Band 5 - Senior Clinical Coder, Clinical Coding Department

NHS; Watford; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

The NHS is seeking a Senior Clinical Coder to join the Clinical Coding Department at Watford General Hospital. The successful candidate will ensure high quality data collection in a transforming environment, adhering to national coding standards. Full-time role with hybrid working options, focusing on accuracy and efficiency in clinical coding.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Work-life balance support

Qualifications

• Degree level education in human sciences or equivalent experience.
• National Accredited Clinical Coder Qualification required.
• Successful completion of recent coding standards workshop.

Responsibilities

• Ensure accurate clinical coding using ICD-10 and OPCS-4 classifications.
• Collect, collate, and code clinical information across multiple specialities.
• Maintain productivity while adhering to strict coding timelines.

Skills

Knowledge of ICD-10 and OPCS-4 rules

Knowledge of medical terminology

Knowledge of clinical systems

Education

Educated to degree level in human sciences

Successful completion of NHS Classifications Services Foundation Workshop

National Accredited Clinical Coder Qualification

Tools

Microsoft applications

Job description

Go back West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Band 5 - Senior Clinical Coder, Clinical Coding Department

The closing date is 10 July 2025

The Clinical Coding Department at WHTH is undergoing a complete transformation to be more responsive to the changing demands of the organisation, especially, with the Trust adopting Electronic Patient Records (EPR) recently.

There is a requirement for high quality data collection and reporting with implementation of EPR to accurately reflect clinical activity and outcomes. This in turn will ensure that our services are set up to support our patient case mix enabling us to provide the right care for our patients.

As part of this transformation, we are looking to recruit self-motivated coders, competent in accurately coding multiple complex specialities who understand the need for high quality coded data to support healthcare planning, reimbursement, management of services, statistical analysis, and research.

Applications are welcome from aspiring coders with a proven track record of consistently achieving their key performance objectives and producing high quality work to tight deadlines who are ready for new challenges.

This is a full-time position (37.5 hours) based at Watford General Hospital, with opportunity for hybrid working and flexibility with working times to support our employees with a healthy work-life balance.

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Please note - we are unable to obtain a Certificate of Sponsorship (Work Permit) for this role.

Main duties of the job

Reporting to the Clinical Coding Team Lead, you will be responsible for ensuring accurate, timely, complete, and consistent clinical coding is carried out within strict timescales, using ICD-10 and OPCS-4 classifications, and adhering to the national coding standards and local clinical coding policies of the Trust. You will be required to collect, collate, and code clinical information, occasionally highly complex in nature, covering a wide range of specialities. This may involve coding highly sensitive and emotionally distressing patient medical records.

(*Please refer to the job description and person specification documents for more details on the responsibilities and requirements for this role.)

About us

With a new hospital planned for Watford and work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital, this is an exciting time to join us. We are building on the success of our award-winning virtual hospital and re-imagining models of care, working ever more closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare. Staff wellbeing and development are a priority at our Trust, as is the role of innovation in improving clinical care, outcomes and patient experience. Our vision is Excellent patient care, together and our values are to be empowered, compassionate, professional and inclusive. They capture an important balance across what we must all do as individuals and to support others. We offer a variety of flexible working options as we recognise the importance of a good work life balance. www.westhertshospitals.nhs.uk/flexibleworking If you have a disability or long-term health condition and should you require support or guidance please contact [e-mail] If you are a Service Leaver, Veteran, Military Reserve, Cadet Force Adult Volunteer, or partner/spouse of those serving please tick "Member of the Armed Forces Community" on the application form. We reserve the right to close this advert early due to the volume of applicants. Please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. If you do not hear back within 3 weeks of your application, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Job responsibilities

Ensuring accurate, timely, complete, and consistent clinical coding is carried out within strict timescales, using ICD-10 and OPCS-4 classifications, and adhering to the national coding standards and local clinical coding policies of the Trust.

Collect, collate, and code clinical information, highly complex in nature, covering a wide range of specialities. This may involve coding highly sensitive and emotionally distressing patient medical records.

Maintaining own productivity by ensuring high quality work is done by required timescales.

Liaise with their line manager where necessary to confirm appropriate diagnosis and procedure codes where national guidance is unclear.

Regularly liaise with and update the managers and senior colleagues regarding deficiencies and ambiguity in clinical documentation to facilitate discussions with the clinical teams and other departments to improve the clinical documentation provided for coding purposes.

Raise data quality issues (e.g., inaccurate admission and discharge dates) to the Coding Operations Lead and the Coding Team Lead for resolutionattend and participate in team meetings to ensure knowledge and learning points are received and communicated.

Person Specification

Education and qualifications

• Educated to degree level in human sciences or other human sciences related academic qualification or equivalent specialist occupational experience.
• Successful completion of the NHS Classifications Services Foundation Workshop.
• Clinical Coding Standards Refresher Course within the last 3 years
• National Accredited Clinical Coder Qualification (ACC).
• European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL).

Knowledge

• Excellent knowledge in the application of the rules and conventions of ICD-10 and OPCS-4
• Excellent knowledge of national coding standards and conventions and their relationship to the Healthcare Resource Groups.
• Excellent knowledge of medical terminology, and anatomy and physiology.
• Knowledge of clinical systems like SUNQUEST ICE, ICRIS etc.
• Knowledge of Hospital Patient Administration System (PAS) and Medicode encoder system.
• Knowledge of Microsoft applications e.g., excel, word etc. and keyboard typing skills
• Knowledge of maintaining safety whilst using equipment.
• Knowledge of the importance of confidentiality, Data Protection Act and Caldicott principles
• Knowledge of medical records processes.
• Knowledge of the information governance processes and data flows.
• Knowledge of commissioning requirements including NTPS and HRGs.
• Knowledge of SNOMED CT.

Experience

• Significant experience working as a clinical coder in an acute Trust with in-depth knowledge in coding a wide range of specialities
• Experience producing high quality work consistently, thereby, achieving personal and departmental objectives and goals.
• Experience working with multidisciplinary teams within a health care environment.
• Experience in following policies and guidelines
• Experience working with multidisciplinary teams within a health care environment.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust