Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Cancer Pathway Tracker, Cancer Services, WRH

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Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen, on a 12 month fixed term contract 22.5 hours per worked over 3 to 4 days, Monday-Thursday. We are looking for a dynamic and motivated individual to join the Cancer Services team 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.

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.

Main duties of the job

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 (SCR). 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.

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

03 March 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£26,530 to £29,114 a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9365-25-0107-2

Job locations

Charles Hastings Way

Worcester

Worcestershire

WR5 1DD

Job description

Job responsibilities

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 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 Trackers.

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.