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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will ensure that there is a smooth transition between the patients’ diagnostic and treatment stage. Liaise with the MDT coordinator/tracker to ensure patients are progressing through the pathway in a timely fashion. The post holder will be required to input data into the cancer registry and attend PTL meetings. 

They should be able to identify trends in pathways where improvement is required and demonstrate an understanding of service improvement and its application.  They should have knowledge of a range of work procedures and practices, including administration systems and knowledge of medical terminology.  They will be computer literate and have a good working knowledge of Microsoft Windows, particularly Excel. 

They will work autonomously for most of the time so will possess excellent organisational skills.  A knowledge of cancer patient pathways and waiting times targets, along with knowledge of service improvement methodology is desirable.

• Enhancing the patient journey throughout their diagnostic pathways is a key priority in order to achieve the National target of referral to diagnosis, or exclusion of cancer within 28 days of GP referral, with close attention to timelines and minimising delays.
• The post holder will actively participate in Cancer Wait Time validation and ensure patient tracking procedures are followed and kept up to date within the department.
• Streamlining the patient journey will enable improved patient outcomes and patient experience through earlier diagnosis of cancer and ensure effective patient centred services.
• Working collaboratively across primary and secondary care and third sector organisations with responsibility to provide and effective caring and compassionate service to patients to optimise their access to cancer services through close working with multidisciplinary teams in primary and secondary care.
• They will be point of access to receive and act upon notification of any new, suspicious or recurrent cancers identified at the diagnostic stage.
• They will liaise with patients and their relatives and ensure appropriate and timely appointments are secured and any additional tests are organised prior to their imaging via their GP or within the Trust.
• They will ensure close collaboration with Radiology and Endoscopy.
• To ensure investigations are booked, reports are available and staging is complete.
• They will act as patient advocate and facilitator to overcome barriers to timely access to cancer services, utilising interpersonal skills and resources across the health service, third sector and local authorities.
• Ensure patient data is entered correctly and in a timely manner into relevant Trust electronic systems, producing reports as appropriate.
• The post holder in collaboration with the cancer clinical teams will be responsible for process redesign, understanding patient pathways, identification of gaps in data recording and subsequent changes required to practice.
• Responsible for escalation of any concerns in respect of individual patient pathways that may result in breaches of cancer waiting times standards.
• Effective liaison with departments within the Trust, developing efficient working relationships and promoting the effective use of information services.
• To support the multi-disciplinary cancer team to implement the cancer waiting times targets.
• Acting with delegated responsibility from the Cancer Information Manager, daily supervision and deployment of junior staff, which will include the delivery of appraisals and annual leave management.
• Identify delays in the pathway and report these in a timely way, collaborating with teams in planning and implementing cross pathway service improvement.

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.