Deputy Head of Legal Services - Inquests | Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Oxford; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A major NHS teaching trust in Cambridge is seeking a dedicated Head of Legal Services to oversee the Legal Services Department. This role involves managing a team, providing expert legal advice on healthcare law, and conducting complex coroner’s inquests. Candidates must have a law degree and strong leadership skills. The position emphasizes delivering compassionate and excellent legal services.

Qualifications

• Must independently conduct complex coroner’s inquests.
• Experience in providing legal advice on healthcare law.
• Ability to liaise with multiple stakeholders including coroners and police.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Legal Services Department and manage a team.
• Conduct complex legal cases and provide expert advice.
• Ensure compliance with legal standards and regulations.

Skills

Leadership

Healthcare law expertise

Communication

Risk management

Education

Law degree

Job description

• 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

The post involves deputising for the Head of Legal Services, 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

The role requires 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.

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.

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 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.

This advert closes on Tuesday 2 Dec 2025.