Capacity Manager, WRH

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

This job is now closed

Job summary

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is committed to delivering high-quality patient care. We are currently seeking a Capacity Manager to join our team and support us in maintaining efficient patient flow throughout our hospitals. This is a critical role within our Clinical Site Team, ensuring the smooth management of inpatient admissions and optimal bed utilisation.

Our Capacity Managers are responsible for facilitating and ensuring the efficient use of hospital resources, particularly in managing inpatient admissions, bed allocation and patient flow. You will be tasked with coordinating emergency and elective admissions, managing capacity challenges and collaborating with clinical teams and external organisations. The role involves proactive decision-making, effective escalation and supporting smooth operational processes to ensure optimal patient care and flow within the hospital.

If you're someone who thrives on solving complex challenges and driving impactful change, this is your chance to be part of a dedicated team of professionals working to make a meaningful difference in peoples lives, with a commitment to excellence in patient care.

Join us and play a key part in enhancing patient experiences and operational efficiency.

Main duties of the job

Lead capacity management:Oversee all inpatient admissions, ensuring efficient bed allocation and patient flow.
Collaborate with departments:Work with the Emergency Department and clinical areas to meet KPIs and address capacity issues.
Prioritise patients:Ensure timely allocation against decision to admit and those in SDECS needing further treatment.
Manage transfers & repatriations:Coordinate with other Trusts and ensure appropriate patient movement.
Monitor data & bed usage:Ensure accurate data entry, timely escalation and compliance with policies.
Discharge management:Support discharge planning, resolve delays and promote effective use of discharge lounges and transport services.
Incident support:Act as Incident Officer for emergencies and assist in major incidents.
Liaise with external bodies:Coordinate with external organisations

This role involves driving operational efficiency, managing patient flow and maintaining high-quality care standards across departments.

About us

Our purpose is simple - Putting Patients First. We are looking for exceptional colleagues who can help us achieve this.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is over 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us to achieve our Vision - working in partnership to provide the best healthcare for our communities, leading and supporting our teams to move 4ward. Our 4ward behaviours, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Our objectives are simple:

Best services for local people
Best experience of care and best outcomes for our patients
Best use of resources
Best people

Better never stops, and our Clinical Services Strategy provides a clear future vision for our Trust, our hospitals, our services and our role in the wider health and care system.

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

Date posted

27 January 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£37,338 to £44,962 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

C9365-25-0081

Job locations

Charles Hastings Way

Worcester

Worcestershire

WR5 1DD

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

The post holder will be a member of the Capacity Management team. The required functions of this post will be:

To facilitate and support the maintenance of the 4 hr emergency access target and 18-week surgical elective target.

To facilitate and support that emergency admissions are placed in the appropriate clinical areas.

To ensure effective use of the Acute Medical Assessment Unit, Surgical Assessment Unit, SDECs and clinics.

Actively participate in discharge planning and work with the Flow Team and Divisional Teams to promote safe and timely discharge.

Key Duties:

Work as a member of the Capacity Management team to provide an effective and pro-active capacity management service for all inpatient admissions.

Liaise effectively with Emergency Department regarding emergency admissions to ensure that the 4 hr emergency access target is adhered to.

Allocate beds for emergency admissions as required, taking into account clinical appropriateness and priority.

Work with surgical ward staff to ensure that elective admissions are accommodated and escalate appropriately when capacity is not available.

Ensure patients in SDECS who require further treatment and admission are prioritised to a ward bed in order to maintain SDEC operation.

Where necessary escalate to decisions via Clinical Site Manager to review patients and facilitate a discharge plan.

Liaise with other Trusts to facilitate the transfer and repatriation of patients.

Manage non-urgent admissions.

Understand the importance of accurate information to enable self and on call managers to make appropriate decisions and potential issues that may arise if not the case.

Work closely with Clinical Coordinators to ensure a seamless, 24-hour capacity management service.

Monitor outlier levels and repatriate all outlying patients as appropriate, taking into account continuity of care and liaising with speciality bleep holders regarding clinical appropriateness.

To have knowledge of the Critical Care transfer out protocol.

Escalate any professional concerns to appropriate matron / manager.

Encourage that the discharge lounge is used and deployed effectively and patient transport services are being effectively organised and planned.

Contribute to ensuring that data entry practices relating to admissions, transfers and discharges are consistent with both local policy and national data definitions.

Ensure timely and accurate completion of data relating to bed utilisation.

Ensure that escalation is actioned when appropriate in line with Escalation Policy and play a key role in working effectively with partnership organisations.

To be able to deal with a complaint from a patient or relative on site or on the telephone in a professional and timely manner.

Act as Incident Officer for fire incidents / alarms.

Support Capacity Site Manager in major incidents and follow appropriate Action Cards.

Escalate any delayed discharges.

Liaise effectively and appropriately with external organisations (WMAS, ICB) if required.

Comply and support with the organisations Infection Prevention and Control requirements.