The Lateral Nurse Navigator: all you need to know
When you call Lateral, you speak directly to a registered nurse who can help you understand your options and guide you through the healthcare system when things feel uncertain.
Jodi is a Clinical Lead and Registered Nurse with a background in clinical case management. Here, she explains how the Nurse Navigator service supports members through the healthcare system, and why having someone to guide you can make such a difference.
We spoke to Jodi about what this looks like in practice.
What does the Nurse Navigator role involve?
Being a Nurse Navigator is really about helping people when they have a health concern and aren’t sure what to do next. That could mean explaining a referral letter, talking through a diagnosis, or helping someone understand whether NHS or private care may work best for them.
A big part of the role is helping people feel more confident and in control. Healthcare can be confusing, especially when you're worried about your health, so we focus on giving people clear, straightforward information and supporting them to make informed decisions.
What kinds of situations is this service designed for?
The service is there for those moments when someone has a health concern and just isn’t sure what the next step should be.
A lot of people find the healthcare system difficult to navigate, especially if they’re feeling anxious or unwell. Even receiving a referral letter or being told they need further tests can feel confusing.
For many people, healthcare decisions can become more complicated because there may be several health conditions to think about at the same time. Treatment is rarely “one size fits all”, so the service is designed to help people understand what their options are and what may work best for them personally.
Why can navigating the healthcare system feel so overwhelming?
Healthcare can feel complicated because there are different services, long waiting lists, unfamiliar medical language, and lots of different routes into care.
It’s also much harder to take information in when you’re worried about your health. As healthcare professionals, we sometimes forget that things we see every day can feel frightening or completely unfamiliar to someone else.
Often, what really helps is simply having someone explain things clearly and talk through the options with you.
How do Nurse Navigators help someone understand their options after a new diagnosis or referral?
The first step is always listening and understanding what matters most to that person.
What matters most will vary from person to person. For some people, getting treatment quickly is the priority. For others, staying close to home, seeing a particular specialist, or making sure treatment works around other health conditions may matter more.
A lot of people simply need time to talk things through before they can properly process what’s happening. We help explain medical information in a clear, human way, so people can feel more informed and more confident about the choices they’re making.
How do you approach NHS and private healthcare options?
There’s rarely one right answer for everyone.
Private healthcare can be very helpful, especially when speed is important. But for many older adults, the NHS can also provide excellent joined-up care, particularly when several health conditions need managing together.
The role of the Nurse Navigator isn’t to push someone towards one option. It’s to help people understand the differences between NHS and private care, including waiting times, costs, benefits, and how each option may fit their personal circumstances.
Sometimes that means helping someone access NHS services they didn’t realise were available. Other times, private care may feel like the better choice. The important thing is that people feel supported to make the decision that’s right for them.
What happens if someone chooses private care?
If someone decides to use private healthcare, the Nurse Navigator helps make the process feel as simple and smooth as possible.
That might include arranging appointments or tests, explaining what to expect, and helping make sure information is shared properly between private providers and NHS services where needed.
Without support, it can sometimes feel like the NHS and private healthcare are completely separate systems. Nurse Navigators help keep everything connected, so care feels more joined-up and less stressful to manage.
What does continuity of care mean to you?
For me, continuity of care means people don’t have to keep repeating their story every time they speak to someone new.
It means having someone who understands their medical history, their preferences, and what matters to them personally, and who can help guide them through the process from start to finish.
Managing healthcare can feel exhausting when someone is already coping with illness or uncertainty. Chasing appointments, waiting for results, and trying to work out who to contact can all become stressful. Having ongoing support from someone familiar with the situation can take a lot of that pressure away.
What difference do you think this service makes for members?
I think it gives people something that can sometimes feel missing in healthcare today: time, reassurance, and the confidence that they have someone in their corner.
Most people simply want to feel listened to and treated like an individual, not just another case or problem to solve. The service is there to help members feel informed, supported, and more confident about their healthcare decisions.
If this sounds like the kind of healthcare support you would value, you can learn more about the Lateral Health Plan here.
