Discharge Specialist Coordinator

Working across the Frimley North system (Wexham Park Hospital locality) the role will support the trust by improving the flow of patients.

To collaborate and liaise with patients, carers, family, hospital and other professional staff to improve the quality of the discharge process in the acute hospital setting, by liaising with internal and external professionals offering guidance and support to facilitate timely and appropriate safe discharge of patients from hospital to community.

Act as a resource to provide advice, education and training for all staff and patients as required.

• To act both independently and within the team in facilitating the discharge of patients.
• To offer training to colleagues and students on the specific role and function of discharge.
• To ensure Trust policies and guidelines are adhered to and regular updating of staff takes place.
• To maintain the high standards of the Trust by contributing towards individual and team objectives.
• To actively participate and contribute towards the setting and achievement of personal objectives for the Discharge Team.
• To deputise for Senior Discharge Specialist in their absence.
• To support senior staff in the team and work with external partners to achieve safe and timely discharges.
• To promote good working relationships within the multi-disciplinary team and other internal and external contacts.
• To carry out Probation and Appraisal reviews and supervision with staff.

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is committed to being an inclusive and disability confident employer and has been awarded the Gold for the Armed Forces Employment Recognition Scheme. We provide first class development opportunities for all staff and have a wide range of professional, management and leadership, and clinical skills training available.

Here at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, we know how important it is to have a healthy work life balance; this benefits not only individuals but the patients we care for too.

We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service and its users.

• Work with the hospital teams to proactively identify patients who need advice or support at home/care setting to enable a safe discharge from hospital.
• Act as an information source regarding available internal and external resources and develop links and/or improve service internally.
• Support and professionally challenge colleagues to ensure correct and safe discharge pathway for patients is identified and followed.
• Support, guide and monitor the multidisciplinary team to ensure correct assessments have taken place in a timely manner and effective referrals provided.
• Participate as a member of the multidisciplinary team when difficulties are identified in the assessment and care planning process.
• Identify and monitor bottlenecks within the system and develop processes to resolve.
• Routinely collect and maintain data about referred patients and any internal or external reasons for delays.
• Ensure, with other members of the MDT, that patients and their careers are involved and informed of discharge arrangements and that discharge planning is documented on EPIC.
• Work closely with all staff to ensure best practice is in place to reduce the number delays in discharge and promote a positive experience for the patient.
• Identify significant trends or patterns, which detract from the performance of the trust.
• Champion good practice and implement strategies to reduce delays in discharge.
• Establish plans of care for patients with complex needs in collaboration with the health care team that will ensure continuity of care and efficient use of resources.
• Support and facilitate the implementation of local and national guidelines and recommendations which are related to this service.
• Lead in the co-ordination of professional's meetings where there are complex discharge planning requirements, ensuring involvement of all relevant disciplines/agencies.
• Ensure carers are involved in…