Clinical Coding Specialist

Merseywestlancs; Knowsley; On-site; GBP 32,073 - 39,043; Full time

Job summary

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (MWL) is recruiting an experienced Clinical Coding Specialist to support the centralised coding team across sites. The role involves coding across all specialties using ICD-10 and OPCS4, ensuring data accuracy and adherence to national guidelines.

You will mentor junior coders, coordinate with clinicians, and help maintain high standards of clinical data for tariff and reporting.

Qualifications

• ACC Accredited Clinical Coding Qualification (ACC).
• Degree level education or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Code across all specialties using ICD-10 and OPCS4.
• Enter coding onto the Trust's PAS in a timely manner.
• Mentor and educate junior coders.
• Collaborate with clinicians to ensure national coding standards.
• Produce summary reports for coding reviews.
• Plan workload to meet team objectives.

Skills

ICD-10 coding

OPCS4 coding

Data quality

Clinical coding

Mentoring

Education

ACC

Degree or equivalent

Tools

HRG Grouper

Encoding software

Job description

We want talented and enthusiastic people from all backgrounds to join #TeamMWL, with us you can learn, grow and develop yourself and your career, realising your true ambitions and aspirations.

Whatever you’re looking for in your career, you’ll find it here at MWL.

Main area Clinical Coding Grade NHS AfC: Band 5 Contract Permanent: Fully remote working available Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 409-7759787-B

Site Whiston Hospital Town Prescot Salary £32,073 - £39,043 Per Annum Salary period Yearly Closing 21/08/2026 23:59

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third‑party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website, and furthermore, as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e‑mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. By applying for this post you are agreeing to "name of trust" transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are appointed to a post information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Job overview

CLINICAL CODING SPECIALIST

Are you an experienced ACC Clinical Coder looking for an exciting development and progression opportunity? Find out more below!

We are looking to recruit highly motivated and enthusiastic Specialist Clinical Coders to join our Trust to support the department in achieving mandated reporting and financial requirements, whilst also having the opportunity to progress professionally. You will be working in a large team alongside other coders and additionally with other specialist coders as part of a more expert team sharing knowledge and providing assistance to less experienced coders.

The post holder will be responsible for coding across all specialities at the Trust and will work as part of the centralised coding team with coding offices on two sites. As the Trust supports a positive work/life balance, coders can choose where they work:

• On site full time
• Hybrid work approach (home and office based)
• Fully remote (an on‑site presence is expected for business needs such as certain training, equipment failure etc).

This will ensure that staff can build and maintain relationships with other team members - the existing team work successfully mainly from home.

R&R is also offered to ACC qualified coders.

Main duties of the job

To work closely with the Clinical Coding Delivery Team Manager to support the delivery of and ongoing improvement to clinical documentation and accurate clinically coded data. To advise on data recording practises to ensure clinical coding accurately reflects inpatient care delivered.Undertake clinical coding validationhighlighting training and data quality issues to the Clinical Coding Trainer and Clinical Coding Auditor.

Act as a support to the Clinical Coding Delivery Team Manager to facilitate contact with designated Divisions or specialties and communicate complex coding issues to medical and non‑medical staff on coding queries and National coding standards to ensure accuracy and consistency of information.

To analyse and abstract diagnostic and procedural information from patient records across all specialties.

To translate diagnostic and procedural information using ICD‑10 and OPCS and enter coding onto the Trusts PAS via encoding softwarein an accurate and timely manner adhering to the Trust’s deadlines.

Act as a mentor and assist in the education of less experienced clinical coders. Ensure accuracy and completeness of the clinical coding to national clinical coding requirements. To work with clinicians on a regular basis to validate clinically coded data.

Working for our organisation

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9,000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.

Our Services:

Acute Care

Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care

Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services

Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services

We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To operate on own initiative referring more complex cases to the Clinical Coding Delivery Team Manager for advice.
• To act in the capacity of coding expert and provides advice to junior team members on coding queries ensuring adherence to national clinical coding guidelines.
• Responsible for the Knowledge Skills Framework appraisal process for Senior Clinical Coding staff in line with Trust policy.
• Assign codes from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD10) and the Office of Populations and Censuses and Surveys (OPCS4) applying National and International rules to agreed standards.
• Responsible for the accurate entry of clinical coding against inpatient activity for the Specialty/Division.
• Use a variety of knowledge resources to translate procedures where the coding process does not fully apply.
• Responsible for summary reports for coding reviews undertaken.
• Participate in Departmental meetings and present the results of relevant reviews.
• Demonstrate good presentation skills to colleagues, the multi‑disciplinary team and clinicians.
• Assist the Clinical Coding Delivery Team Manager to coordinate engagement between Clinical Coders, Clinicians and Management for Divisions.
• Responsible for planning own workload to ensure that the objectives of the whole team are achieved.
• Maintain a professional standard of behaviour with all Trust staff.
• Take responsibility for keeping up‑to‑date with current issues and developments within the coding department.
• Participate in creating an environment conducive to the acquisition of further knowledge and skills.
• To take every reasonable opportunity to maintain and improve your professional knowledge and competence.
• Assist the Clinical Coding Delivery Team Manager to work with Divisional Managers, Operational Teams and Clinicians to improve and sustain accurate clinical data recording to support clinical coding to National Standards.
• Raises clinical coding issues with the Clinical Coding Delivery Team Manager and Clinical Coding Trainer.
• Undertake clinical coding reviews as agreed with the Clinical Coding Trainer and Audit Manager and the Division.
• Identify key areas impacting on HRG assignment and tariff making recommendations to the Clinical Coding Clinical Coding Delivery Team Manager.
• Work with the Clinical Coding Delivery Team Manager to identify key areas for clinical coding review.
• Plan meetings with Senior Clinicians as and when necessary to undertake review of clinical information where queries have been raised.
• To validate complex clinical data and procedures with Clinicians in order to assure depth of coding for accurate payment.
• Possess motivation and persuasion skills and uses these with Senior Clinical Coders, Management and Clinicians to achieve high quality information and clinical coding.
• Participate in complex audits of their own work and supports the audits of other clinical coders.
• Analyse external audit reports and recommend to the Clinical Coding Manager, Clinical Coding Delivery Team Manager and Divisions any corrective measures that need to be put in place to improve data quality and clinical coding outcomes.
• Supports the Clinical Coding Delivery Team Manager on obtaining clarification on new interventional procedures and clinical practice within the Divisional specialties to ensure correct understanding for code assignment cascading this information.
• Raise anomalies within the HRG Grouper to the Clinical Coding Delivery Team Manager and National Casemix Service to support accuracy in income reimbursement through the NTPS.
• To liaise with clinicians and their support staff concerning interpretation of case notes documentation affecting coding.
• To prioritise Senior Clinical Coders workload and reallocate work to cover sickness or leave at short notice.
• To work with the Clinical Coding Delivery Team Manager to ensure all coding timescales are met and ensure that Senior Clinical Coders meet their targets.

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• To maintain own high standards of clinical coding accuracy and productivity.
• To participate in ongoing clinical coding training to meet national standards and Trust Requirements.
• Ensure own coding skills are kept up to date.
• To take responsibility for developing and pursuing his/her own professional development skills in accordance with an agreed PDP.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• To validate the hospital admission details on the EPR system against the information in the casenotes. To report any details found to be incorrect to the Data Quality Team and to highlight areas of concern with information in the casenotes.

TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure all staff managed receive individual appraisals in line with Trust policy, including formulation of personal development plans (PDPs), and that identified training and personal development are progressed.
• Actively assist staff to further develop their coding skills by supporting the delivery of agreed objectives during staff appraisals.
• Participate in creating an environment conducive to the acquisition of further knowledge and skills.
• To act in the capacity of coding expert and provide advice to junior team members on coding queries ensuring adherence to national clinical coding guidelines.
• Attend local mandatory training and ensure Clinical Coding team staff receive updates in line with Trust policies.
• Demonstrates good presentation skills to colleagues, the multi‑disciplinary team and clinicians.

LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• To effectively manage the day‑to‑day supervision of the Clinical Coding team providing professional, technical, guidance and motivation.
• To supervise the workload, priorities and resources of the team to be able to meet the demands upon it and ensure achievement of the highest standards of service.
• To identify training needs and help staff development.
• Attend and actively participate in departmental meetings.

RESEARCH & AUDIT

• Undertake clinical coding reviews as agreed with the Clinical Coding Training and Audit Manager and the Division.
• Participate in complex audits of their own work and supports the audits of other clinical coders.

Person specification

Other

• Flexible approach to work
• Ability to travel across the various sites of the Trust

Knowledge, Experience and Skills

• Knowledge of National Tariff Payment System
• Knowledge of inpatient and outpatient coding process
• Knowledge of data protection legislation, Caldicott and other relevant guidance
• Knowledge of SNOMED CT
• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Ability to exercise initiative and produce required results
• Self‑reliant and able to deal with a high degree of ambiguity
• Planning, organising workload to meet deadlines
• Effective interpersonal skills to liaise with consultants, clinical and administration staff on issues of clinical coding and the associated administrative process
• Excellent IT skills including use of Microsoft applications
• Excellent concentration skills with attention to detail
• Excellent medical terminology, anatomy and physiology knowledge
• Experience of working with clinicians and/or senior staff
• Experience of undertaking presentations relating to clinical coding
• Broad experience of clinical coding a minimum of 5 specialties
• Experience of the HRG Grouper
• Experience of clinical coding audits

Qualifications

• Excellent standard of education
• Accredited Clinical Coding Qualification (ACC)
• Degree level education or equivalent experience

Thank you for considering an application to work for Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust. MWL is an exciting and forward‑thinking NHS Trust who are one of the best places to work for in England.

Given sometimes we receive a high volume of applications to work for us, please be aware, that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated should a sufficient number of applications be received from which a shortlist can be confirmed. Therefore, you are advised to apply at your earliest convenience.

The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience. We always aim for continuous improvement in our practice.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under‑represented groups.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

If you are having difficulty completing an online application, or require any disability reasonable adjustments, to the application process, please contact [e-mail]

We also commit to offering an interview to all armed forces veterans who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

The Trust operates anonymous shortlisting where no personal information about you, including your name or personal details are shared with the recruiting manager. No equality information is shared at any time during the recruitment process with the recruiting manager or other people involved in the decision‑making process.

The equality monitoring information you provide is used in the following situations: to review our recruitment practices; where a job is limited to a specific person to verify their eligibility to apply; and to offer disability reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please click here to check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorship.

eVisa Update

For successful candidates on selected work and study visa routes, who have completed and paid for their applications will no longer receive a visa vignette in passport as evidence of their permission to enter the UK.

Instead, you will be issued with an eVisa only, which is accessed by creating a UKVI account.

Before travelling to the UK, we advise applicants to:

• Understand how to generate an eVisa share code

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

If this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 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.

Please note if applicable, applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment.

If you have not already done so, you are therefore encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service to which a small annual fee of £13 per year applies.

Flexible Working

We actively support flexible working patterns throughout MWL. Changes made to the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook mean that:

• All employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment.
• There is no limit on the number of requests they can make.
• Employees have the right to make requests, have them considered, regardless of the reason.

At Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, we will consider requests for flexible working. We would also encourage you to also discuss flexible working options at interview stage.

Working for Team MWL

Staff recognition is especially important to us; as well as performance reviews and appraisals, we recognise staff through Employee of the month. Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.

The Trust is a non‑smoking across all our sites. Failure to follow this rule could lead to disciplinary action. For more information, see the Smoke Free NHS website.

You will be expected to undertake the Trust’s commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

You must ensure that your application, including personal statements and behaviour examples, are truthful and factual. Please note plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

The Trust will not accept applications which are found to be AI generated and will check all applications against AI detection software.

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trusts Values and Behaviours which are We are KIND, We are OPEN, We are INCLUSIVE, which can be found here .

An applicant guide to help and support you with your application and what to expect during your recruitment journey can be accessed in the supporting documents.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team MWL very soon.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.