Medical Examiner

South Tyneside And Sunderland Nhs Foundation Trust; South Shields; On-site; GBP 114,000 - 151,000; Part time

Job summary

The Medical Examiner will join our established Medical Examiner Office for 1 session per week (Friday am or pm).

The post holder will be an appropriately trained, experienced consultant (or equivalent) who will provide support and guidance to medical staff undertaking death certification and be the primary point of contact for bereaved families who have concerns prior to death. This role will complement the Trusts mortality review process to support learning from deaths.

Qualifications

• Must be registered with a license to practise in the UK by the GMC
• At least three years experience at consultant (or equivalent) level
• Must have been registered as a medical practitioner throughout the previous five years

Responsibilities

• Review the case records of patients who have died within the Trust
• Support doctors writing the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) when natural causes are suspected
• Provide advice on referrals to the coroner
• Scrutinise causes of deaths where an MCCD is to be or has been completed
• Contact next of kin to explain the cause of death in a respectful manner
• Complete Part 2 of the Cremation Form when applicable
• Maintain records of all deaths screened and contribute to mortality data analysis
• Be familiar with the Coroner's role and present complex medical information to assist investigations

Job description

Job summary

We are looking for a Medical Examiner to join our established Medical Examiner Office for 1 session per week (Friday am or pm).

The post holder will be an appropriately trained, experienced consultant (or equivalent) who will provide support and guidance to medical staff undertaking death certification and be the primary point of contact for bereaved families who have any concerns prior to death. In addition, for all in-hospital deaths they may identify cases which would benefit for further review by the Trust Stage 2 Mortality Review Panel or an escalation to the Medical Director for further scrutiny. The Medical Examiner will also complete Part 2 of the Cremation Form, where applicable, and have professional independence when reviewing deaths.

You must be registered with a license to practise in the UK by the GMC, with at least three years experience at consultant (or equivalent) level and must have been registered as a medical practitioner throughout the previous five years as at the date of appointment.

This role will complement the Trusts mortality review process to support the implementation of national guidance on learning from deaths.

Main duties of the job

The Medical Examiner Office currently consists of a Medical Examiners, Lead Medical Examiner Officer and Medical Examiner Officers and is responsible for reviewing all deaths in any health setting that are not investigated by a coroner across South Tyneside and Sunderland.

Main duties of the role include:

• Review the case records of patients who have died within the Trust
• Support those doctors who call for medical advice on suspected natural causes of death when writing the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD).
• Provide advice on the appropriate referral of cases to the coroner
• Scrutinise the causes of deaths where an MCCD is to be or has been completed
• Contact the deceaseds next of kin to explain the cause of death in a transparent, tactful and sympathetic manner, which respects different faith, cultural, ethnic and diversity considerations.
• Complete Part 2 of the Cremation Form, where applicable
• Maintain comprehensive records of all deaths screened and provide input to analysis of mortality data
• Be familiar with the role and function of the Coroner and able to present complex medical information in such a way as to assist the Coroner decide whether to investigate a death about which they have been notified.

About us

One Team One Trust - There are many reasons to work at our Trust. From our commitment to putting people first to our accessible services and award winning teams. We have a passion for research, innovation and tackling inequalities. We are committed to respect, fairness and civility and promote a compassionate, caring and positive culture / working environment.

We welcome all applications irrespective of peoples race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups. Looking after our workforces health and wellbeing is a priority for us. We also provide access to high quality education, training, career progression and support. Flexible working is supported via our Flexible Working Policy.

The Trust employs around 8,746 people and provides a range of hospital services to a local community of around 430,000 residents. We also provide a range of more specialised services outside this area. We offer our staff outstanding benefits - Fitness Centre (SRH), libraries at both hospital sites, chaplaincy support and access to a Care Co-ordinator to help staff with childcare arrangements. If you use AI, and it poses a risk to the integrity of your individual recruitment process, we may withdraw your application at any stage of the process.

Salary: £113,565 to £150,569 a year pro rata for part time - 1 PA per week

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Part-time

Closing date: 29 October 2026

Location: South Tyneside District Hospital, Harton Lane, South Shields, NE34 0PL