235219 (MG) Litigation Officer

NHS Scotland; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A health service provider in Edinburgh is seeking a Litigation Support Officer for a fixed-term position. The role involves managing legal claims, collaborating with healthcare professionals, and providing essential support on sensitive legal matters. Candidates should ideally have a degree or equivalent experience in business administration or legal, with excellent communication skills and the ability to handle sensitive information. This is a full-time position offering a chance to make a significant impact within NHS Scotland.

Qualifications

• Effective collaboration with legal professionals.
• Ability to manage legal claims for NHS Lothian.
• Understand and contribute to healthcare practices.

Responsibilities

• Assess and coordinate information requests for claims.
• Liaise with staff to gather statements and evidence.
• Collate and submit necessary evidence for legal processes.
• Provide advice on litigation claims and First Accident Inquiries.
• Maintain systems for case tracking and reporting.
• Support learning from legal outcomes.

Skills

Excellent communication and organisational skills

Proven ability to assess complex documents

Discretion in handling sensitive information

Higher-level administrative experience

Strong teamworking skills

Confidence working independently

Legal knowledge in a healthcare setting

Education

Educated to Degree level or equivalent in business administration or legal

Job description

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

Litigation Support Officer

Agenda for Change - Band 5

Full time = 37 hours per week (Part-time near to full‑time hours considered)

12 Months Fixed Term Contract / Secondment – Development opportunity?

West Port, Edinburgh

You may occasionally work from home depending on the needs of the service. The successful candidate will also be required to travel to other locations to attend in‑person meetings or staff training.

Interviews will be in‑person and provisionally held week starting Monday 26th January at our West Port Office, Edinburgh.

Post Detail

Working closely with legal professionals and senior NHS staff, you’ll be part of a small, dedicated team managing legal cases across one of Scotland’s major health boards. You’ll play a vital role in managing legal claims across the organisation, acting as the key liaison between NHS Lothian Senior Managers, our Services and the Central Legal Office.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• To assess, request and coordinate information requests in relation to claims management including clinical negligence, personal injury, and provide support for Fatal Accident Inquiries (FAIs)
• Liaise with staff to gather statements, evidence, and expert opinion
• Collation and submission of evidence
• Request and submit decisions on cases from Senior Staff
• Request and process payments in relation to settled claims
• Provide first‑line advice and support to NHS Lothian staff on litigation claims and FAI process
• Maintain robust systems for case tracking and reporting
• Support learning and improvement from legal outcomes

Experience & Skills Required

• Excellent communication and organisational skills
• Proven ability to assess complex documents and determine appropriate actions
• Discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information
• Higher‑level administrative experience, preferably within a healthcare environment
• Strong teamworking skills, with a supportive and cooperative approach
• Confidence working independently but knows when help should be sought!
• Legal knowledge in a healthcare setting (desirable but not essential)

Candidates should be Educated to Degree level or equivalent level of experience in a similar field - business administration, or legal. Experience of working within NHS in Scotland, and knowledge of our services and structures is also desirable.

Why Join Us?

Working as part of a dedicated team on complex and sensitive legal cases, you’ll make a real difference by helping to ensure robust management of claims—progressing and closing them efficiently—while helping shape safer healthcare practices through legal insight and shared learning.

Interested?

If you would like to have an informal discussion regarding this post, please contact Robert Wilkinson, Quality & Safety Assurance Manager e‑mail [e-mail].

Please note: we anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early once a sufficient amount of applications are received. Therefore, please make sure you complete and submit your application at an early stage.

We cannot accept late applications so please ensure your application is submitted early.

The email address you provide will be used for notifications. Please check your Junk and Spam inboxes as notifications may go directly to these.

We will fully support disabled candidates, and candidates with long‑term conditions or who are neurodivergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.

As part of the pre‑employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre‑settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website here.

For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licensed Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found here.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form.

Please note: If this post is part‑time, the salary will be pro‑ratio.