Legal Counsel - Health

NHS Jobs; Liverpool; On-site; AUD 105,000 - 172,000; Full time

Job summary

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a senior healthcare solicitor to provide high-level legal advice to NHS Trust clients and staff, including urgent matters requiring rapid, clear analysis. The role involves managing complex clinical negligence claims, overseeing inquest work, and preparing reports for senior meetings.

The post also covers reviewing expert reports from panel solicitors, advising on risk in contracts and SLAs, and deputising for the General Counsel

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice on a wide range of queries affecting NHS Trust clients and staff, including urgent, time-critical situations.
• Manage a caseload of clinical negligence claims, including high-value birth injury (Obstetric) matters.
• Review and scrutinise expert reports and advice from panel solicitors, applying challenge where needed.
• Manage the most complex, high-risk inquest matters.
• Advise and support staff required to give evidence; attend inquests as Trust representative and conduct witness examinations.
• Review commercial contracts, SLAs and agreements to identify risk and advise the Trust.
• Prepare reports for senior Trust meetings and provide escalation to General Counsel as appropriate.
• Depose for General Counsel in their absence across matters; oversee delivery within Healthcare Legal Services including workload planning.
• Line management and mentoring of the Healthcare Legal Services team, including direct line management of other solicitors.

Job description

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification which sets out the main responsibilities of the role. Provision of legal advice on a wide range of queries affecting our NHS Trust clients and staff members, sometimes in urgent and time-critical situations, requiring high level of knowledge and analytical skills and ability to communicate contentious, complex and sensitive issues clearly. Management of a caseload of clinical negligence claims including high value birth injury (Obstetric) matters. Review and scrutinise expert reports and advice from panel solicitors, applying challenge and feedback as appropriate. Management of a caseload of the most complex, difficult and high risk inquest matters. To advise, prepare and support members of staff who are required to give evidence. Attend inquests as the Trust's representative, liaising with families or other IP legal representatives, conducting witness examination as required and making formal legal submissions to HM Coroner as appropriate. Review of commercial contracts, SLAs and agreements to identify areas of risk and advise Trust appropriately. Production of reports for, and attendance at, senior Trust meetings as required. Deputise for General Counsel in their absence across all matters. Oversees delivery within Healthcare Legal Services including planning and tracking of workloads and appropriate escalation to General Counsel. Line management, supervision and mentoring of the Legal Services team (Healthcare) including direct line management of other solicitors.

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust