Head of Patient Access and Flow
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Job Summary
Post Title: | Head of Patient Access & Flow |
Post Status: | Permanent Contract |
Department | Bed Management Department |
Location: | Beaumont Hospital affiliated sites and services |
Reports to: | Chief Operations Officer |
Salary: | Appointment will be made on the Functional Officer (0161) salary scale ( 88344 to 108267) at a point in line with Government pay policy. |
Hours of work: | Full time 35 hours per week |
Closing Date: | 12 noon on 14/9/2026 Please note the hospital reserves the right to close the competition early should a substantial number of applications be received. |
Position Summary The Head of Patient Access & Flow is a senior leadership position within Beaumont Hospital with responsibility for the strategic and operational leadership of patient flow capacity management and unscheduled care performance across the organisation. The post holder will lead the development implementation and continuous improvement of hospital-wide patient flow and capacity management strategies to ensure patients receive timely access to safe effective and person-centred care. Reporting directly to the Chief Operations Officer the Head of Patient Access & Flow will provide strategic leadership and expert operational oversight of:
The Head of Patient Access & Flow will work collaboratively with the Head of Surgical Operations and the Head of Medical & Emergency Operations to achieve unscheduled and scheduled care targets and support the hospitals response to increasing demand and complexity whilst ensuring effective utilisation of available capacity and resources. Head of Bed Management Priorities: Provide strategic leadership for patient flow and capacity management across Beaumont Hospital. Lead the development and implementation of the hospitals Patient Flow and Capacity Management Strategy. Support the Executive Management Team in delivering organisational performance objectives. Act as the principal adviser to the COO on patient flow hospital capacity and access management matters. Provide leadership for hospital-wide initiatives designed to improve patient access reduce delays and enhance the patient experience. Develop innovative models of care and operational solutions that improve patient flow across scheduled and unscheduled care pathways. Contribute to organisational planning service development and transformation programmes. Represent Beaumont Hospital on regional and national working groups relating to patient flow access and operational performance. Participate on the Senior Executive Call Rota. |
A. Operational Management Provide executive oversight of hospital bed capacity management processes. Lead the development of capacity planning systems and operational escalation frameworks. Ensure robust forecasting and demand modelling methodologies are in place to support decision-making. Oversee the management of occupancy levels and patient placement processes. Lead organisational responses to periods of increased activity and capacity pressures. Ensure effective utilisation of available inpatient capacity across all clinical services. Work with Clinical Directorates to identify opportunities for capacity creation and improved utilisation. Drive initiatives that reduce avoidable delays and maximise patient throughput. B. Service Planning Lead organisational efforts to improve patient flow across all care pathways. Develop performance improvement programmes that reduce delays in admission transfer and discharge. Monitor organisational performance against key access and flow indicators. Lead multidisciplinary initiatives to improve:
Ensure appropriate governance and accountability arrangements are in place to support performance improvement. Provide regular performance updates to the Executive Management Team and Board Committees as required. C. Performance Management
D. HR Management and Organisational Development Provide effective leadership and management of the Bed Management Department creating a high performance culture of accountability collaboration innovation continuous improvement and Patient-centered care. Develop and maintain a high-performing engaged and motivated multidisciplinary team through effective communication coaching performance management and recognition. Ensure departmental staffing establishments skill mix and roster arrangements are planned and managed to provide safe effective and responsive services that meet the operational requirements of the hospital seven days per week. Ensure workforce resources are deployed flexibly to respond to changing patterns of demand service pressures and organisational priorities while maintaining safe patient care. Lead workforce planning for the department identifying future staffing requirements and supporting recruitment retention and succession planning in collaboration with Human Resources. Ensure all staff have clearly defined roles responsibilities and performance objectives with regular performance review and development planning in line with hospital policy. Foster a culture of innovation empowerment and continuous quality improvement encouraging staff to identify opportunities to improve patient flow departmental performance and patient experience. Promote collaborative working across clinical directorates and operational departments ensuring the Bed Management Department is recognised as an integrated partner in achieving organisational objectives. Ensure compliance with all Human Resource policies and procedures including attendance management mandatory training health and safety equality dignity at work and organisational values. E. Quality Assurance and Risk Management Lead the identification and management of operational risks associated with hospital flow and capacity and ensure effective governance structures are in place. Ensure compliance with: HIQA Standards HSE Policies Health and Safety Legislation Data Protection Requirements Corporate Governance Requirements Take responsibility for enquiries and parliamentary questions relating to the bed management department The job description indicates the main functions and responsibilities of the post and is subject to review and amendment. Other specific work not covered in this job description may also be assigned by the Director of Nursing from time to time. |
Selection Criteria: Selection criteria outline the qualifications skills knowledge and/or experience that the successful candidate would need to demonstrate for successful discharge of the responsibilities of the post. Applications will be assessed on the basis of how well candidates satisfy these criteria. |
Mandatory: Clinical background in Nursing or Health and Social Care profession. Indept knowledge of Acute hospitals and Operations Minimum of 7 years senior management experience in the acute hospital environment (In the last 10 years) Level 8 degree qualification. Demonstrable track record in strategic planning operational management and service development. Demonstrable evidence of leadership and management of large multidisciplinary healthcare teams. Desirable: Masters degree in healthcare management or related field. Executive/Senior Management on call experience Behaviours & Competencies Strong leadership management and influencing skills. Excellent negotiation and diplomacy skills. Resilience and ability to deliver objectives under pressure. Strategic thinking and change management expertise. Ability to analyse complex data and make informed decisions. |
Informal Enquiries to |
Name: | Claire Noonan |
Title: | Chief Operations Officer |
Email address: |
Required Experience:
Director
