The Medical Examiner Service at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust (NNUH) is seeking to recruit Medical Examiners. This exciting opportunity is open for senior medical personnel and applications are welcomed from Consultant and GP colleagues.
Medical Examiners are senior clinicians who are trained in the clinical and legal elements of the death certification process.
Four Programmed Activity (PA) sessions, each lasting four hours, are available and may be allocated between suitable candidates to help support service delivery. Applicants are encouraged to specify the number of PAs they are applying for within their application, which will be discussed during the interview process. The successful candidate(s) will work on a fixed roster, based within the Medical Examiner Service offices at the NNUH, Colney Lane. Each ME is expected to work 42 session per annum and flexibility is welcomed during periods of high acuity and busy holiday periods.
• To be responsible for the scrutiny of the case notes of all deceased patients that are not taken for investigation by HM Coroner. This includes patients who die in both primary and secondary care settings.
• To liaise with clinical teams to agree the cause of death that will be entered on the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD).
• To (where required) discuss the final cause of death with the nominated next-of-kin in a transparent, sympathetic and tactful manner, and escalate any concerns that are raised.
• Work closely with the Medical Examiner Officers (MEOs) in highlighting any concerns about clinical care, feeding into existing governance/Learning from Deaths processes as necessary.
• To ensure appropriate referrals are made to HM Coroner, acting as a medical resource for the Coroner where required.
• To support the training of resident doctors in the completion of MCCDs and provide feedback on the accuracy of certification locally.
The Medical Examiner Service has been in place within the NNUH since 2019, reviewing all inpatient deaths. During September 2024 the service became statutory and has expanded to cover the deaths of those who pass away within the community. The NNUH Medical Examiner Office is the largest in the region, reviewing approximately 6500 deaths per year.
The Service is based on the main NNUH site, and has close working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders; such as the Bereavement and Mortuary teams, HM Coroner's Office, Registration Services and local Funeral Directors. We are a close and friendly team consisting of 6 Medical Examiners Officers working full time, and 11 Medical Examiners working part time.
For further information about this post please read the detailed job description for the Medical Examiner post attached
This advert closes on Sunday 18 May 2025