Deputy Head of Legal Services - Inquests

NHS; Oxford; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in the UK is seeking a qualified legal professional to manage the Legal Services Department and oversee the inquest process. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in healthcare law and inquest management, alongside strong leadership and communication skills. This role offers the chance to impact patient safety and legal processes within a dynamic team.

Qualifications

• Must be a qualified solicitor, Legal Executive, or Barrister with relevant experience.
• Experienced in inquest management within an NHS Trust or similar environment.
• Significant leadership experience required.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Legal Services Department and Subject Access Request Team.
• Conduct complex coroner's inquests and act as legal advocate.
• Provide expert legal advice on healthcare law.

Skills

Communication

Leadership

Legal Analysis

Management

Education

Qualified solicitor, Legal Executive or Barrister admitted to practice

Degree level education with LPC qualification

Job description

Job Summary

• To deputise for the Head of Legal Services in the management of the Legal Services Department and Subject Access Request Team and to directly line manager the Claims and Inquest Officers;
• To provide cross‑cover for the duties of the Deputy Head of Legal Services – Claims, as required;
• To act as a role model and provide positive, professional and accountable leadership to the legal team;

Role and Leadership

Managing the Legal Services Department and Subject Access Request Team, and directly line‑managing Claims and Inquest Officers, providing accountable leadership to the legal team.

Inquest Management

Independently conducting a portfolio of complex coroner's inquests, acting as legal advocate in court, liaising with coroners, instructing external legal representation, and preparing responses to Regulation 28 reports to ensure compliance and organisational learning.

Patient Safety and Communication

Identifying and escalating patient safety risks from claims or inquests, and providing non‑clinical information to patients and relatives about legal claims and inquest processes.

Policy, Training and Development

Advising on clinical and non‑clinical policies, assisting in legal training development and delivery for staff, researching legal developments, leading inquest case management meetings, and supporting continuous professional development.

About Us

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals – the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. For more information on OUH please view OUH At a Glance by OUHospitals – Issuu.

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.

We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Healthcare Legal Advice: Providing expert legal advice on healthcare law including patient consent, capacity, confidentiality, safeguarding and regulatory matters, and briefing senior management on sensitive legal issues with potential operational or reputational impact.
• Safeguarding Responsibilities: Liaising with safeguarding leads on care proceedings, providing advice on disclosure and statements, supporting staff giving evidence in family courts, and advising on complex legal issues related to the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
• Police and Criminal Cases: Deputising in managing police requests for healthcare records and statements, ensuring compliance with GDPR and confidentiality, liaising with police and security, and advising on legal actions to protect patients and staff during violent or threatening incidents.
• Reporting and Administration: Assisting in preparing claims reports, managing inquest data audits, attending committees, and supporting complaint and incident report reviews, alongside developing operational procedures for efficient inquest management.

Person Specification – Essential

• Must be a qualified solicitor, Legal Executive or Barrister admitted to practice in England and Wales, with relevant post‑qualification experience.
• Educated to degree level with the LPC or equivalent qualification.
• Significant specialist work experience in inquest management within an NHS Trust or similar environment.
• Significant leadership experience, with excellent verbal, written and presentation skills.
• Ability to communicate with a wide range of audiences and establish credibility quickly.
• Ability to analyse and process highly complex facts and information in respect to clinical negligence claims and devise appropriate management strategies.

Person Specification – Desirable

• Previous experience working in health and social care law, beyond the essential NHS claims and inquest management background.
• Experience working in a public sector, legal or insurance environment, especially at a senior level in a large, complex, dynamic organisation.
• Demonstrated experience in staff management, training, teaching, setting objectives and performance management, including holding people to account.
• Knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act and other associated general advice matters.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants applying for entry clearance into the UK have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer Details

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Legal Services, 1st Floor Stable Block

JR Hospital, Osler Road, Headington

Oxford

OX3 9RP

Employer’s website https://www.ouh.nhs.uk/