Job summary
The primary focus of the Discharge Ward Liaison Officer role is to enable and support patients' safe and timely Discharge. The post holder will need to consider the options around a patient's Discharge and take appropriate action to resolve delays in Discharge. This will ensure capacity is created in the system to allow the wards always to have empty beds to match the demands of the service. The critical element of the Discharge Ward Liaison Officer's role is communicating with the discharge nurses and ward staff to ensure everyone is working to the same plan of no patient delays.
Main duties of the job
Work with ward staff to ensure that Patient FLOW and Care Flow is accurate and updated.
To have a good working relationship with the Wards, this will require daily visit to allocated wards at MDT/ RAG and other times throughout the day. This is to ensure that the service needs are met in line with Trust policies, guidelines, and departmental protocols
Communicate with a range of healthcare professionals using persuasive skills when needed to facilitate effective discharge from hospital.
To work as part of a team alongside other WLO within the department and to be part of a wider multidisciplinary team delivering a high-quality service to other staff and patients. This includes working with identified external contacts and stakeholders.
To gain understand of the trust various IT systems.
About us
The North Middlesex University Hospital, Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust is a medium-sized acute and community trust with over 525 beds and over 600 community staff, serving more than 600,000 people living across Enfield and Haringey and the surrounding areas, including Barnet and Waltham Forest.
In the year ending 31 March 2022, the Trust reported a turnover of £419.7m and employed almost 4,000 staff. Following the transfer of Enfield Community Services on 1st April 2023, this has increased as we have welcomed over 600 new staff including District Nurses, Community Matrons, Community Physiotherapists, Psychologists and many more across a wide range of adult and children's community services in Enfield.
In January 2025 we joined the Royal Free group: it is an exciting time to join North Mid as we continue our journey to become an integrated care organisation to deliver high quality, seamless care in our local communities, with a focus on tackling health inequalities.
North Mid is part of North Central London integrated care system - consisting of the NHS and Local authority organisations in Camden, Islington, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey. As with other ICSs, we are working increasingly closely with partners and indeed many of our financial and performance objectives are measured at this system level. Whilst all organisations remain as standalone statutory bodies, we have an ICS infrastructure for making shared decisions and agreeing shared approaches.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Accurately input, retrieve information on the medically optimised list to facilitate timely discharges.
To facilitate ordering of specified equipment once training needs are met.
Update the discharge Nurse following attendance of the MDT/RAG meetings.
Actively progress/chase all identified delays to patient, taking appropriate action to resolve through considering the options available and using judgement in making the appropriate decision.
Provide support in ensuring that referrals such as Single Point Assessment (SPA) forms are, and Duty refer forms are received in the discharge planning inbox in a timely manner.
Respond promptly and efficiently to routine queries referring queries on to other personnel as appropriate.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Accurately input, retrieve information on the medically optimised list to facilitate timely discharges.
To facilitate ordering of specified equipment once training needs are met.
Update the discharge Nurse following attendance of the MDT/RAG meetings.
Actively progress/chase all identified delays to patient, taking appropriate action to resolve through considering the options available and using judgement in making the appropriate decision.
Provide support in ensuring that referrals such as Single Point Assessment (SPA) forms are, and Duty refer forms are received in the discharge planning inbox in a timely manner.
Respond promptly and efficiently to routine queries referring queries on to other personnel as appropriate.
Person Specification
Education and qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE Level English and Math's Grade C or equivalent qualification
Desirable
- Other relevant qualification equivalent experience
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Ability to Prioritize and work to deadlines.
- A commitment and understanding of the need to deliver patient-centred care.
- Effective negotiator and influencer with a range of stakeholders within and outside the Trus
Experience
Essential
- Required demonstrable experience of adapting own approach to engage with service users, and a range of external and internal stakeholders and colleagues at various levels of seniority and discipline.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a health or social care setting.
- Awareness of community partners and agencies.
- Knowledge and Understanding of the ward routine and processes About discharging a patient
Person Specification
Education and qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE Level English and Math's Grade C or equivalent qualification
Desirable
- Other relevant qualification equivalent experience
Skills and abilities
Essential
- Ability to Prioritize and work to deadlines.
- A commitment and understanding of the need to deliver patient-centred care.
- Effective negotiator and influencer with a range of stakeholders within and outside the Trus
Experience
Essential
- Required demonstrable experience of adapting own approach to engage with service users, and a range of external and internal stakeholders and colleagues at various levels of seniority and discipline.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a health or social care setting.
- Awareness of community partners and agencies.
- Knowledge and Understanding of the ward routine and processes About discharging a patient
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).
