An exciting opportunity has become available for a part-time Medical Examiner working 1 PA per week within the Medical Examiners Service at King's College Hospital.
Based at the Princess Royal Site working Friday afternoons. There will be an opportunity to take part in weekend working for our Out of Hours Medical Examiners Service working 9-12 at home on call.
The Medical Examiners Service became statutory on the 9th September 2024 with changes to the death certification process. Working alongside colleagues across site and supported by the Medical Examiner Officers you will be responsible for scrutinising deaths, having detailed discussions with attending practitioners and determining a cause of death to the best of your knowledge and belief and referring to the Coroner when required. Ensure compliance with the legal and procedural requirements associated with the current processes of certification, investigation (by coroners) and registration of deaths within a Local Authority area.
Main duties of the job
You will be expected to comply with national protocols to ensure that in each case the cause of death is scrutinised in a way that is robust, proportionate and consistent.
You must have up-to-date knowledge of medical conditions, treatments and medicines which may or may not have contributed to death, and be able to exercise judgement in where to seek specialist advice in order to determine the appropriate level of scrutiny required.
You must be able to distinguish between natural and unnatural causes of death and to decide where a death must be reported to, and investigated by, a coroner.
Additionally, you must have detailed knowledge of the relevant legislation and processes which apply to coroners and death certification deaths abroad where bodies are returned to England and Wales for disposal and deaths where relatives wish to transport the body abroad for disposal, certifying and registering deaths and the regulations to authorise cremation or burials of stillbirths abroad.
Your team will be responsible for maintaining comprehensive records in an appropriate format.
See JD for more details.
About us
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts, with a turnover of £1.8bn per annum. Our teams provide services out of five hospitals across South East London and Kent, namely King's College Hospital, the Princess Royal University Hospital, Orpington Hospital, Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup, and Beckenham Beacon. We employ nearly 14,000 staff, who together treat over 1.5 million patients every year. We provide a full range of local and specialist services, and our teams are nationally and internationally recognised for their work in liver disease and transplantation, neurosciences, cardiac, haemato‑oncology, fetal medicine, stroke, major trauma, and emergency medicine.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You must be able to communicate with the bereaved of all faiths and communities in a sensitive and understanding manner.
You will be familiar with the role and function of the Coroner and able to present complex medical information in such a way as to assist the Coroner decide whether to investigate a death about which they have been notified.
You will liaise with those attending practitioners who seek advice prior to completing a Medical Certificate on the Cause of Death (where death is considered to be due to natural causes).
You will provide leadership for the effective management of the Medical Examiners Office, including the supervision and development of any staff.
You will comply with the LAs/LHBs reciprocal arrangements with the other medical examiner(s) in the LA/LHB or neighbouring LA/LHB to provide cover for holidays and other commitments that would prevent completion of the scrutiny process within the prescribed timescales.
You will act in accordance with Equalities and Human Rights legislation and the organisations Equality and Diversity policies.
Medical Examiners must avoid any potential conflicts of interest. You will make arrangements to transfer to another ME the responsibility for the scrutiny of any death in which you have had a personal, professional or fiduciary relationship with the deceased person, the next‑of‑kin or near relative of the deceased, or with the attending doctor who prepared the MCCD.
You are expected to fulfil any appropriate management and individual responsibilities in accordance with the organisations Health and Safety policy and report as necessary any untoward accident, incident or potentially hazardous environment. You will also promote and implement the LAs/LHBs Health and Safety policy.
For further details / informal visits contact:
Lynne Watkins or Yasmin Kapadia
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
* Registerable medical qualification
* [MRCP] or equivalent.
Desirable
Registration
Essential
* Within six months of the expected date of CCT (or equivalent) on the day of interview.
* Medical practitioner registered and licensed to practice in the UK by the GMC
* Name on Specialist Register on date of taking up appointment.
Training and Experience
Essential
* Candidates must have successfully completed the mandatory e-learning modules and attended a face‑to‑face training session by the time they start the role.
* MEs should have up-to-date knowledge of causes of death and an understanding of the legal frameworks associated with death certification processes.
* Knowledge of the special requirements of various faith groups and respect for equality and diversity.
Desirable
* Experience in Primary Care
* Experience in Paediatrics as sub‑speciality interest
Administration
Essential
* Experience in day to day organisation of services in a busy Teaching Hospital.
* Able to demonstrate leadership capability within multi‑disciplinary teams.
Desirable
* Familiar with current structure of Health Service and conversant with recent initiatives and changes.
* Management course and/or qualification.
Audit & quality improvement
Essential
* Thorough understanding of principles of medical audit and quality improvement.
* Must be able to demonstrate ability to lead change.
Research
Essential
* Experience of conducting or supporting clinical research.
Desirable
* Relevant research experience.
* Publication of relevant review articles or case reports.
213-MED-PRUH-7943574
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