Medical Examiner Officer

NHS; Blackburn; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in Blackburn is looking for a compassionate Medical Examiner Officer to support medical examiners in scrutinising circumstances of death. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree, experience in emotional situations, and strong interpersonal skills. Join a dedicated team committed to delivering high-quality care and supporting bereaved families.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field is essential.
• Experience working with bereaved families or in emotional contexts.
• Strong knowledge of clinical/medical terminology.

Responsibilities

• Support medical examiners in scrutinising circumstances of death.
• Acting as a liaison for families and healthcare professionals.
• Perform preliminary reviews of medical records.

Skills

Communication skills with empathy

Interpersonal skills

Ability to work in sensitive situations

Teamwork

Knowledge of medical terminology

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Job description

Job Overview

The candidate we are seeking will be a highly motivated, dedicated and innovative individual, working alongside the Medical Examiners to scrutinise all deaths at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.

You will demonstrate excellent knowledge of medical terminology as you review patient notes, alongside previous experience of working with bereaved relatives in any setting. You will be working collaboratively with a wide range of staff, and be confident in working under your own initiative to prioritise your workload accordingly.

Join us and you will have the opportunity to further support bereaved families and improve patient safety in a responsive and fluid service that adapts to the needs of our hospitals, communities and workforce. Demonstrating natural curiosity and empathy you will support the Medical Examiners in their role of scrutinising the circumstances and causes of death for our patients.

To succeed, you'll need to be committed to delivering high‑quality care, with compassion and respect, have excellent interpersonal skills and be able to provide evidence of personal and professional development. You’ll also be part of a fantastic and dedicated team that supports each other and operates with consideration and dignity at all times.

Previous applicants need not apply.

Main Duties

The Medical Examiner Service has been designed to oversee and support many aspects of the death certification process, providing an independent layer of scrutiny, improving the quality of certification and explaining the cause of death to the bereaved, allowing them to raise any concerns.

The MEO will work with medical examiners to aid them in their responsibility for overseeing the death certification process for deceased patients in East Lancashire.

They will establish the circumstances of individual patient deaths by performing a preliminary review of medical records to identify clinical and circumstantial information, sourcing additional details where required, for scrutiny by the medical examiner. This role is essential for efficient functioning of the Medical Examiner service.

The MEO will assist in highlighting cases for assessment by the Mortality Faculty, Structured Judgment Reviews (SJR), Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP), Clinical Governance teams and the Learning Disability Review Teams (LeDeR).

They will assist in referral of patients to the coroner for further investigation on approval by the medical examiner.

Responsibilities

• Working alongside other MEOs to support medical examiners in scrutinising the circumstances and causes of death in accordance with current legislation.
• Acting as a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals, registration services and the coroners office.
• Establishing the circumstances of individual patient deaths by performing a preliminary review of medical records to identify clinical and circumstantial information, sourcing additional details where required, for scrutiny by the medical examiner.

Qualifications – Essential

• Educated to a Bachelor’s degree level or equivalent working knowledge in related field.
• A commitment to lifelong learning and undertaking personal development opportunities.
• The ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including the recently bereaved.
• Experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations.
• General knowledge of clinical/medical terminology.
• Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism with all stakeholders.
• Ability to work as part of a team and organise fluctuating workload around competing priorities.

Qualifications – Desirable

• Completed e‑learning MEO core training modules.
• Experience working in a healthcare setting with multidisciplinary teams across organisational boundaries.
• Knowledge of the special requirements of various faith groups and respect for equality and diversity of issues around formalities following a death.
• Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2009 reference to the medical examiner system. Full understanding of the medical examiner system operational remit when incorporated within Bereavement Services or as a stand‑alone office.
• Competence in the use of IT software systems and handling sensitive personal identifiable data.

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.

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 or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement.

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.

Employer Details

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

Royal Blackburn Hospital
Haslingden Road
Blackburn
BB2 3HH