Clinical Mortality & Learning from Deaths Lead

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust; Worthing; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading healthcare trust in Worthing is seeking a senior clinician to lead the Learning from Deaths team. This part-time position focuses on improving patient care through mortality reviews, requiring strong communication, analytical skills, and a background in clinical leadership. Applicants should have a minimum of five years’ experience in a substantive Consultant role. The role promotes innovation and inclusivity, aiming to enhance the quality of patient safety. Applications are encouraged as the position may close early due to high interest.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Comprehensive wellbeing programme

Supportive work environment

Qualifications

• Proven track record in utilising learning from mortality reviews to improve patient care.
• Experience in overseeing quality improvement projects leading to improved care.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic direction and develop the Learning from Deaths Programme.
• Ensure lessons are learned from patient deaths to improve safety and care.
• Collaborate with various teams for a comprehensive approach to mortality.

Skills

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Leadership skills

Interpersonal skills

Ability to work autonomously

Education

Minimum five years’ experience in substantive Consultant role

Tools

Word

Excel

Outlook

Job description

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a senior clinician to lead our Learning from Deaths team. We are looking for an inspiring, motivated individual, with a proven track record in utilising learning from mortality reviews to improve patient care.

The successful candidate will possess strong communication and analytical skills, as well as the ability to engage internal and external stakeholders.

This role, which will be a part time 2 PA post, is pivotal to the Trust’s objective of delivering excellent care every time through adherence to the National Quality Board's framework for Learning from Deaths. This role and the established Learning from Deaths team will work in partnership under the direction of the to the Chief Medical Officer.

Main duties of the job

• To lead on strategic direction and jointly manage the development of the Learning from Deaths Programme with the Chief Medical Officer.
• To provide clinical leadership for all areas related to mortality.
• To ensure that lessons are learned from patient deaths to improve patient safety and care. This includes developing and implementing processes for reviewing deaths, analysing trends and sharing those learnings with relevant clinical teams.
• To possess strong communication and analytical skills, as well as the ability to work with sensitive information and engage with internal and external stakeholders.

Working for our organisation

At UHSussex (UHSx), diversity is our strength, & we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness & experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, & can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) & a Veteran Aware Trust.

We treat our patients & staff with the same compassion & empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above & beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our candidate information pack & wellbeing programme, for staff which is extensive & designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching & training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us & throughout your career we will help you to grow & develop. We hope that in choosing UHSx you are choosing a long & happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make & feel valued for all that you do.

We look forward to receiving your application & the start of your journey with UHSx.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The clinical duties of the post include the following :

• To provide effective clinical leadership in all areas related to mortality, in conjunction with the Medical Director for Quality and Safety and Chief Medical Officer.
• To chair the Structured Judgement Mortality Review Panel and ensure that themes and trends arising from these are collated and escalated / investigated appropriately, including attending / presenting cases at the Mortality & Morbidity Surveillance Group.
• To chair the Mortality & Morbidity Surveillance Group and elevate any matters arising to the Clinical Outcomes & Health Inequalities Group.
• To ensure that SHMI outlier diagnosis groups / HSMR cusum alerts are appropriately investigated, acting on the SOP to ensure a robust process for undertaking deep dives.
• To develop relationships with others outside the Trust including community care and ambulance service to ensure a collaborative approach to mortality.
• To work with the Learning from Deaths team, Bereavement team and Medical Examiners office to provide a robust, family focused approach to learning from deaths.
• To ensure a robust, Trustwide approach to learning from deaths through the specialty mortality and morbidity meetings, Divisional Quality & Safety Boards and any other suitable opportunities.
• To work with the specialty Quality and Patient Safety Leads to review deaths in a timely manner and all related coding information.
• To contribute to the Quality Governance Steering Group reports, the annual report to Quality Assurance Committee, Quality Account and other committees as appropriate.
• To build strong relationships with the multi-disciplinary team for reviews, Structured Judgement Reviews (SJR) and learning from deaths.
• To work with the Chief Medical Officer, Medical Director for Quality and Safety and Director of Clinical Outcomes & Effectiveness to support Quality Improvement using the Patient First Trust Strategy and Improvement programme.
• To support meetings with bereaved families who have requested sight of mortality reviews following a patient’s death.
• To work with clinical teams to identify and develop quality improvement work / mortality reduction strategies across the Trust.
• To work with Clinical Leads and Coding teams to improve the quality of mortality coding, including capture of comorbidities.
• To use outputs of the mortality review process to influence quality and safety priorities within the Trust and training for staff.
• To facilitate learning through differing modes of communication to enable all staff regardless of grade or role to understand both the importance and their ability to improve patient care.
• To encourage care pathway development & multi-disciplinary working within and across clinical areas, within and across Directorates.
• To contribute to multi-organisational initiatives to tackle the health inequalities experienced by people with a serious mental illness or learning disability.
• To brief the Board and Executives on levels of avoidable harm and themes emerging from structured judgement reviews and mortality alerts through structured reporting.
• To enable and support compliance with all relevant CQC, NHS Resolution and National Quality Board standards and any subsequent legislative requirement or other standard or national guidance relevant to Learning from Deaths.
• To participate in national communities of practice to enable the Mortality Teams to be effective and learn from each other.
• To contribute to the design and delivery of strategic Learning from Deaths events.
• To lead and support Divisional Quality and Patient Safety Leads, as a subject matter expert, to facilitate effective Learning from Deaths processes in line with Trust policy. This includes effective and innovative ways of delivering and facilitating local and Trust-wide Learning from Deaths initiatives for staff, trainees and students.
• To ensure the development of a pool of expertise in Learning from Deaths and Structured Judgement Review methodology.
• To work effectively with clinical leads and the Mortality & Learning from Deaths Lead, to ensure coherent delivery and most efficient use of resources.
• To ensure current and future NHS and Learning from Deaths policy is implemented within the Trust.
• To ensure close links with the National Regional ME and MEO are maintained, in conjunction with the Lead MEO / Medical Examiner.
• Interviews are tentatively planned to take place on 19 December 2025 and applicants will be informed of any changes accordingly.

Person specification

Planning and Organisational

Desirable criteria

• Change Management Skills
• Business and service planning skills

Financial Skills

Essential criteria

• Analytical and numeracy skills

Desirable criteria

• Financial management skills

Learning & Mortality Reviews

Essential criteria

• Proven track record in utilising learning from mortality reviews to improve patient care

Desirable criteria

• Experience of delivering Quality Improvement Project leading to improvements in patient care

Supervisory & HR Management Skills

Essential criteria

• Strong Leadership skills
• Ability to develop others

Desirable criteria

• Performance Management skills

Freedom to Act

Essential criteria

• Ability to work autonomously, liaise and coordinate with colleagues on a day to day basis and to take appropriate action as necessary
• Identify and adhere to best practice
• Responsible for own professional actions and have sufficient autonomy for the delivery of the role
• Able to interpret national and local guidance and to develop local policies to reflect these standards

Personal Attributes

Essential criteria

• High level of self-awareness, and openness to self-improvement
• Demonstrates behaviours and attitudes that support the Trust’s mission and value

Clinical

Essential criteria

• Minimum five years’ experience in substantive Consultant role
• Significant evidence of success in a Consultant leadership role
• Recognition of outstanding achievement in a Consultant leadership role
• Understanding of clinical risk management

Desirable criteria

• Experience of mortality reviews
• Previous experience in Clinical Lead role
• Breadth of experience in and outside specialty
• Specialist interest in reducing mortality and harm
• Understanding of the provision and delivery of health care services, and of the Government’s strategy and plans for modernising health care.

Non Clinical

Desirable criteria

• Business / service planning in management or educational role
• Management of Human Resource issues
• Operational management experience

Communication and interpersonal skills

Essential criteria

• Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills
• Experience of building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Written and verbal communications

Desirable criteria

• Enhanced training / qualification in communication
• Recognition (Star Award / other plaudit) for multidisciplinary team working / engagement with stakeholders

Analytical skills

Essential criteria

• Excellent analytical and / or statistical skills
• Environmental and political awareness

Desirable criteria

• Experience of using data to improve patient care
• Service improvement skills

Information and Communication Technology Skills

Essential criteria

• Computer and keyboard skills : to include Word, Excel and Outlook.

Important information for applicants

A Note on AI Use in Applications

We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.

Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.

Closing Adverts Early

In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.

Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.

Flexible Working

Flexible Working : If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting / line manager.

DBS Checks

DBS Checks : As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check . We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.

Skilled Worker Visa

Skilled Worker Visa : Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.

UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications