University Hospital Southampton NHS FT
Discharge Officer
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Job Overview
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.
Job Title: Discharge Officer
Contract Type: Permanent
Under current Home Office rules, this role is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship.
Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if we receive a large number of applications.
Main duties of the job
Are you passionate about making a real difference to patients’ journeys through hospital care? Join our friendly and dedicated team, the Complex Discharge Team, as a Discharge Officer, where you’ll play a key role in helping patients leave hospital safely, smoothly, and on time.
In this rewarding role, you’ll work closely with a wide range of professionals — nurses, doctors, therapists, social workers, and community teams — to coordinate discharge plans from the very start of a patient’s admission. You’ll be the vital link between the ward, patients and families, and partner organisations, ensuring every discharge is planned, communicated, and completed efficiently.
Your work will have a direct impact on improving patient flow, reducing delays, and supporting the Trust’s goal of providing exceptional, patient-centred care. No two days will be the same — you’ll be managing your own caseload, problem-solving in real time, and seeing the positive results of your efforts as patients safely return home or move on to the next stage of their care.
You’ll be part of a supportive and proactive team, working alongside and reporting to Advanced Discharge Officers, Complex Discharge Practitioners and other senior leaders. Together, you’ll help ensure every patient’s discharge is safe, timely, and well-coordinated.
If you’re organised, compassionate, and thrive in a busy environment where teamwork truly makes a difference, we’d love to hear from you.
Working for our organisation
As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care.
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We support flexible working and will consider requests taking into account the needs of the service. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.
Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 30% lower than London and 17 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.
We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalising your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
As a Discharge Officer, you’ll be at the heart of our patient flow and discharge process — supporting patients, families, and the multidisciplinary team (MDT) to ensure every discharge is safe, timely, and well-coordinated.
You’ll manage a caseload of patients across designated wards, working in partnership with clinical and community teams to help patients transition smoothly from hospital to home or ongoing care. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to patient experience and service efficiency every single day.
Key Responsibilities
- Coordinate and support the safe discharge of patients from the point of admission, ensuring plans are realistic, proactive, and person-centred.
- Work closely with nurses, doctors, therapists, social workers, and community partners to ensure discharge plans are communicated, documented, and delivered on time.
- Monitor and update patient discharge information on the hospital’s digital systems (UHS Apps), escalating any issues or delays to the appropriate teams.
- Liaise with care agencies, care homes, and social services to arrange assessments, confirm placements, and restart care packages.
- Act as an advocate for patients and their families, providing clear discharge information and ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making.
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What We’re Looking For
We’re looking for someone who is organised, compassionate, and confident communicating across multiple teams. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:
- Strong organisational and multitasking skills, with the ability to prioritise a busy workload and meet deadlines.
- Excellent communication and teamwork, with the confidence to liaise effectively with staff at all levels and external partners.
- Experience in an administrative or patient-facing role, ideally within a hospital or healthcare setting.
- Good IT skills and confidence using Microsoft Office and hospital systems.
- A proactive and empathetic approach to supporting patients and their families during their hospital stay.
Additional Information
- You’ll work as part of a rota, which includes weekdays, weekends, and bank holidays as eRostered.
- The role is based at Southampton General Hospital.
- Full training and ongoing support will be provided, with opportunities to develop your knowledge at UHS.
- This post is subject to standard NHS employment checks, including references and right-to-work verification.
Person specification
Qualifications, Knowledge And Experience
Essential criteria
- Good standard of secondary education with literacy and numeracy skills demonstrable to GSCE grade C or equivalent standard
- NVQ 3 Qualification or relevant equivalent experience
- Basic knowledge of medical terminology
- Experience working in an administrative capacity in a customer focused environment
- Proven ability to work to deadlines, prioritise and multitask.
Desirable criteria
- Courses / further study attended to demonstrate evidence of personal development
- Diploma level qualification or equivalent experience
- RSA 2 word processing/typing or equivalent experience
- Proficient in the use of all electronic patient record systems
- Previous experience in a clinical support role or patient services administrative role.
- Understanding of patient flow and the discharge planning process.
Values and behaviours
Essential criteria
- Patients First
- Always Improving
- Working Together
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