About this role
Job summary
The Nurse Referral Adviser plays a pivotal clinical role within the Single Point of Access, acting as the senior clinical decision-maker at the entry point to services. The post holder is responsible for the safe, timely and appropriate clinical triage of referrals, ensuring patients are directed to the right service, at the right time, and with the correct level of priority.
Working alongside non-clinical referral teams and system partners, the Nurse Referral Adviser provides expert clinical oversight, risk assessment, and escalation, particularly for referrals involving complex needs, deterioration, safeguarding concerns, or urgent clinical risk. The role ensures that SPA operates as a safe, efficient and clinically governed gateway into services.
The post holder will use professional judgement to assess referral information, liaise with referrers, provide clinical advice, and coordinate onward pathways in line with agreed protocols, policies, and service eligibility criteria. They will also contribute to service improvement by identifying trends, supporting consistent decision-making, and reducing inappropriate referrals, duplication, and delays.
By embedding nursing expertise at the front door, the Nurse Referral Adviser is central to patient safety, flow management, staff support, and system efficiency, while ensuring compliance with clinical governance, safeguarding, and regulatory requirements.
Main duties of the job Clinically triage and validate referrals to ensure patients are directed to the correct service and priority level first time. Assess clinical risk, including deterioration, complexity, safeguarding, and urgent need, and take appropriate action. Provide clinical advice and decision-making support to referrers and SPA non-clinical staff. Escalate high-risk cases promptly in line with clinical governance and safeguarding policies. Apply pathway criteria consistently, ensuring referrals meet eligibility and quality standards. Reduce delays, duplication, and inappropriate referrals through accurate, timely clinical oversight. Support patient flow and demand management across services within the system. Contribute to quality improvement, identifying trends, risks, and opportunities to improve referral processes.
About us
Working for the Single Point of Access (SPA) at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust is fast-paced, collaborative, and clinically focused. The team sits at the centre of patient flow, acting as the front door to multiple services, which makes the work highly impactful and varied. Staff are involved in real-time decision-making, balancing clinical risk, service capacity, and patient need, often working closely with clinicians, community services, and system partners.
The environment values teamwork, clear communication, and shared responsibility for patient safety. Roles within SPA offer strong learning and development opportunities, exposure to a wide range of pathways and patient presentations, and the satisfaction of knowing your work directly improves access to care, reduces delays, and supports the wider NHS system.
Job description Job responsibilities
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details of what this role entails
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Significant previous NHS post qualification experience Be proficient in the use of computerised systems especially word and excel to a level to enable the production of a high standard of finished work. Knowledge and experience of working with those experiencing mental health and/or learning disability difficulties. The ability to organise and prioritise own workload within an agreed schedule of work and to work under pressure and within agreed timescales. Experience of working as part of a team.
Desirable
IT Literate Understanding of medical terminology Ability to work in a busy team environment Working in a healthcare setting or demonstrable experience of undertaking a caring role
Qualifications Essential
RN Adults Current NMC Registration Teaching/Assessing Qualification or Working Towards Relevant post basic qualification in Mental Health or equivalent clinical supervision qualification.
Desirable
Degree in Nursing Leadership or first line management. Degree level qualification in health Counselling Skills
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust
Address SWB NHS Trust
Sandwell and West Birmingham
B71 4HJ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.swbh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)