In the Spotlight - Charlotte King

30 December 2025

This month we are proud to spotlight Charlotte King, one of two Discharge Coordinators at the University Hospital of Wales. Charlotte's role involves foreseeing issues that could delay a patient's discharge and then resolving these before they arise.    

Charlotte joined Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in 2021, starting in the administration team of Cardiff and Vale Health Inclusion Service (CAVHIS). She then moved to Ward A2, as a Patient Care Navigator.   

A2 is a Short Stay Medical Ward, and much of her work involved preparing to discharge patients. Charlotte said: “I was hooked. I’d never done anything like it before, and you just get thrown in, but I loved it. I learnt how important early planning is in someone’s discharge and how to recognise potential barriers. When this role came up, I thought ‘that is the perfect role for me.’” 

As a Discharge Coordinator, Charlotte describes her role as ‘promoting patient flow within the hospital, with the patient at heart’.  She will typically look at patients admitted the previous night in the Emergency Unit and identify any problems which might prevent their journey and eventual discharge from the hospital. Then she will find ways to help resolve those issues.  

“If a patient has any safeguarding concerns, problems with their packages of care, or even property issues, we'll try to find it and fix it. From admission to discharge, every patient's got a journey, and it’s looking for those who might have a troubled one and just trying to smooth it out as best as possible throughout their hospital stay. A lot of what we do is aimed at the smooth transfer from hospital to community.” 

A large part of Charlotte’s time involves talking with patients and their families to find out what support they need. “So, I just ask: ‘What can we do to help you?’ Do you know what you need to do to go home? And it's giving them a voice because it can be so confusing.” 

It can sometimes lead to unexpected tasks. “Not long ago I went out and had the locks changed at someone's house because they'd lost their keys and couldn't be discharged. I arranged the locksmith, and then we went out to the property to sort it. There's lots of things we do to help and promote a patient’s discharge, which is not strictly to do with the hospital.” 

Charlotte works closely with ward managers throughout the hospital and talks with a host of community-based teams, such as the Community Resource Team, the local authority, social workers, care homes and housing officers. She laughs as she recalls a patient’s daughter telling her ‘You’re very diplomatic’.  

It is a multifaceted role, which also involves providing discharge training to staff, attending board rounds, data reporting to Welsh Government, improving processes and pathways but one that Charlotte is thriving in.  

“I really love it,” she said. “I love the busyness. I just try and deal with one thing. I sort that one thing out before I move on to the next. I like the fact that you're involved in everything and there's so much going on. It's really, really busy, but I like being busy, so it suits me down to the ground. And it is so rewarding.”  

One of the initiatives that Charlotte has worked on is called ‘Reducing Time in Hospital’. It encourages patients to ask their ward team ‘When can I go home?’. To read more about this initiative click here: Reducing Time in Hospital - Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

People are at the centre of everything we do. Those who work at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board make a difference to people’s lives every single day.

Each month, the In The Spotlight campaign shines a light on the different people who make up Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, from those who support behind the scenes, to those who have passions that led them to work in their role.

As an organisation with over 17,000 colleagues, the campaign will highlight the variety of roles, teams and individuals across the health board. Working in the NHS can be life-changing, both for colleagues and for the patients they help.