Job summary
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.
Please see below for detailed job description of the role.
Main duties of the job
Are you passionate about making a real difference to patients' journeys through hospital care? Join our friendly and dedicated team, The Complex Discharge Team, as a Discharge Officer, where you'll play a key role in helping patients leave hospital safely, smoothly, and on time.
In this rewarding role, you'll work closely with a wide range of professionals nurses, doctors, therapists, social workers, and community teams to coordinate discharge plans from the very start of a patient's admission. You'll be the vital link between the ward, patients and families, and partner organisations, ensuring every discharge is planned, communicated, and completed efficiently.
Your work will have a direct impact on improving patient flow, reducing delays, and supporting the Trust's goal of providing exceptional, patient-centred care. No two days will be the same you'll be managing your own caseload, problem-solving in real time, and seeing the positive results of your efforts as patients safely return home or move on to the next stage of their care.
You'll be part of a supportive and proactive team, working alongside and reporting to Advanced Discharge Officers, Complex Discharge Practitioners and other senior leaders. Together, you'll help ensure every patient's discharge is safe, timely, and well-coordinated.
If you're organised, compassionate, and thrive in a busy environment where teamwork truly makes a difference, we'd love to hear from you.
About us
University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.
Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.
We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.
At UHS we're committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.
At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We're committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Specific to this role we are open to discussing flexibility in the hours that you work. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you need, and we will explore whats possible for the role and service.
As a Discharge Officer, youll be at the heart of our patient flow and discharge process supporting patients, families, and the multidisciplinary team (MDT) to ensure every discharge is safe, timely, and well-coordinated.
Youll manage a caseload of patients across designated wards, working in partnership with clinical and community teams to help patients transition smoothly from hospital to home or ongoing care. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to patient experience and service efficiency every single day.
Key Responsibilities
Coordinate and support the safe discharge of patients from the point of admission, ensuring plans are realistic, proactive, and person-centred.
Work closely with nurses, doctors, therapists, social workers, and community partners to ensure discharge plans are communicated, documented, and delivered on time.
Monitor and update patient discharge information on the hospitals digital systems (UHS Apps), escalating any issues or delays to the appropriate teams.
Liaise with care agencies, care homes, and social services to arrange assessments, confirm placements, and restart care packages.
Act as an advocate for patients and their families, providing clear discharge information and ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making.
What Were Looking For
Were looking for someone who is organised, compassionate, and confident communicating across multiple teams. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:
Strong organisational and multitasking skills, with the ability to prioritise a busy workload and meet deadlines.
Excellent communication and teamwork, with the confidence to liaise effectively with staff at all levels and external partners.
Experience in an administrative or patient-facing role, ideally within a hospital or healthcare setting.
Good IT skills and confidence using Microsoft Office and hospital systems.
A proactive and empathetic approach to supporting patients and their families during their hospital stay.
Additional Information
Youll work as part of a rota, which includes weekdays, weekends, and bank holidays as eRostered.
The role is based at Southampton General Hospital.
Full training and ongoing support will be provided, with opportunities to develop your knowledge at UHS.
This post is subject to standard NHS employment checks, including references and right-to-work verification.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Specific to this role we are open to discussing flexibility in the hours that you work. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you need, and we will explore whats possible for the role and service.
As a Discharge Officer, youll be at the heart of our patient flow and discharge process supporting patients, families, and the multidisciplinary team (MDT) to ensure every discharge is safe, timely, and well-coordinated.
Youll manage a caseload of patients across designated wards, working in partnership with clinical and community teams to help patients transition smoothly from hospital to home or ongoing care. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to patient experience and service efficiency every single day.
Key Responsibilities
Coordinate and support the safe discharge of patients from the point of admission, ensuring plans are realistic, proactive, and person-centred.
Work closely with nurses, doctors, therapists, social workers, and community partners to ensure discharge plans are communicated, documented, and delivered on time.
Monitor and update patient discharge information on the hospitals digital systems (UHS Apps), escalating any issues or delays to the appropriate teams.
Liaise with care agencies, care homes, and social services to arrange assessments, confirm placements, and restart care packages.
Act as an advocate for patients and their families, providing clear discharge information and ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making.
What Were Looking For
Were looking for someone who is organised, compassionate, and confident communicating across multiple teams. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:
Strong organisational and multitasking skills, with the ability to prioritise a busy workload and meet deadlines.
Excellent communication and teamwork, with the confidence to liaise effectively with staff at all levels and external partners.
Experience in an administrative or patient-facing role, ideally within a hospital or healthcare setting.
Good IT skills and confidence using Microsoft Office and hospital systems.
A proactive and empathetic approach to supporting patients and their families during their hospital stay.
Additional Information
Youll work as part of a rota, which includes weekdays, weekends, and bank holidays as eRostered.
The role is based at Southampton General Hospital.
Full training and ongoing support will be provided, with opportunities to develop your knowledge at UHS.
This post is subject to standard NHS employment checks, including references and right-to-work verification.
Person Specification
Trust Values
Essential
- Patient First
- Always Improving
- Working Together
Qualifications, knowledge and experience
Essential
- Good standard of secondary education with literacy and numeracy skills demonstrable to GSCE grade C or equivalent standard
- NVQ 3 Qualification or relevant equivalent experience
- Basic knowledge of medical terminology
- Experience working in an administrative capacity in a customer focused environment
- Proven ability to work toto deadlines, prioritise and multitask
Desirable
- Courses / further study attended to demonstrate evidence of personal development
- Diploma level qualification or equivalent experience
- RSA 2 word processing/typing or equivalent experience
- Proficient in the use of all hospital computerised patient systems
- Experience in medical or patient services administrative role
Person Specification
Trust Values
Essential
- Patient First
- Always Improving
- Working Together
Qualifications, knowledge and experience
Essential
- Good standard of secondary education with literacy and numeracy skills demonstrable to GSCE grade C or equivalent standard
- NVQ 3 Qualification or relevant equivalent experience
- Basic knowledge of medical terminology
- Experience working in an administrative capacity in a customer focused environment
- Proven ability to work toto deadlines, prioritise and multitask
Desirable
- Courses / further study attended to demonstrate evidence of personal development
- Diploma level qualification or equivalent experience
- RSA 2 word processing/typing or equivalent experience
- Proficient in the use of all hospital computerised patient systems
- Experience in medical or patient services administrative role
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
