About this role
Job summary
The Senior Cancer Pathway Navigator is a key leadership role within the Cancer Services Team, responsible for overseeing the effective coordination and management of patients across cancer pathways to ensure timely diagnosis, treatment and compliance with national cancer waiting time standards. The post holder provides expert pathway management, proactively identifying and resolving delays, escalating risks, and working collaboratively with clinicians, MDTs, diagnostic services and operational teams to support the delivery of safe, high-quality cancer care.
The role also provides day-to-day management and oversight of the Oncology Booking Hub, ensuring first outpatient appointment are coordinated efficiently and patients receive timely access to care. The post holder will lead and support the team; driving service improvements, maintaining data quality, and ensuring patients receive clear communication and a seamless experience throughout their cancer journey.
Through effective leadership, pathway oversight and performance management, the Senior Cancer Pathway Navigator plays a critical role in supporting patient safety, improving patient experience, achieving cancer waiting time standards, and delivering the Trust's cancer performance and strategic objectives.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will support the clinical team in implementing early diagnostic pathways for patients with a suspected head & neck cancer to achieve definitive diagnosis by day 28.
The post holder will improve patient experience by providing an accessible, friendly non-clinical contact for patients and their families. You will provide support and information throughout the diagnostic patient journey, thus reducing anxiety and providing reassurance. You will provide information on interventions/tests, ensuring the patient arrives fully prepared.
The role provides day-to-day management and leadership of the Oncology Booking Hub, ensuring services are delivered efficiently and consistently. This includes overseeing the appointment booking processes, managing workload allocation, supporting staff development, and ensuring appropriate administrative systems and processes are in place to meet service demands.
About us
Rated GOOD overall with outstanding care by the CQC. A specialist NHS hospital providing life-changing reconstructive surgery, burns care and rehabilitation services across the South of England and beyond.
We specialise in conditions of the eyes (corneoplastics), hands, head and neck cancer and skin cancer, reconstructive breast surgery, maxillofacial surgery and prosthetics, providing regional and national services in these areas of clinical expertise.Our world-leading clinical teams also treat more common conditions of the eyes, hands, skin, and teeth for the people of East Grinstead and the surrounding areas. In addition, QVH provides a minor injuries unit, expert therapies, a sleep service, and a growing portfolio of community-based services.Patients consistently rate QVH amongst the top hospitals in the country for quality of care.
Our success is underpinned by the skills and enthusiasm of our staff and a strong culture of partnership. We are fully committed to training and development of the workforce with support for continuing education and learning.
Job description Job responsibilities
On a daily basis to provide hands on support to consultants, nurses and patients in all Head and Neck outpatient clinics, this will involve arranging investigations with patients, potentially same day investigations, explaining the pathway to patients, and ensuring the patient is booked a follow-up appointment To oversee and have responsibility of the Head and Neck Cancer PTL, ensuring it is appropriately monitored and managed proactively; pathway activities and milestones are booking in line with the national and locally agreed pathways. This will require effective and regular communication with the MDT Coordinating Team Co-ordinate information flow from diagnostic teams to patients, primary care and MDT teams when investigations are required for suspected cancer staging To be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Oncology Booking Hub team, including recruitment processes, production and review of appraisals, training and managing attendance.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Diploma level qualification or able to demonstrate specialist knowledge within this field through practical experience
Experience Essential
Extensive and demonstrable knowledge and experience of the full range of administrative systems, software programmes Experience line managing staff Previous experience of working within a multidisciplinary environment
Desirable
Experience of cancer services within the NHS
Knowledge Essential
Knowledge of service improvement methodology including simple tools, techniques, and measurement for improvement
Skills Essential
Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Address Queen Victoria Hospital Hospital
Holtye Road
East Grinstead
RH19 3DZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.qvh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)