Cancer Pathway Navigator

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join a new and exciting team of x 4 Cancer Pathway Navigators supporting a specified service speciality in Urology, Colorectal, Plastics and Gynaecology.
The purpose of this role is to help improve patient pathways, providing a more efficient and co-ordinated approach to their care. The post holders will be an integral part of the Multidisciplinary team working alongside specific speciality teams including, Urology, Colorectal, Plastics and Gynaecology focused on promoting equity for patients.
The post holders will be expected to work across a range of IT systems to help improve the pathway. The post holders will work both directly and indirectly with clinicians, patients and their carers to assist in coordinating the care of patients through their hospital care journey. Part of the role is to help improve both administrative processes and reduce this burden on the clinical teams.
There will be 4 x Cancer Pathway Navigator posts working as part of a specified service speciality. These posts will evolve with time and according to the needs of the service
The post holders will be based at The Christie, Withington site and will work closely with the speciality multidisciplinary team as well as the Directorate operational team, Clinicians, patients and carers. They will help streamline the referral process to provide a more co-ordinated service for patients.
They will need to be able to work autonomously and as part of the MDT team and wider Directorate teams within the Division of Clinical Support and Specialist Surgery (CSSS).
The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.
We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.
We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Communications and relationships
**The postholder will be required to**:
1.Organise and prioritise the designated workload in order to meet the needs of
the service.
2. To work autonomously and as part of the multidisciplinary team and wider specialty service.
3. Demonstrate a professional approach to work and to promote positive and
collaborative working relationships with other departments/multidisciplinary
teams across the Trust and other Hospital Trusts.
4. Working collaboratively with the relevant treatment scheduling teams to
provide a seamless service, which is responsive to patients’, carers and
relatives’ needs.
5. Communicate effectively with members of the multidisciplinary team and
relevant personnel from other Hospital Trusts to avoid delays in pathways.
6. May involve assisting in triaging of new appointments and arranging follow up
appointments, scheduling treatments as directed by the clinical team.
7. Build and maintain a close relationship with the Performance Team to assist in
identifying and resolving pathway blockages.
8. Ability to promote patient centered care and establish good relationships with
patients and the clinical teams and wider MDT.
Planning and Organisational Skills
**The post holder will be required to**:
1. May involve assisting in triaging and arranging new and follow up appointments, scheduling treatments as directed by the clinical team.
2. The ability to provide empathy and support to the patients, carers and relatives whilst signposting them to further services.
3. Providing non-clinical advice to patients on the phone, being able to identify specific issues and having an awareness of when the patient requires urgent treatment or to be sign-posted to the appropriate resource in the hospital, other trusts or community.
Responsibility for Policy/Service Development
**The post-holder will be required to**:
1. Ensure all standard operating procedures relating to the service are regularly reviewed and revised as necessary. Develop new standard operating procedures for the service where required.
2. Ensure standardisation across all specialties as appropriate.
3. Assist in data collection and audit.
Responsibilities for Human Resources
**The post-holder will be required to**:
1. Recognise own limitations and seek help appropriately.
2. Provide support and cover for absences, this at times may be across different specialities.
3. Take own responsibility for ensuring all their own mandatory training is always up to date