Complex Breathlessness Navigator - Respiratory, Band 3

at  Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Full time position, 37.5 hours a week
This role will be a crucial part the Complex Breathlessness MDT team. The navigator will have responsibility for co-ordinating the Complex Breathlessness clinics and essential steps in the complex breathlessness pathway to enable swift progression through the pathway for patients with complex breathlessness.
The role requires someone with exceptional organisational skills and who can demonstrate great communication and interpersonal skills. A caring and sensitive attitude is essential as contact with patients, their families and carers is expected.

• To track new complex breathlessness referrals and track all ongoing patient activity.
• To co-ordinate the booking of the Complex Breathlessness clinics.
• To work alongside the Respiratory Consultants
• To arrange investigations, chase results of investigations, to co-ordinate outpatient appointments, contact patients when required.
• To manage the complex breathlessness database.
• To have excellent organisational abilities and interpersonal skills. To be used to working on own initiative.
• To be flexible and willing to accommodate changes to the service as they develop. Contribute to that development.
• Using hospital databases, such as PAS, CRIS, TrakCare, Sunrise (EPR) to check appointment dates and outcomes for patients.
• Develop a basic understanding of the medical terminology and treatments for cancer in order to fully understand the patient’s pathway.
• Input data into Infoflex to ensure timely uploads in line with target dates.
• Provide administrative support.
• Ensuring all clinics are used to their full capacity and that any vacant slots are fully utilised and acted upon, including informing the Booking Office, to maximise capacity
• Ensuring all clinic cancellations/alterations are dealt with efficiently and in line with the Trust’s 8 week annual/study leave policy.
  I am delighted you are interested in a Complex Breathlessness Navigator position here at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We provide acute hospital services from two large district general hospitals, Cheltenham General Hospital and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Maternity Services are also provided at Stroud Maternity Hospital. We remain the major provider of secondary care services in the area and analysis shows that for Gloucestershire we are the leading acute healthcare provider by a significant margin.
  Here at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, our patients are at the heart of everything we do, and pivotal to this are our Secretarial and Administration Teams, whose dedication, expertise and kindness ensures that patients receive the very best care throughout their pathway through our services. I wish you every success with your application to join this team.

Whilst the organisation and structure within specialities/divisions may vary the specific remit of this role will include:

• To be key member of the Complex Breathlessness Team and work well in a team but able to work autonomously.
• To carry out all administrative and clerical duties within the department in an efficient and confidential manner.
• Conduct a daily pathway review meeting with the Consultants
• To develop and maintain office and administrative systems to support the work of the clinical staff. To be confident in suggesting improvements or additions to better serve our patient-focussed service.
• Support the preparation of the weekly MDT meetings.
• Ensure relevant results are available for MDT discussion.
• Make follow up appointments in respiratory clinics post-MDT as requested. Liaise with relevant staff re lung function appointments.
• To liaise with other Trusts and develop links with other Trusts to exchange information.
• To develop complex breathlessness knowledge by attending study days as necessary, using the knowledge gained to enhance involvement as a team member.
• Undertake any other appropriate duties commensurate with the role, as required at the request of your line manager.
• Typing correspondence to patients, GPs, medical staff and any other required addressee following clinical attendance or other patient contacts using digital dictation or via Dragon voice recognition
• Highlighting to the clinical team members any results, correspondence or patient queries that need response and taking action e.g. booking investigations, transcription, etc.
• Ensuring incoming post and results is sorted, any appropriate action taken and passed to the clinician on a daily basis
• Ensuring that any vacant slots are fully utilised and acted upon, including informing the Booking Office, to maximise capacity
• Review clinics to ensure patients have been booked appropriately. Identifying any issues to the clinician.
• Booking investigations as requested by the clinical team, including negotiation of dates with the patients and creating correspondence if appropriate
• Deal with enquiries by letter/e-mail/telephone from patients, GP’s, other hospitals, police, solicitors (via legal department), other consultants and management
• Liaising with external organisations for the benefit and progress of patient care, such as Social Services, other hospitals, etc

Service Improvement

• Using speciality databases for recording patient information/clinic activity for audit/survey purposes, as well as sending out any associated paperwork. Regular audit of data is undertaken and decisions can then be made by the department/team as to appropriate service improvements.
• Support the development of improvements to working practices and processes and contribute to service reviews and the implementation of new arrangements.
• As directed, support the resolution of complaints or concerns from patients/carers by helping to collate information and work with the supervisor to respond or escalate appropriately.

Team-working

• To work as part of an Administrative Support Team working flexibly to ensure that administrative work is shared out equally and performed to excellent, efficient and safe standards
• To cover colleagues during absences/annual/sick leave as directed by the secretary supervisor. You may also be required to undertake job rotation for cross cover as well as for development and training purposes.
• Undertaking routine office duties including electronic note tracking, photocopying, filing of correspondence and results and maintenance of records in the absence of the band 2 clerical assistant.
• Assist in the training and induction for new and existing colleagues
• Take the initiative as and when required as well as working flexibly and adapting to the demands of the department/team as appropriate
• Liaise with relevant team members to ensure that any process changes run smoothly and efficiently.
• Undertake any other appropriate duties commensurate with the role, as required at the request of your line manager.

Additional Contact Details
Stacey Webb - stacey.webb@nhs.ne