Senior Discharge Liaison Nurse - Kent & Medway ICS Only | Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

Job description

About

Please note this role is currently only being advertised to staff members who are currently working within the Kent and Medway ICS

• In addition to job overview and main duties;  

• Act as a professional role model and mentor for staff across the organisation. Develop and deliver education and training programmes relating to discharge planning and integrated working 

• Support the safe, timely, and effective discharge of patients.

• Reduce delayed transfers of care through proactive discharge planning.

• Promote excellent partnership working across health and social care systems.

• Provide operational and clinical leadership to the Transfer of Care Team, supporting the delivery of high-quality discharge planning services.

• Support patients, families, carers, and ward teams in facilitating safe, effective, and timely discharges, particularly for individuals with complex health and social care needs.

• Take responsibility for managing complex discharge pathways within designated clinical areas, proactively identifying and resolving barriers to discharge.

• Support clinical teams in developing discharge planning knowledge and skills to ensure patients receive appropriate care and support on discharge.

• Lead the implementation of the Patient Choice Policy in relation to delayed discharges and complex care arrangements.

• Monitor patient pathways and identify delays in diagnostics, referrals, assessments, and care provision, escalating concerns appropriately.

• Promote effective communication and collaborative working between multidisciplinary teams, community providers, social care colleagues, patients, and families.

• Support the Trust in achieving national and local discharge, flow, and performance targets.

• Ensure safeguarding concerns are identified, escalated, and managed in accordance with Trust policies and statutory requirements.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust ranks among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second-best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 and 2024 NHS Staff Survey.

We are a large acute hospital trust in south-east England, providing general hospital services and specialist care to around 600,000 residents in West Kent and East Sussex.With a dedicated and diverse team of over 8,000 staff we are proud to offerspecialised cancer services to over two million people through the Kent Oncology Centre.

Fordcombe Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, became part of the Trust in October 2024. Specialising in planned care, it offers two operating theatres, 28 inpatient and day-care beds, diagnostic services (X-ray, MRI, CT, and endoscopy), and consultation/treatment rooms.

Looking for flexible working?

We are a flexible working-friendly organisation. Whether it’s adjusting your hours or exploring other flexible arrangements, we want to work with you to find the best solution for you, our patients, and the Trust. Talk to us about how we can accommodate your working needs.

Click hereto hear what our staff say.

Joining us includes a comprehensive benefits package:

• At least 27 days of annual leaveplus public/bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff).

• Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with a employer contribution of 23.7% and life assurance benefits

• Blue Light card eligibility

And more,additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents below

We’ve provided all the details you need about this role in the job description and person specification. Please take a moment to review the criteria in the person specification and share specific examples in your application that demonstrate how you meet these requirements. Please also check your applicationfor errors/omissions prior to submission.

Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check atEnhanced Level. (Enhanced level now includes regulated checks against vulnerable adults and children).If a role involves regulated activity and requires a DBS check with a barred list check, you cannot apply if you are on the barred list.

All successful applicants will be required to complete our corporate trust induction once a start date has been agreed.

Following your corporate induction, you will be expected toattend the Trust’s Induction Programme for RNs, NAs, RMs, ODPs and Paramedics. The programme is full-time (please email mtw-tr.mtwlearning@nhs.net if this is problematic) and will involve travel to both Trust sites. The programme includes supernumerary shifts in the clinical area, classroom-based sessions and e-learning.

This advert closes on Monday 9 Nov 2026