Trainee Clinical Coder

York And Scarborough Teaching Hospitals Nhs Foundation Trust; York and North Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NHS Pension Scheme

27 days holiday rising to 33 days

Relocation package up to 30% of salary

Learning and development opportunities

Job summary

York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Trainee Clinical Coder to join the Clinical Coding Department. The role is on-site at York Hospital, with dedicated trainers and a clear progression pathway from Band 3 trainee to Band 4 coder.

You will learn to abstract and code patient information, developing skills in ICD-10/OPCS-4 and data quality, while adapting to new digital tools and systems.

Qualifications

• GCSE English and Maths at Grade 4 or equivalent.
• Willingness to undertake in-depth clinical coding training.
• Desirable: completed clinical coding standards course.

Responsibilities

• Learn to abstract, analyse and translate patient information into coded data following national standards.
• Support coding accuracy, data quality and timely completion of coding tasks.
• Engage in training, audits and improvements within the coding team.
• Use Trust applications and digital tools, including EPR and Microsoft 365.

Skills

Attention to detail

Keyboard skills

IT literacy

Communication of complex information

Education

GCSE English and Maths (Grade 4)

Tools

NHS IT systems

ICD-10/OPCS-4 knowledge (desirable)

Job description

Job overview

Please Note: This role is initially based on-site, working from our York Hospital office.

Would you like to join a team committed to excellence, inclusivity and wellbeing, with flexible working options and a clear development pathway to help progress your career?

We are seeking a motivated individual with strong attention to detail to join our established Clinical Coding Department at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a Trainee Clinical Coder.

This is an entry-level post, where you will be based on-site during your training. You will be supported by dedicated trainers, auditors and experienced clinical coders as you learn internal and national coding guidance and develop the skills to abstract, analyse and translate patient information into coded data, to meet strict deadlines.

We offer flexible working patterns, including compressed hours, to support work/life balance. Our structured pathway allows progression from Band 3 Trainee Clinical Coder to Band 4 Clinical Coder once you have gained the necessary skills. When ready, you will be entered for the National Clinical Coding Qualification and, on passing, become an Accredited Clinical Coder with the opportunity to progress to Band 5. Leadership roles within the department also offer long-term career development.

If you are looking for a role that offers comprehensive training, development, autonomy, flexibility and the chance to thrive in a supportive team, we’d love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

The Clinical Coding Department sits within Y&S Digital and provides a timely, accurate service to the Trust. In this role, you will learn to abstract, analyse and translate patient record information into coded data for all in-patient episodes, following national standards and NHS Digital best practice. This requires sound judgement and close attention to detail. You will also build knowledge of ICD-10 and OPCS-4, take part in training and audit activity, and support improvements in coding accuracy and data quality.

You will use a range of digital systems, including bespoke Trust applications, so good IT skills and confidence adapting to new technology are essential.

Digital tools will play an increasing role in this post. The Trust’s roll‑out of its new EPR solution, Nervecentre, alongside Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Teams and emerging AI-supported tools, will shape how we deliver complete, accurate and timely coded clinical data. Openness to new ways of working and some familiarity with digital tools will therefore be advantageous.

The department works to strict deadlines, so you must organise your workload effectively. You will work closely with coding colleagues, contribute to the success of the wider team, and liaise with other services and healthcare professionals, making effective communication skills essential.

Working for our organisation

Our benefits

• Access to the NHS Pension Scheme, providing generous benefits upon retirement, as well as a lump sum and pension for dependants
• 27 days holiday rising to 33 days (depending on NHS Trust service)
• A generous relocation package of up to 30% of salary (capped at £18k) to support with relocation expenses for hard to fill positions where relocation would be an expectation to undertake the role fully.
• A variety of different types of paid and unpaid leave covering emergency and planned leave
• Confidential advice and support on personal, work, family and relationship issues, 24/7, from our Employee Assistance Programme
• NHS Car Lease scheme and Cycle to Work scheme
• An extensive range of learning and development opportunities
• Discounts on restaurants, getaways, shopping, motoring, cinema and finance from a range of providers

For further information on the fantastic range of benefits we offer please visit the Trust's dedicated Staff Benefits pages.

Working for the Trust

Across our organisation, people are guided by values that were co-developed with staff: we are kind; we are open; and we pursue excellence.

Our values play into our ambition to develop a more diverse workforce, truly representative of our communities. We welcome applications from everyone, while working with our Staff Networks - including our Race Equality, LGBTQ+, Disability and Carers Networks - to increase the number of applications we receive from different backgrounds.

As part of seeking to become more inclusive, we will consider requests for flexible working from the start of your employment. It may not be suitable for every role, but we will try and be supportive where we can.

Armed Forces Friendly Employer

We are holders of the Gold Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, which is helping actively promote SaBRE - Supporting Britain’s Reservists and Employers. This means that we have made a statement of intent to support all Defence personnel, including with applications for employment.

Person specification

Education, Qualifications and Training

Essential criteria

• GCSE or equivalent level education with Grade 4 in English and Maths
• Willing to undergo in-depth clinical coding training

Desirable criteria

• Has completed clinical coding standards course

Experience and Knowledge Required

Essential criteria

• Understanding of clinical coding

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology terminology
• Able to abstract clinical terminology
• Knowledge of UK clinical coding classifications
• Previous NHS experience

Skills and Attributes

Essential criteria

• Able to participate in complex, intense prolonged training programmes with wide knowledge base
• Can organise and prioritise own workload and use initiative
• Can work under pressure to meet deadlines
• Understanding of patient confidentiality and good information governance practice
• Keyboard skills

Values & Behaviours

Essential criteria

• Ability to demonstrate our organisational values and behaviours: We are Kind. We are Open. We pursue Excellence.

Aptitude and Personal Qualities

Essential criteria

• good interpersonal skills and can communicate complex clinical information
• Excellent attention to detail