careers in cancer

Do you have good communication skills and never miss a deadline?

Pathway Navigators are administrative, patient facing roles. They work as part of a team to support patients who have been referred from their GP with a possible cancer diagnosis. These roles were introduced to Wessex in 2022.
The majority of Pathway Navigators work at the start of the patient journey until they are diagnosed with a cancer or discharged back to their GP. It is not a clinical role. Occasionally experience, training and service need may allow some navigators to take on some clinical duties.
As a Pathway Navigator, you are most likely to: 
  • work in a hospital setting 
  • work with nurses and doctors as well as other administrative roles
  • become a point of contact for patients, answering queries and explaining procedures
  • track patient pathways to ensure they attend all the appointments they need to 
  • take on administrative tasks to free up clinical staff to see more patients

Entry Requirements

Pathway Navigator roles require good literacy, numeracy and IT skills.
Five GCSEs at grades A-C/9-4 including Maths and English would be preferable but not always essential
Experience of working in a healthcare setting with some patient contact would also be desirable

Training Routes

There is no single route to becoming a Pathway Navigator. If you are interested in this career gaining experience in an administrative role within the health service would be a good starting point. Working with patients and/or working within cancer services would also be valuable experiences for a Pathway Navigator.

Key Skills

You will:
  • have excellent communication skills and be able to talk to patients, families and other hospital staff
  • be confident using different computer systems
  • have strong organisational skills
  • be an experienced administrator able to prioritise your workload
  • be able to work under pressure and remain calm in difficult situations
  • be responsive and empathetic to situations that arise

Career Development

Pathway Navigators are new roles, there are many training and development opportunities to enhance your skills and knowledge as a Pathway Navigator.

Pay and benefits

As a Pathway Navigator you will be paid on the Agenda for Change (AFC) pay system, typically starting on a Band 4.

Pathway Navigator

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