Care Navigator

Transformation Unit; Torquay; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

The Endoscopy Unit at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Care Navigator (NHS AfC: Band 6) to provide inpatient liaison and outreach, triage referrals and support safe transfers to the Endoscopy Unit.

You will assess referrals, guide ward staff on pre/post-procedural care, and act as ED liaison for endoscopic evaluations, helping patients navigate the Endoscopy pathway with compassion and clinical excellence.

Qualifications

• Registered nurse with NMC registration and adult nursing degree.
• Eligibility for non-medical prescribing or willingness to undertake endoscopy qualification.
• Experience coordinating care across wards and departments.

Responsibilities

• Assess and triage inpatient referrals for endoscopy.
• Provide guidance to ward staff on pre- and post-procedural care.
• Act as ED liaison for endoscopic evaluations and admissions.
• Support complex patients through the endoscopy pathway and educate the team.

Skills

Inpatient liaison

Triage & referral listing

Patient advocacy

Team education & training

Education

NMC registered Degree in Adult Nursing

Non-medical prescribing / Endoscopy qualification

Job description

Main area RN Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (5 days per week) Job ref 388-8159268-PC&S

Employer Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Endoscopy Unit level 3 Town Torquay Salary £39,959 - £48,117 pa Salary period Yearly Closing 13/11/2026 23:59

Care Navigator

NHS AfC: Band 6

Job overview

Job Overview

As a Care navigator you will provide a dedicated inpatient liaison and outreach service to ensure appropriate triage and listing of inpatient referrals, to maximise patient safety and efficiency.

You will assess and determine the appropriateness of the referrals received.

Work in partnership with wards and other Trust-wide departments to prepare and consent patients to facilitate safe transfer to the Endoscopy Unit.

Provide guidance to ward nursing and medical staff, with regards to pre-procedural preparation and post procedural requirements.

Act as a point of contact for Emergency Department services for a range of emergency admissions that may require endoscopic evaluation/therapy.

Support complex patients through their Endoscopic pathway, ensuring that the needs of the patients are met. Educating the wider Endoscopy Team on best practice to support complex patients.

Main duties of the job

• Work as an expert practitioner by assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating the specialist nursing care of patients requiring endoscopic investigations and treatments.
• Provide expert advice to clinical staff on endoscopic issues.
• Support the coordinator to manage the unit.
• To act as the patients, advocate when required and provide expert advice and comprehensive information, both written and verbal, on treatment options to enable patients to make an informed choice.
• Establish and maintain coordination of care for patients throughout diagnosis, planning, treatment and follow-up, liaising with all other service providers to ensure a smooth pathway.
• Actively participating in the educational programme of all staff, including students. Close liaison with the Practice Development Department, offering practical and clinical guidance and attending lectures and meetings as required.

Working for our organisation

About Your New Team and Department

The Endoscopy Unit at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust sees both cancer and benign patients in the outpatient setting, running nurse and consultant led procedures and investigation clinics daily.

Torbay is a regional Endoscopy training centre and bowel cancer screening centre serving areas beyond its immediate catchment.

The department is one of two centres in the newly formed South West Endoscopy Training Academy and there are great opportunities to become involved in steering regional and national training opportunities.

The department has recently completed on the build of a new Endoscopy Suite, boasting brand new equipment, and up to date facilities.

We offer support and advice to patients and other professionals within the acute and community setting and work alongside other departments to enhance the patient’s pathway of care.

Torbay was the first Integrated Care Organisation, merging community services with the acute hospital. The ICO allows us to radically re-think and re-shape the way we deliver care, free from traditional organisational constraints.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Detailed Job Description and Responsibilities

Communication and Working Relationships

The Nurse Specialist for the Endoscopy Team will maintain excellent working relationships with patients, their relatives, and a multi-disciplinary team of professionals working across the trust, including:

Consultant Gastroenterologists

Modern Matron and Directorate Management / Executive Team

Allied Health Professionals – Specialist Nurses, Ward Nurses, Diagnostics

Outpatient services

Administrative services

Present complex, sensitive, and contentious information to large and varied audiences, including patients.

Establish excellent working relationships with patients communicating in a number of ways including virtual consultations, face-to-face, written, telephone etc.

Communicate sensitive and distressing information, managing expectations of department staff, patients, and staff within other departments.

Able to communicate effectively in demanding and challenging situations with tact.

Ensure effective and prompt reporting of nursing issues and concerns to the Endoscopy Unit Manager, Matron, or Associate Director of Nursing and Professional Practice.

Actively participate in multi-professional meetings, acting as a patient advocate and representing nursing viewpoints.

Provide specialist knowledge other areas when assistance and advice is required.

Establish and maintain effective communication with patients, carers, relatives, and professionals across health and social services.

In conjunction with the lead clinician, medical team, and senior nurse specialists, develop knowledge, skills and experience of the specialty including pathology, medication, prognosis, self-management treatment options and signposting patients to support that is available in the community.

Guide and support, staff, and patients on complex patient care to ensure a seamless transition for the patient between wards or home, and the unit.

Improve access for complex patients and ensuring equity of waiting times.

Working alongside system partners to demand and capacity manage complex patients at a regional level.

qualifications and training

• NMC registered Degree level qualification in Adult Nursing Teaching and assessing qualification Evidence of continuing personal / professional development
• Non-medical prescribing qualification or the ability to undertake Post graduate qualification in Endoscopy or equivalent level experience Management / Leadership qualification

Knowledege and skills

• Experience in the management of patients with endoscopic related health concerns Experience of multi-professional collaborative working Experience of giving psychosocial support to complex patients
• Broad understanding of healthcare provision together with an awareness and appreciation of current NHS and PHE policies and priorities in relation to Endoscopy Teams Participation in service development and implementation of change Experience of clinical auditing Experience of policy contribution Knowledge of budgets and resources

specific skills

• IT literate, including data collection and interpretation Ability to undertake in depth endoscopic related assessment. Devise and implement appropriate and safe care plans. Wide range of endoscopy based skills Able to analyse complex facts and situations

You will be joining the organisation at an exciting time. As the first fully integrated care organisation in England, we are working to improve the way we deliver safe, high-quality health and social care. We have a positive and vibrant working atmosphere, we are proud of our investment in our staff both in terms of developing potential career skills and valuing people.

If you provide support to a family member or friend with health or care needs, we aim to be a Carer-friendly employer. We have a ‘Staff Carers’ policy which includes flexible working where possible and a Carer’s Passport scheme that links you into support and discounts.

The Trust is committed to preventing discrimination, valuing diversity and achieving equality of opportunity. No person (staff, patient or public) will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of the nine protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. If you require support you can obtain this from our Equality Business Forum which has representatives from all protected groups.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.