Patient Pathway Assistant in General Surgery

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust; West of England; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Job summary

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Patient Pathway Assistant to support the General Surgery Waiting List and Theatre Team. You will help with listing patients for elective procedures, booking pre-operative assessments and assisting with colorectal cancer patient pathways.

The role requires flexible work on Wed-Fri, 08:00–16:00, contributing to a high-quality administrative service and reliable patient pathways across multiple sites.

Qualifications

• Good general education including GCSEs in Maths or English (or equivalent).
• Advanced keyboard and computer skills (Microsoft Office).
• Patient Administration System (PAS) training.
• Evidence of relevant administrative experience or equivalent workplace knowledge.
• Willingness to undertake relevant training and development.

Responsibilities

• Accurately list patients for elective surgery and arrange pre-operative assessment appointments.
• Respond flexibly to changing priorities to support Waiting List Coordinators.
• Provide comprehensive administrative support to Waiting List and Theatre Team.
• Ensure accurate and up-to-date waiting list information and efficient theatre capacity usage.
• Deliver a high-quality, patient-focused administrative service throughout the pathway.

Skills

Communication

Customer care

Initiative

Organisation

Pressure management

Judgement

Team collaboration

IT skills

Education

GCSE Maths/English

Microsoft Office

PAS training

Administrative experience

Willingness to train

Job description

Education/Training/Qualifications

Essential criteria

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) have merged as of 1st July 2026 to become Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. This creates an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people. Bristol NHS Foundation Trust recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust. Our job adverts may close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Considering this, if you are interested in this role.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) describes algorithms that can be used to produce new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations, and videos. It is developing all the time and is now being used as a support mechanism for all kinds of content-based creations. Please note the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Job Overview

A fantastic opportunity has arisen within the General Surgery Department for a Patient Pathway Assistant, working Wednesday to Friday, 08:00–16:00 (22 hours per week).

Working alongside the Waiting List Coordinators, the successful candidate will play an important role in supporting the smooth and efficient running of theatre lists. The post holder will be expected to work flexibly across the agreed working days, in line with the operational requirements of the Waiting List and Theatre Team.

The Patient Pathway Assistant will provide comprehensive administrative support to the Waiting List and Theatre Team, contributing to the effective and timely management of patients throughout their surgical pathway.

The role will support the efficient utilisation of theatre capacity, ensuring waiting list information is accurate and up to date, while helping to deliver a high-quality, responsive and patient-focused administrative service.

This is an excellent opportunity for an organised, motivated and proactive individual to become an integral member of the General Surgery Team and contribute to the effective delivery of patient care.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Main duties of the job. Key responsibilities will include the accurate listing of patients for elective surgery, arranging pre-operative assessment appointments and undertaking associated administrative processes. The post holder will work closely with the Waiting List Coordinators and will respond flexibly to changing priorities, supporting the team with urgent tasks and other areas of workload as directed.

The post holder will have a particular focus on supporting the Colorectal Waiting List Coordinator with the administration and coordination of colorectal cancer patient pathways. This will include ensuring patients are appropriately booked for their required pre-operative assessment appointments, including Enhanced Recovery and Stoma appointments, where applicable.

Working for our organisation

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Person specification

Education/Training/Qualifications

• Good general education including GSCE in Maths or English (or equivalent)
• Advanced keyboard and computer skills (Microsoft office)
• Patient Administration System (PAS) training
• Evidence of relevant administrative experience or equivalent workplace knowledge.
• Willingness to undertake relevant training and development

Work Experience

• Experience in NHS or similar organisation
• Experience of working under pressure
• Experience of working as part of a team in a multi-disciplinary environment.
• Database experience
• Knowledge of patient pathway
• Knowledge of patient pathway (RTT)
• Experience of communicating with a range of people by telephone, email and face to face

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Excellent written/verbal communication skills
• Excellent customer care skills.
• Ability to work using own initiative with excellent organisational skills and meticulous attention to detail
• The ability to work under pressure, within a stressful environment, prioritise own workload and work to tight deadlines
• Ability to exercise judgement and take responsibility for actions
• Able to promote good working relationships amongst team, colleagues and clinical staff
• Willingness and ability to learn new IT skills and technology

• As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
• The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
• BFT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
• To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
• If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
• The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
• By applying for this post, you are agreeing to Bristol NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Important

Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form. Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification, only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job. As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date. When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.