Cancer Pathway Navigator Gastroenterology

Job description

Our cultural ambition is to have a culture that places people at the heart of all we do, where we all belong, and where learning, improvement and excellence thrive.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Medicine Division at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a Gastro Cancer Pathway Navigator. We are seeking a highly motivated, organised and proactive individual to act as a central point of contact for patients on the gastro cancer pathway, ensuring coordinated, timely and patient-centred care throughout their diagnostic journey.

The post holder will work closely with multidisciplinary teams to support pathway management, identify and resolve barriers to care, and escalate issues that may cause delays in diagnosis or treatment. The successful candidate will work autonomously and will require excellent organisational, communication and problem-solving skills, together with a commitment to delivering a high-quality patient experience and supporting the timely delivery of cancer standards.

Main duties of the job

• Support the coordination of gastroenterology and endoscopy cancer pathways, ensuring patients progress through referrals, diagnostics, investigations and treatment without unnecessary delay.
• Work closely with Endoscopy Unit teams, booking offices, diagnostic services and clinical teams to maximise utilisation of endoscopy capacity and facilitate timely access to urgent investigations.
• Monitor patients awaiting endoscopic procedures, tracking progress against Cancer Waiting Time standards and escalating delays, capacity constraints or pathway risks as appropriate.
• Validate and maintain gastroenterology and endoscopy pathway tracking systems, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information is available to support performance monitoring and service delivery.
• Facilitate timely booking of diagnostic tests, endoscopic procedures and follow-up appointments, supporting efficient patient flow across the gastro and endoscopy pathways.
• Contribute to service improvement initiatives aimed at improving pathway efficiency, reducing delays and enhancing patient experience across Gastroenterology and Endoscopy services.

Working for our organisation

Our vision is to provide outstanding care for every patient. Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides acute hospital services from Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester and Andover War Memorial Hospital, serving a population of approximately 600,000 people across Hampshire and parts of West Berkshire.

The Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Service delivers a wide range of specialist diagnostic and treatment pathways, supporting patients through rapid access, urgent suspected cancer and complex gastrointestinal pathways. This role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to high-quality, patient-centred care, working alongside multidisciplinary teams to support timely diagnosis, effective pathway management and achievement of Cancer Waiting Time standards.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Happy to Talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible and part time working will be considered.

Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached.

Person specification

Training and Qualification

Essential criteria

• A good standard of secondary education, including maths and English GCSE grades A-C or equivalent".
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications
• Evidence of continued professional development.

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Qualification in business administration, customer service or healthcare administration.

Experience & Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Administrative and organisational experience
• Experience of dealing with non-routine and complex problems and progress chasing
• Experience of working with confidential information and maintaining accurate records.

Desirable criteria

• Experience within the NHS or healthcare setting.
• Experience of cancer pathways, RTT or Cancer Waiting Time standards.
• Experience of working within Gastroenterology, Endoscopy or other diagnostic services.

Skills & Ability

Essential criteria

• Ability to collect data and input electronically
• Proven ability to work to deadlines, prioritise and multi-task.
• Experience of dealing with non-routine and complex problems and progress chasing
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.

Desirable criteria

• Proficient in hospital patient administration systems (e.g. EPR, PAS, Somerset, ICE).
• Experience of maintaining pathway tracking systems, databases or waiting list management systems.

Essential

Essential criteria

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to communicate sensitively and professionally with patients, relatives and healthcare professionals.
• Commitment to delivering a high-quality patient experience.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of acting as a patient navigator, coordinator or key point of contact for patients.

Using AI in Your Application

We support the use of technology to help manage time and improve efficiency, but it is your responsibility to ensure your application is personalised and accurately reflects your own skills, experience and values.

AI tools can be useful when drafting an application, but they should only be used to assist you. The content submitted must be your own work and an authentic representation of your knowledge, abilities and experiences.

Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may be rejected. For example, we may receive multiple applications containing identical or generic wording that does not reflect the individual applicant.

The use of AI during assessments, including interviews, is not permitted unless this has been agreed in advance as a reasonable adjustment. For virtual interviews, you may be asked to provide a 360-degree view of the room and confirm that no additional devices are being used. If AI use is suspected during an interview, we may pause the interview, ask questions regarding its use, or adapt our assessment approach.

Working in healthcare requires integrity, honesty and accountability. We expect all applications and assessments to be a genuine reflection of your own experience, knowledge and values.
Our Commitment to Inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in both the delivery of our services and the recruitment and management of our staff.

We welcome applications from everyone who has the skills, experience and values required for the role, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity.
Happy to Talk Flexible Working

We are committed to supporting flexible ways of working and will consider all requests for flexible and part-time working wherever service needs allow.
Important Information About Your Application
Recruitment Process

Applications are submitted through our recruitment system, Trac. Following submission, all correspondence relating to your application will be sent from apps.trac.jobs. Please regularly check your inbox, including your junk or spam folders.

Shortlisted candidates will normally be contacted at least five working days before their interview date.
Vacancy Closing Dates

This vacancy may close before the advertised closing date if sufficient applications are received. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as early as possible.
English Language Requirement

In line with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, all applicants must be able to communicate effectively in spoken and written English. This will be assessed during the recruitment process.
Pre-Employment Checks and Probation
Keeping Patients Safe

At Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, patient safety is our highest priority. We recommend that staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and understand that we continue to care for patients who are COVID-19 positive within our services.
Probationary Period

All new employees will be required to complete a six-month probationary period as part of their employment with the Trust.

Tackling Climate Change: Hampshire Hospitals aims to embed sustainability and net zero carbon principles into the delivery of care across all its services. To find out more, search