Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Associate Director of Patient Flow

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Job summary

We are seeking an outstanding leader with an energy and passion to shape the future of patient flow and capacity management as Associate Director of Patient Flow at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals. The post holder will provide leadership for the Trust flow team, work closely with clinical site teams and support system wide working and related transformation of patient flow for patients requiring ongoing care and support after hospital discharge. The post will have operational management of site flow team and provide strategic direction in partnership with our integrated care system and clinical divisions to explore innovative and new ways of working to ensure sustainable improvements to meet the demands of our local population.

This is a permanent post and provides the opportunity for a highly motivated leader with excellent interpersonal skills to develop a system approach and set a strategy for effective management of flow, developing and shaping the site team along the way.

The post holder willprovide strategic direction and operational oversight and accountability for the operational Flow team, patient flow and discharge functions.They will influence services and enable patient pathways within and beyond Worcester Acute Hospital to achieve optimum hospital performance.

Main duties of the job

The Associate Director of Patient Flow, in conjunction with the relevant Divisional Leadership Team is responsible for the operational management of inpatient flow and discharge process.

The Associate Director of Patient Flow will work closely with the relevant Clinical Leads, Senior Nurses, and Divisional management teams to provide direction and support to ensure services are maintained and continue to improve and develop.

The Associate Director of Patient Flow will manage specific projects and initiatives as agreed and will take the lead on additional specific projects as and when required.

Improving Diversity and Inclusive Recruitment:

As part of the Trust's aim to improve diversity across the Trust, positive action is being taken and all applications for this post from BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ candidates can request to be considered under an expanded Guaranteed Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum criteria as specified in the person specification for this role.

Applicants will be prompted in the application form to declare if they wish to be considered under this expanded Guaranteed Interview Scheme, and their response would be visible to the Shortlisting Panel.

If you have any queries about expanded Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please contact Rob Saunders (HR Manager - Recruitment) in confidence via email robert.saunders1@nhs.net

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

26 March 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8c

Salary

£74,290 to £85,601 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9365-25-0279

Job locations

Charles Hastings Way

Worcester

Worcestershire

WR5 1DD

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

Provide visible leadership for the safe and effective management of patient flow across the Trust.

Lead engagement in the design of optimum patient flow across services within the integrated care partnership.

Be accountable for the delivery of operational and performance targets in Patient flow and systematically identifying and addressing areas for improvement.

Support Trust escalation plans effectively, engaging with all Divisions and external stakeholders should deficits in bed plans arise.

Lead the development and delivery of clinical and professional standards related to patient flow and also the development of leadership within the Patient Flow Team.

Through leadership of the Discharge Planning Team, ensure robust processes to manage patients with Criteria for Discharge and minimise the number of patients with no criteria to reside in the Hospital.

Maintain flow, quality of care and patient experience as well as provide strategic oversight of patient flow processes

In collaboration with the Infection Control team, ensure that patient pathways are compliant with infection control requirements.

Lead initiatives to improve (reduce) patients length of stay, avoid delays, and facilitate pre-noon discharge.

Working with the Deputy Chief Operating Officer to develop robust internal

performance management systems which enable the Trust to adhere to or exceed plans, standards and targets.

Lead on the future development of the hospital patient flow processes to ensure they facilitate accurate decision making, driving change and improvement by supporting and influencing both Divisions and Corporate teams.

Work alongside system partners including building strong links with community to ensure improvements are delivered.

Ensure effective use of data in order to monitor performance and to satisfy internal and external reporting requirements.

Interrogate data to understand opportunities for improved patient flow, and to measure the benefits of transformation initiatives.

Participate in the Trust silver (on call senior manager) on-call rota

General Duties:

To provide leadership, direction and support to all staff for which the post holder is

directly responsible, fostering an open and inclusive style of management, encouraging team working and good working relationships.

To foster a sense of team identity, common purpose and shared values in pursuit of trust strategy, priorities, and objectives.

To implement and support a zero-tolerance approach to bullying and harassment in all forms and lead by example in this area.

To ensure that all staff within the areas managed receive regular appraisal and have developed Personal Development Plans (PDPs).

To ensure that staff management arrangements are consistent with HR policies and procedures within the Trust and to ensure that good practice in recruitment, appraisal, performance management and other policies are maintained.

To ensure the areas of responsibility implement and adhere to Trust HR policies and procedures.

To work in partnership with Trade Unions and staff representatives in developing the workforce, managing employee relations and changing working practices.

Due to the wide-ranging nature of this post, specific service objectives will be agreed with the post-holder on a regular basis.

To ensure that patient flow operationally functions at an optimal level and that any issues preventing this are resolved or escalated for resolution.

In partnership with the Divisional Leadership Teams, contribute to Winter Planning and escalation. This will include representing the Trust at weekly and daily conference calls with the ICB System Level Calls.

To work closely with Clinical Leads, Senior Nurses, Divisional Directors and Divisional Managers to develop patient focused services, ensuring that contractual and performance targets are met.

To develop and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships, across internal and external organisational boundaries.

To develop and implement an appropriate reporting structure to ensure Divisional teams and senior colleagues are kept informed of key trends and issues.

To be responsible for putting forward recommendations for action to address any adverse trends or issues.

To lead on the improvement and maintenance of robust discharge planning processes across the organisation

Where applicable, to support the re-design of patient pathways in the specialities with the overall aim of ensuring maximum utilisation of resources

To be responsible and accountable for the Patient Flow Team budgets, ensuring the optimum use of resources and establishing and maintaining effective management processes to ensure financial control.

Proactively monitor patient flow performance targets to ensure they are maintained, taking actions where necessary to prevent or address variances in performance, highlighting performance issues to the relevant Divisional senior team.

Work with Divisional senior teams to support seasonal and ad hoc bed closures for

Infection Control reasons, operational issues and Quality, Efficiency and Productivity savings targets.

In conjunction with Associate Director of Capacity, implement appropriate clinical governance structures and processes within the Patient Flow Team.

Ensure local procedures are in place to report, investigate and monitor clinical incidents putting action in place to address areas of concern.

To ensure that complaints are investigated as appropriate under the procedure and ensure action is taken to address issues of concern and prevent reoccurrence of similar events.

To monitor and update the operational policies of the Patient Flow Team and take account of risk management needs.

To actively participate in relevant Clinical Governance and Risk Management processes alongside the Associate Director of Capacity.