Liaison​/Rapid Response Sister​/Charge Nurse

Job Summary

The closing date is 23 August 2026

This is an opportunity for a shared post between two teams
- The Integrated Discharge Team based at Luton & Dunstable Hospital and our community based Rapid Response Team.

This is an exciting role for a dynamic nurse who enjoys autonomous practice, complex clinical decision-making, multidisciplinary working, and leading others to deliver outstanding patient-centred care as well as having knowledge of discharge planning.

These teams play a vital role in preventing hospital admissions or facilitating early and complex discharges.

The successful applicant will be in an exciting position to contribute to:

• Service development by developing new ways of working (e.g. clinical triage, patient assessment, discharge planning )
• Strengthening collaborative working, both across the teams and with system partners (e.g. GPs, social care and voluntary organisations)

Join us and be part of transforming and providing high quality health care within an integrated team model. In return we will actively encourage and support to develop.

This role includes shift work & weekend working.

Interview date will be on 22 July 2026 which will be held at the Poynt in Luton which will be face to face interviews. This will give you the opportunity to see the working environment and meet the team.

(Should we receive a high number of applications we reserve the right to close this vacancy at any point after 11/08/2026)

• You will contribute to the delivery of safe, effective and timely discharges for patients returning to the community from hospital.
• Assess patients, work collaboratively with families, carers, the multidisciplinary team to ensure a comprehensive understanding of available community services when arranging health-funded packages of care.
• Receive, assess, manage same-day referrals from Primary Care through the GP Liaison Service, using clinical judgement, decision-making to support admission avoidance and ensure patients are directed to the most appropriate care pathway.
• Ensure the provision of community nursing care that responds to urgent crisis response requirements in the community by assessing, prioritising, allocating, visiting, and treating patients using up to date clinical skills and knowledge. Work with the integrated community nursing teams and wider multidisciplinary / integrated teams to provide high quality nursing care.
• Work collaboratively with acute hospital, ambulance service and other providers to ensure care at home that avoids inappropriate hospital admission.
• Prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and facilitate timely hospital discharge.

Rated 'Outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission, we are proud to provide high quality innovative services across most of the east of England that enable people to receive care closer to home and live healthier lives.

There's one reason why our services are outstanding - and that's our amazing staff who, for the seventh year running, rated us incredibly highly in the national staff survey.

Date posted: 04 August 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 6

Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year per annum, pro-rata

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number: 448-LCA-8103181-A

Job locations: Luton & Dunstable Hospital / The Poynt, The Poynt unit 2-3, Luton, LU4 0LA
, United Kingdom

• Work collaboratively with a range of multidisciplinary and organisational teams across both hospital and community settings.
• Facilitate safe and timely discharge for patients receiving End-of-Life care and those requiring Department of Health Fast Track or 100% Continuing Healthcare funding.
• Promote clear and effective communication between patients, relatives, carers and professional colleagues to ensure seamless care delivery, including the exchange of sensitive clinical information.
• Support effective information sharing across organisations to maintain continuity of care throughout the patient journey.
• Represent community services at multidisciplinary meetings and case conferences.
• Enable and empower patients and their families/carers to participate in discharge planning, promoting independence, choice and informed decision-making.
• Assess and prescribe equipment required for discharge to promote patient safety and support effective care delivery within the community.
• Provide clinical supervision and participate in regular one-to-one sessions with delegated members of the team.
• Recognise and manage challenges associated with cross-boundary working, particularly in relation to patients with complex needs and multiple care pathways.
• Contribute to the GP Liaison Service by receiving referrals for same-day assessment within the Acute Trust and managing these effectively, with a focus on avoiding unnecessary admission where appropriate.
• Ensure that all patients are treated with dignity, compassion and respect at all times.

• Prevent avoidable hospital…