Cancer Pathway Navigator- Liver surveillance

at  Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

WORCESTERSHIRE ACUTE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST JOB DESCRIPTION Post Title: Cancer Pathway Navigator- Focus on liver surveillance Pay Band: 4 Hours: Full Time 37.5 hours per week Contract: 24 Months Fixed Term until Location / Department: Countywide, Cancer Services Accountable to: Cancer Services Improvement Manager & FDS Lead Trustwide Reports to: Trust Cancer Services Manager Trustwide Key Working Relationships: Internal: Lead Clinician for the MDT Cancer management team Core and Extended members of MDT, Radiologists, Histopathologists, Oncologists Histopathology and Cytology staff CNSs & other nursing staff Medical secretaries Palliative care teams IM&T staff Directorate Managers, Directorate Support Managers and Directorate Support Officers Booking clerks for outpatients, inpatients and diagnostics External: Cancer Network specialist MDTs Other hospital notes, data, histopathology and images Secretaries at the cancer centres West Midlands Strategic Clinical Network Expert Advisory Groups Clinical Commissioning Groups Risk Assessment: Job Purpose: The key elements of the role are: to 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, this includes monitoring patients referred to other Trusts in the Network and influencing their 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 and must also facilitate collection of data for all cancers and enter this onto the Somerset Cancer Registry. Knowledge and understanding of patient pathways, including the diagnostic and staging investigations and treatment options available, is essential. Excellent organisational communication skills together with high levels of accuracy are also a key requirement for this post.
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. Develop an understanding of the milestones within the Liver Cancer surveillance pathway and relevant national guidance e.g., NICE Update on all enquiries regarding patients liver disease stage care and treatment on the cancer surveillance pathway (or diagnostics within the pilot e.g., Fibro scan from the patients GP in a timely manner. Develop and maintain a Patient tracking list for standard of care (non-pilot) patients already engaged with HCC surveillance.
To have knowledge and understanding of all of the cancer pathways and have an active role in redesigning pathways and service improvement, particularly in the analysis of existing pathways Ensure accurate data is rapidly captured and recorded to meet the standards of the management of patients to fulfil the cancer information requirements To proactively monitor patients progress along their pathway, 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, booking clerks and administrative staff 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 or bought forward 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. All patients referred to a tertiary centre must continue to be tracked and updated on SCR.
To facilitate with the collection of 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 promptly, after each event, with precise and accurate comments. Triage incoming calls and initiate appropriate response in accordance to assessment tools, protocols and individual pathways, liaising with the CNS as appropriate. Provide basic telephone advice and refer on or signpost to other sources of support.
General Duties: Maintain up-to-date procedures detailing guidance on tracking to aid with covering the role. 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 Services Project 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

Please refer the Job description for details