Discharge Coordinator

Royal Berkshire Nhs Foundation Trust; Reading; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare institution in Reading is seeking a Discharge Coordinator to assist in patient discharge planning and enhance patient flow through the hospital. The ideal candidate will have a background in client relations, strong organizational skills, and experience in an acute NHS setting. This role offers a supportive work environment with flexible working opportunities and a strong emphasis on work-life balance.

Benefits

Annual leave – 27 days plus bank holidays

NHS pension scheme

Flexible working opportunities

Employee Assistance Programme

Generous maternity and paternity leave

Qualifications

• Educated to Level 4, A level or NVQ equivalent.
• GCSE in English and Math, grades A-C.
• Desirable: Discharge training.
• Experience in client-facing relations.
• Experience in an acute NHS setting.

Responsibilities

• Assist with patient discharge planning.
• Communicate with patients and their carers.
• Liaise with multidisciplinary team for discharge.
• Drive effective patient transfers to appropriate settings.
• Identify and escalate discharge issues.

Skills

Client relations

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Time-management

Education

Level 4, A level or NVQ equivalent

GCSE English and Mathematics

Degree level education

Tools

Microsoft Office - Word

Microsoft Office - Excel

Hospital databases

Job description

Overview

At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put our patients at the heart of every element of health and care that we provide. The Trust works together as a community to deliver its vision which is "Working together to provide outstanding care for our community." Royal Berkshire Hospital are pleased to announce that following our CQC inspection we have been rated 'Good' with inspectors reporting that we have made significant improvements. The Trust's overall rating has also improved to 'good'. We are Compassionate in our thoughts, words and actions We are Aspirational and have a true desire to be dynamic and to innovate We are Resourceful and responsible in the way we work and live We are Excellent in our development, fairness and sharing best practice. We value candidates who bring their unique personalities, skills, and experiences to the Trust and encourage you to highlight your individual achievements and strengths in relation to the requirements in the job description and person specification. While we recognise that some applicants may use AI tools during the process, please be mindful that AI-generated responses can often lack the personal detail and relevance needed to demonstrate your suitability for the role. AI generated content is discouraged by the Trust and may diminish the candidates chances of success. Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; delivered by amazing people so why not join us. We offer a range of learning and development for all employees, clinical or non-clinical.

Responsibilities

• Discharge coordinators work under the direction of the Ward Manager and in conjunction with the ward multidisciplinary team (MDT) – they assist with the planning and implementation of patient discharge; as well as aiding general flow of patients through the hospital.
• Driving effective and timely transfer of patients from Royal Berkshire hospital to the most appropriate setting to meet their needs.
• Actively reducing the number of patients whose transfer is delayed from hospital.
• Effectively communicating with patients and their carers to encourage their engagement in discharge planning, ensuring they are involved from admission to the ward.
• Facilitating the planning and implementation of the patient\'s discharge – with guidance from therapists as required.
• Liaising with Doctors, Discharge Services, Social Services, CHC team, BHFT Community Teams and any other appropriate members of the multidisciplinary team to provide a proactive and continuous process of discharge planning.
• In conjunction with the MDT, identifying and escalating concerns relating to discharge or factors that may cause a delayed transfer of care.

Qualifications and experience

• Educated to Level 4, A level or NVQ equivalent or equivalent experience
• GCSE or equivalent in English and Mathematics, grades A-C
• Desirable criteria: Discharge training
• Educated to degree level; Proven experience of client / customer facing relations role
• Experience of IT systems
• Discharge experience
• Experience of working in an acute NHS setting; Competent with software programmes including Microsoft Office - Word and Excel
• Ability to formulate possible solutions to problems, and to identify the most appropriate one
• Ability to analyse information and note trends/issues
• Experience of working with hospital databases
• Experience of audit; Good oral communication skills to establish and maintain relationships
• Good written communication skills
• Communication of unpleasant and/or upsetting information
• Organisational skills to arrange meetings, negotiate attendances, allocate actions, etc.
• Ability to focus on relevant issues and keep others focused; time-management and ability to organise own workload
• Desirable criteria: Presentation skills

Other information

• We are one of the largest hospital foundation trusts in the country, and currently touch the lives of half a million patients in the west of Berkshire every year by providing high quality acute medical and surgical services for our local communities.
• By applying for this post you are agreeing to Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
• Appointment to any position is conditional on the satisfactory completion of the core NHS Employment Checks Standards. Information disclosed in your application will be checked and any offer of appointment may be withdrawn if you knowingly withhold information or provide false or misleading information. All new appointments to the Trust, with the exception of executive positions, are subject to a 6 month probationary period. The Trust may close any vacancy prior to the advertised closing date due to the high level of responses we receive for some of our vacancies. The Trust is committed to improving the health of its staff, patients and the wider community by providing a smoke free environment. A smoke free policy is in operation and smoking is not permitted on any of the Trust\'s sites.
• Staff Benefits: Flexible working opportunities and a strong emphasis on work-life balance; Annual leave – 27 days for new starters, plus bank holidays, increasing with NHS service; NHS pension scheme; Employee Assistance Programme; Money Advice Service; Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave for eligible staff; On-site nursery (based at RBH); Full educational library services; Cycle to work scheme; Bus to work scheme; Excellent rail and bus links; Discounts on a range of Health Service discounts.