action to be taken to prevent breaches.

To understand service provision for cancer patients within the Network, the steps along the patient pathway and the associated flows of information. This will include referral processes, diagnostic and treatment options and involves using the Trusts computer systems -Ez notes, ICE, WINPATH, CRIS, PACs, OASIS, Bluespier, MOSAIQ, System One, GI Reporting Tool, LCMS.

Liaise with Tertiary Centres to ensure all diagnostic plans are delivered in a timely way to avoid delays and support compliance against the Cancer Waiting Time (CWT) targets.

To ensure a tertiary alert including all patient data transfer information is sent to any treating tertiary centre either within 2 working days of MDT discussion or as soon as identified on tracking.

To ensure the referral of patients to other Trusts for appointment or MDT discussion is carried out, including sending scans, histology and clinic letter or reports to the tertiary centre when requested. All patients referred to a tertiary centre must continued to be tracked and updated on SCR.

To collect Cancer Waiting Times -CWT, COSD -Cancer Outcomes and Services Dataset and audit data and enter onto the Somerset Cancer Registry- SCR.

To ensure patient tracking comments are updated with precise and accurate comments as Patient Tracking List (PTLs) are sent weekly.

Update SCR immediately with any actions undertaken by the Directorates that are returned on the PTLs.

General Duties:

Answer all telephone queries promptly and efficiently, relaying messages as appropriate

Maintain up-to-date procedures detailing guidance on tracking to aid cover the role for that specialty.

Actively build up knowledge of procedures and working practices for other tumour types in order to provide cover during times of leave/sickness when required.

Assist in the training of new Cancer Pathway Navigators.

Attend and participate in team meetings.

Participate in the roll out of the cancer strategy and will be expected to contribute to the implementation of new cancer policies and protocols and running of information cancer systems.

Communicate fully with the wider cancer team including both clinical and non-clinical members, at all levels internal and external to the Trust to ensure the best possible outcome for cancer patients.

Participate in the Trusts Performance and Development Review and to undertake any identified training and development related to the post.

Undertake statutory and mandatory training as deemed appropriate by the Trust.

Develop and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues.

Adhere to all Trust policies and procedures. Ensuring confidentiality at all times.

Undertake such other tasks as requested by the Cancer Data Manager/Assistant Cancer Data Manager in accordance with the grade and nature of the post.

Maintain a smart and professional appearance at all times.

Maintain a professional manner including practising respectful office etiquette at all times.

The post will be regularly reviewed and additional duties may be assigned as necessary in direct response to the changing Cancer agenda.