Main area Medical Examiner Office. Grade NHS AfC: Band 6 Contract Permanent: 22.5 hrs Hours Part time - 22.5 hours per week (To cover 3 days. 8.30am-4.30pm) Job ref 407-CORP-7487962
Employer Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site Walsall Manor Hospital Town Walsall Salary £38,682 - £46,580 Pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 10/11/2025 23:59
Medical Examiner Officer
NHS AfC: Band 6
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust provides integrated acute and community Healthcare in the West Midlands serving a population of 260,000 residents. Walsall Manor Hospital houses the full range of district general hospital services. The £170 million development was completed in 2010 and we are continually upgrading. Construction of the new integrated critical care unit was completed in 2018, extension of a Neonatal Unit and an approved plan to build a brand new, state of the art Emergency Department which commenced in 2021
We provide high quality, friendly and effective community health services from multiple sites covering Walsall. Our multidisciplinary services include rapid response and homebased care, so that those with long term conditions and the frail elderly can remain in their own homes.
We are recommended by colleagues as a place to work which is supported by the trust’s values to work as part of a team, being respectful, compassionate and professional. We are committed to investing in our workforce
Following our recent CQC visit the Trust was rated as outstanding for care and this has been recognised by NHS Improvement.
The work we do is highly rewarding, and in addition to an attractive salary, we offer a valuable range of benefits, including: salary sacrifice scheme; car leasing scheme; on-site staff accommodation (subject to availability); the ability to retain your NHS pension (where applicable) or the opportunity to join an alternative scheme; and the opportunity to develop and implement your expertise in an encouraging yet challenging environment
We would particularly welcome applications from people from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background and from people with a disability; these groups are currently under-represented at senior level, we value diversity within our Trust and are working to achieve equality in our recruitment.
COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst COVID-19 vaccination is not a condition of employment at this time, we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated. We will be checking the vaccination status of all new starters so that we can manage individual and environmental risks, and so that we can support those who may be undecided about vaccination. If you are unvaccinated there is helpful advice and information at COVID-19 Vaccination | How to access your vaccine in the Black Country and West Birmingham (blackcountryandwestbirmccg.nhs.uk ) where you can also find out more about how to access vaccination. There is a current Government consultation underway which will determine whether some new starters may need to be vaccinated.
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is proud to be part of the Armed Forces Covenant. The Trust currently holds the Bronze Award which underlines the Trust’s commitment to supporting the Armed Forces Community. As an organisation, we are aiming to achieve the next level Silver award, with our sights firmly on Gold.
RESPECT - COMPASSION - TEAMWORK - PROFESSIONALISM
Job overview
To participate in the implementation of the National statutory death certification reforms to improve the processes of death certification and Coronial referral.
To work with Medical Examiner team to fulfil the National statutory requirement to provide and maintain the Medical Examiners Service.
To act as an intermediary between the bereaved and clinicians to establish and resolve any concerns relating to a patient’s death. Work with medical examiners to aid them in their responsibility for overseeing the death certification process for all non-Coronial deaths.
To assist the Medical Examiner in establishing the circumstances of individual patient deaths by performing a preliminary review of medical records to identify clinical and circumstantial information, sourcing additional information where required.
To assist in highlighting cases for assessment by the Structured Judgement Review team (SJR), Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP), Clinical Governance teams and the Learning Disability Review Teams (LeDeR).
To refer patients to the coroner for further investigation on approval by the medical examiner
Maintain an awareness of the diverse needs of users of the medical examiner system to ensure equality to any group defined by sex, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability.
The successful candidate will be based at Walsall Manor Hospital.
PLEASE NOTE, WE MAY CLOSE THIS VACANCY EARLY IF WE RECEIVE HIGH NUMBERS OF APPLICATIONS.
Main duties of the job
To support medical examiners in their role in scrutinising circumstances and causes of death. To be a point of contact and source of advice for bereaved families.
On delegation by the Medical Examiner, contact and discuss the agreed cause of death and any concerns about care with bereaved relatives in a transparent, empathetic manner. Respect the diverse needs of bereaved relatives considering gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability.
Have a working knowledge of medical conditions, treatments and medicines being able to exercise clinical judgement in when to seek further advice from the Medical Examiner, senior or lead Medical Examiner Officer.
Be a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals, coroner and registration services, bereavement team, PALS and End-of-Life Care teams.
Support Medical Examiners to identify cases where there are issues with the care provided that may need to be reported as an adverse incident or serious incident investigation to the Safety and Risk Team.
Have a working knowledge of various faith groups practices following a death.
Participate in out of hours rota to facilitate requests for urgent issue of the appropriate documentation to expedite release of the deceased body on faith grounds or on any other reasonable request.
Working for our organisation
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is an integrated Trust and the only provider of NHS acute care in Walsall, serving a population of 284,300. It provides inpatient and outpatient services at the Manor Hospital as well as a wide range of services in the community. Walsall Manor houses the full range of district general hospital services under one roof. The £170 million development was completed in 2010, and ongoing upgrades ensure the Trust now has state-of-the-art facilities, including a Critical Care Unit, Neonatal Unit, Obstetric Theatre, and Integrated Assessment Unit. A new Urgent and Emergency Care Centre, opened in March 2023, has significantly improved emergency care facilities and capacity, providing almost 5,000 square metres of additional clinical space.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To participate in the implementation of the National statutory death certification reforms to improve the processes of death certification and Coronial referral.
To work with Medical Examiner team to fulfil the National statutory requirement to provide and maintain the Medical Examiners Service.
To act as an intermediary between the bereaved and clinicians to establish and resolve any concerns relating to a patient’s death. Work with medical examiners to aid them in their responsibility for overseeing the death certification process for all non-Coronial deaths.
To assist the Medical Examiner in establishing the circumstances of individual patient deaths by performing a preliminary review of medical records to identify clinical and circumstantial information, sourcing additional information where required.
To assist in highlighting cases for assessment by the Structured Judgement Review team (SJR), Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP), Clinical Governance teams and the Learning Disability Review Teams (LeDeR).
To refer patients to the coroner for further investigation on approval by the medical examiner
Maintain an awareness of the diverse needs of users of the medical examiner system to ensure equality to any group defined by sex, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability.
The successful candidate will be based at Walsall Manor Hospital.
* To support medical examiners in their role in scrutinising the circumstances and causes of death. To be a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals and coroner and registration services
* On delegation by the Medical Examiner, contact and discuss the agreed cause of death and any concerns about care with bereaved relatives in a transparent, tactful and sympathetic manner. Respect the diverse needs of bereaved relatives considering gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability.
* Have a working knowledge of medical conditions, treatments and medicines which may or may not have contributed to death, and be able to exercise clinical judgement in when to seek further advice from the Medical Examiner, senior or lead Medical Examiner Officer.
* Be a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals, and the coroner and registration services. Liaise with the bereavement team, PALS team and the End-of-Life Care teams.
* Support Medical Examiners to identify cases where there are issues with the care provided that may need to be reported as an adverse incident or serious incident investigation to the Safety and Risk Team.
* Have a working knowledge of various faith groups’ funeral wishes/practices to enable respectful compliance with tight and specific timescales and procedures.
* Participate in out of hours rota to facilitate requests for urgent issue of the appropriate documentation to expedite release of the deceased body on faith grounds or on any other reasonable request.
Person specification
* Nursing or midwifery qualification live registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC)
* Knowledge of the statutory process around death certification legal frameworks and how the Medical Examiner System aligns with other related organisations and NHS initiatives.
* To have a working knowledge of medical terminology that enables informed discussions about cases/circumstances of death with bereaved families, clinicians, The Coroner, Registration Service Staff and Crematorium Referees
* Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2019 reference to the medical examiner system. Full understanding of the medical examiner system operational remit
* Experience of working with people in sensitive and complex situations.
* Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism with all stake holders
* Knowledge of the statutory process around death certification legal frameworks and how the Medical Examiner System aligns with other related organisations and NHS initiatives
Essential/desirable
* Nursing or midwifery qualification live registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC)
* A commitment to the concept of lifelong learning and undertaking professional development opportunities
* The ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including the recently bereaved.
* Completion of MEO training on E-Learning for Health, or completion of core modules before commencement in role
* Experience of working with people in sensitive and complex situations.
* Full understanding of the medical examiner system operational remit
* Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2019 reference to the medical examiner system. Full understanding of the medical examiner system operational remit
* Highly evolved empathetic and self-awareness skills to deal with bereaved families who may have barriers to understanding information due to their grief or disability
* To have a working knowledge of medical terminology that enables informed discussions about cases/circumstances of death with bereaved families, clinicians, The Coroner, Registration Service Staff and Crematorium Referees
* Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism with all stake holders
* Experience of end of life care or experience in dealing with bereaved relatives
* Experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations
* Previous experience working within a healthcare or public sector setting
IMPORTANT NOTE ON COMPLETION OF REFERENCE SECTION OF APPLICATION FORM
Following our recent CQC visit the Trust was rated as outstanding for care and this has been recognised by NHS Improvement.
Please Note that this post may be identified as suitable and a preference given for Internal at Risk Employees
We would particularly welcome applications from people from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background and from people with a disability; these groups are currently under-represented at senior level, we value diversity within our Trust and are working to achieve equality in our recruitment.
References from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. When completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover this period. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.
Please review the attached Job description and person specification carefully before applying to ensure that you meet the essential job requirements.
Candidates should be aware that, regardless of country of origin, their ability to communicate in written and spoken English to the standard required to carry out the post, will be assessed during the selection process.
Referee email addresses should be provided on your application form.
Following the closing date, if you have not heard from us within 6 weeks you may assume your application has been unsuccessful.
We reserve the right to close this job early. Interested applicants are therefore advised to apply as early as possible.
If a large number of applicants meet the essential criteria then random selection will be applied.
We are committed to operating flexible working practices wherever possible and committed to equal opportunities.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Application numbers
Please note this vacancy may close early if high numbers of applications received
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