Clinical Bed Manager

NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK NHS FOUNDATION TRUST; Norwich; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in the United Kingdom is seeking a Clinical Bed Manager to optimize the use of inpatient resources, manage clinical triage duties, and facilitate patient admissions and transfers. The ideal candidate will have qualifications in mental health or learning disabilities and strong communication skills to collaborate effectively. This role is pivotal in ensuring efficient patient care and meeting financial targets within the Trust.

Qualifications

• Qualified mental health or learning disabilities clinician.
• Experience in facilitating admission and discharge discussions.
• Ability to work autonomously in a clinical setting.

Responsibilities

• Manage clinical triage duties and bed allocation.
• Facilitate admissions, transfers, and early discharges.
• Attend clinical meetings and support ward-based teams.

Skills

Effective written and verbal communication

Decision-making

Negotiation skills

Influencing skills

Team collaboration

Job description

It's a very exciting time to join us in Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) as we continue our journey of improving and investing in our inpatient and community services as well as supporting and developing our staff. We are looking for competent and experienced mental health or learning disabilities qualified clinicians or practitioners to join our developing Clinical Bed Management Service. Applicants should be able to work and make autonomous decisions, evidence effective written and verbal communication skills including negotiation, influencing and persuading and have experience of facilitating admission and discharge discussions, which are a pivotal part of the role. Applicants should be motivated and have the ability to work with other disciplines within and out-with the organisation. The role of the Clinical Bed Manager involves ensuring the optimum use of NSFT's inpatient resources by performing triage duties, allocation of beds within the most appropriate inpatient pathway, facilitating all internal and external or Out of Area/Out of Trust hospital transfers and work as directed with Locality teams to ensure the patient has as clinically appropriate and positive an experience as possible when admitted and discharged from an inpatient facility. The Clinical Bed Manager will explore with every referrer, all available options for accommodating the referred patients mental health assessment, treatment and support needs.

• To work as the allocated Clinical Bed Manager in the central service office within a shift system that covers 7 days per week, undertaking all clinical triage duties or working directly into allocated localities to support ward based MDT's with complex individuals, supporting and expediting discharges wherever necessary.
• Following effective triage, ensuring appropriate bed allocation in the most suitable clinical environment in collaboration with the inpatient wards, taking into consideration issues such as capacity, acuity and ward staffing challenges.
• Where necessary and only after exhausting all other local options, seek permissions/agreement by senior management and then source and secure an Out of Trust/Out of Area inpatient bed. Work to minimise the patients stay and seek to repatriate the patient back to an NSFT bed at the earliest and safest possible opportunity.
• Facilitating all admissions, early discharges, and transfers (including step-up and step-down from PICU) across NSFT wards and related Out of Trust/Out of Area provider inpatient facilities.
• Working as a core member of the Clinical Bed Management service, the role will also include providing support and cover for colleagues within the team including Discharge Coordinators and the Out of Area Case Manager role.
• The Clinical Bed Manager will attend Locality and Trust-wide Flow Meetings as well as clinical meetings including Ward Rounds, MDT meetings, S117 and other Discharge Planning Meetings.

  The Clinical Bed Management Service is a team of experienced and skilled mental health experts whose main aim is to ensure that NSFT's patient population can access the necessary assessment and care they require at the right time, in the right place from the right service. The Service is made up of Clinical Bed Managers and Discharge Coordinators supported by a dedicated Medical Director for Patient Pathways in Acute Care & Flow. We work across all adult and older adult inpatient pathways and collaborate with inpatient and community MDT's both within NSFT and sometimes external to the Trust if our patient is receiving their inpatient treatment elsewhere. Our Service is responsible for ensuring the efficient and effective use of the Trusts inpatient resources and for eradicating the use of Out of Trust/Out of Area hospital placements. This post is critical in the Trust meeting its related financial and out of area national targets.