Job overview
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust looking to appoint a Medical Examiner Officer to support the Medical Examiner Service
Following legislation in September 2024 it is a legal requirement for all deaths that are not immediately referred to the Coroner to be referred to a Medical Examiner Service, The Medical Examiner Service has been designed to oversee many aspects of the process, providing an independent layer of scrutiny, improving the quality of certification and explaining the cause of death to the bereaved, allowing them to raise any concerns.
The successful candidate will be committed and sympathetic and have excellent communication and IT skills. The team consists of part-time Medical Examiners (senior consultant grade doctors and GPs) and full time Medical Examiner Officers (MEOs) who may have a clinical or non-clinical background with previous experience of patient or customer facing role.
Main duties of the job
The Medical Examiner Service has been designed to oversee and support many aspects of the death certification process, providing an independent layer of scrutiny, improving the quality of certification and explaining the cause of death to the bereaved, allowing them to raise any concerns.
The MEO will work with medical examiners to aid them in their responsibility for overseeing the death certification process for deceased patients in East Lancashire.
They will establish the circumstances of individual patient deaths by performing a preliminary review of medical records to identify clinical and circumstantial information, sourcing additional details where required, for scrutiny by the medical examiner. This role is essential to allow efficient functioning of the Medical Examiner service.
The MEO will assist in highlighting cases for assessment by the Mortality Faculty, Structured Judgement Reviews (SJR), Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP), Clinical Governance teams and the Learning Disability Review Teams (LeDeR).
They will assist in referral of patients to the coroner for further investigation on approval by the medical examiner.
The MEO will support the development and delivery of systems to collect, analyse and report activity data internally and externally.
Working for our organisation
At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 8,000 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The candidate we are seeking will be a highly motivated, dedicated and innovative individuals, working alongside the Medical Examiners to scrutinise all deaths at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.
You will demonstrate excellent knowledge of medical terminology as you review patient notes, along with previous experience of working with bereaved relatives in any setting. You will be working collaboratively with a wide range of staff, in addition to being confident in working under your own initiative to prioritise your workload accordingly.
Join us and you will have the opportunity to further support bereaved families and improve patient safety in a responsive and fluid service which is adaptable to the needs of our hospitals, our communities and our workforce. Demonstrating natural curiosity and empathy you will support the Medical Examiners in their role of scrutinising the circumstances and causes of death for our patients.
To succeed, you’ll need to be committed to delivering high quality care, with compassion and respect, have excellent interpersonal skills and be able to provide evidence of personal and professional development. You’ll also be part of a fantastic and dedicated team that supports each other and operates with consideration and dignity at all times.
You will work closely with Qualified Attending Practitioners (QAP), and where appropriate the Coroner’s and Registration services. You will be a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients; demonstrating excellent communication skills whilst identifying and gathering information relating to any concerns of the bereaved and in order to discuss cause of death with next of kin. The role will incorporate administrative skills in ensuring necessary electronic Datix records are completed in a timely manner. You will demonstrate key organisational skills and high attention to detail in order to deliver this.
In return for your skills, enthusiasm and commitment you can expect some truly excellent development and progression opportunities, and a comprehensive induction programme tailored to your learning. We hold annual appraisals and regular 1:1 meetings to guide you in the new role and discuss how we can support you. Applicants must have undertaken the mandatory Royal College of Pathologists’ Medical Examiner e-learning modules prior to commencing. Once in post, you will undergo formal training appropriate to the role, as provided by the Royal College of Pathologists and via completion of a training programme portfolio and competence assessment, which must be completed within 12 months of starting in post.
The Medical Examiner Role a hugely rewarding but highly responsible and involved role and will require someone who is dedicated, driven and flexible with a genuine enthusiasm for improving the experience of bereaved relatives and learning from deaths. An understanding of the legal processes around Coroner and Registration requirements would also be desirable. East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust Medical Examiner Officers will be based within the General Office at the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
* •Educated to Batchelor’s degree level or equivalent working knowledge in related field.
* •A commitment to life-long learning and undertaking personal development opportunities.
* •The ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including the recently bereaved.
Desirable criteria
* •Completed e-learning MEO core training modules
Knowledge
Essential criteria
* General knowledge of clinical/medical terminology
Desirable criteria
* Knowledge of the special requirements of various faith groups and respect for equality and diversity of issues around formalities following a death.
* Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2009 reference to the medical examiner system. Full understanding of the medical examiner system operational remit when incorporated within Bereavement Services or as a stand-alone office.
Experience & Skills
Essential criteria
* Experience of working in a healthcare setting with multi-disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries.
* Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism with all stakeholders.
* Ability to work as part of a team and organise fluctuating workload around competing priorities.
* Supportive to all levels of staff and bereaved families in a non-judgemental and discreet manner
* Ability to maintain a calm manner in a range of challenging and emotive circumstances
Desirable criteria
* Competent in the use of IT software systems and handling sensitive personal identifiable data