Senior Discharge Planning Nurse | East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust; Colchester; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS organization in Colchester is seeking a Band 6 Senior Discharge Planning Nurse to support discharge processes in its community hospitals. In this role, you'll manage complex cases, advise on discharge pathways, and contribute to the trust's objectives of improving patient care and reducing delays. Ideal candidates will have strong organizational skills and experience in multi-agency working.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

27 days annual leave

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Experience as a nurse in a hospital or other healthcare setting.
• Ability to manage a small team and support case managers.
• Understanding of discharge pathways and complex patient needs.

Responsibilities

• Support ward staff and Case Managers with complex patients.
• Advise on appropriate discharge pathways.
• Contribute to reducing length of stay and readmission rates.

Skills

Organizational skills

Multi-agency working

Knowledge of NHS Continuing Healthcare

Job description

Overview

Do you want to be part of our transformational journey in bringing together Health and Social care services? The discharge team within East Suffolk and North East Essex Foundation Trust has undergone a large amount of changes over the last 18 months in order to adapt to changing demands and improve the discharge process for our patients. We are passionate about ensuring the people of Harwich and Clacton are supported to maximise their health opportunities and promote a home first ethos within the trust. We are looking for a Band 6 Senior Discharge Planning Nurse to join our developing team working within our Essex community hospitals (Harwich & Clacton) providing a seven day a week service.

Responsibilities

• The senior discharge planning nurse role is responsible for supporting ward staff and Case Managers with complex patients and advising on the appropriate discharge pathways.
• You will be required to have knowledge of the NHS Continuing Healthcare process and completion of appropriate assessment, playing a key role in promoting the discharge to assess pathways.
• Senior Discharge Planning Nurses within the discharge team are pivotal in contributing to the trust objective of reducing the length of stay, reducing readmission rates and number of delayed discharges.
• We are looking for experienced staff who are organised, and have experience of effective multi-agency working and ability to manage a small team deputising for Discharge leads as required.

Organisation

We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients’ own homes. We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff. We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options. Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services. Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.

Transformation and Digital Innovation

We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what’s widely regarded as the world’s best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.

How to apply

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you. Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A. For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.

This advert closes on Monday 22 Sep 2025