Medical Examiner Officer

EAST LANCASHIRE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in East Lancashire is seeking a Medical Examiner Officer to oversee the death certification process. The ideal candidate should be educated to at least Bachelor's degree level and possess strong communication and interpersonal skills. This position involves working with medical examiners, assisting with sensitive cases, and providing guidance to bereaved families. It's a critical role requiring empathy and professional collaboration in a healthcare environment.

Qualifications

• Educated to Bachelor's degree level or equivalent working knowledge in a related field.
• A commitment to lifelong learning and undertaking personal development opportunities.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including the recently bereaved.

Responsibilities

• Assist in establishing the circumstances of individual patient deaths by performing a preliminary review of medical records.
• Work with medical examiners to oversee the death certification process.
• Highlight cases for assessment by various oversight bodies.
• Act as a point of contact and source of advice for relatives and other stakeholders.

Skills

Lifelong learning commitment

Effective communication

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Overview

The Medical Examiner (MEO) Service oversees and supports the death certification process, providing independent scrutiny, improving the quality of certification and explaining the cause of death to the bereaved, allowing concerns to be raised. The MEO will work with medical examiners to oversee 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 to allow the efficient functioning of the Medical Examiner service. The MEO will assist in highlighting cases for assessment by the Mortality Faculty, Structured Judgement 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. Working alongside other MEOs to support medical examiners in their role in scrutinising the circumstances and causes of death in accordance with current legislation. To be a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals, registration services and the coroner's office.

Responsibilities

• Assist in establishing the circumstances of individual patient deaths by performing a preliminary review of medical records and sourcing additional details for scrutiny by the medical examiner.
• Work with medical examiners to oversee the death certification process for deceased patients in East Lancashire.
• Highlight cases for assessment by the Mortality Faculty, Structured Judgement Reviews (SJR), CDOP, Clinical Governance teams and LeDeR.
• Assist in the referral of patients to the coroner for further investigation on approval by the medical examiner.
• Collaborate with other MEOs to support medical examiners in scrutinising the circumstances and causes of death in line with current legislation.
• Act as a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals, registration services and the coroner's office.

Qualifications and skills

• Educated to Bachelor\'s degree level or equivalent working knowledge in a related field.
• A commitment to lifelong learning and undertaking personal development opportunities.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including the recently bereaved.

Desirable criteria

• Completed e-learning MEO core training modules and experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations.
• General knowledge of clinical/medical terminology.
• Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2009 reference to the medical examiner system and its operational remit within Bereavement Services or as a stand-alone office.
• Strong interpersonal skills with empathy and professionalism when communicating with all stakeholders.
• Ability to work as part of a team and organise fluctuating workload around competing priorities.
• Competent in the use of IT software systems and handling sensitive personally identifiable data.

About East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

At East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust our vision is to be widely recognised for providing safe, personal and effective care. We currently provide high quality services and treat over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and the surrounding area. We employ over 9,500 staff, many of whom are internationally renowned and have won awards for their work. The Trust is an equal opportunities employer, committed to improving the working lives of our staff and operates a "Zero Tolerance" policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment. We welcome applications from all parts of the community and are committed to diversity and inclusion.