Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust

Trainee Clinical Coder

The closing date is 28 September 2025

Job summary

Are you looking to start a new exciting career or perhaps a change of profession within the NHS?

Do you have an interest in anatomy & physiology and medical terminology?

Do you want to learn & gain a professional qualification?

Do you have excellent analytical skills & can demonstrate a high level of attention to detail?

If your answer is yes to all of the above, then this could be the career for you!

An exciting opportunity has arisen for three Trainee Clinical Coders to join our friendly, dedicated Clinical Coding Team at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust in Truro, Cornwall.

We have 3 full time posts available & can offer a flexible, hybrid work environment.

At the start of your training pathway you will attend a national clinical coding standards course which will give you the basics in coding. As your experience builds through our in-house training programme you will take an internal assessment before you sit your accredited clinical coding exam which will accelerate you towards band 4 once all band 4 job description requirements are signed off.

You must be an adaptable, resilient person with a methodical approach & high attention to detail who is able to work within deadlines and timescales. Good verbal & written communication skills, interpersonal skills are also essential requirements.

Successful candidates will attend a 25-day National Clinical Coding Standards course & have a personal commitment to continued professional development.

Main duties of the job

The role involves extracting relevant information from patient records, discussing queries with clinicians or other clinical coding team members and then translating the diagnoses, procedures and interventions into clinicalcodes using national classifications (ICD10 & OPCS4), adhering to all national standards and conventions.

The information Clinical Coders produce is used to report on patient outcomes, improve patient care and ensure the Trust is appropriately paid for the treatments provided to patients admitted to hospital.

Assign clinical codes using the Patient Administration System (PAS) and a clinical coding Encoder.

Working to deadlines and set timeframes.

You will be able to work with a variety of staff ranging from Clinicians, Commissioning, Performance and Business Intelligence, Data Quality, Medical Records, Ward Clerks and other areas within the Trust.

About us

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) is the main provider of acute and specialist care services in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We serve a population of around 500,000 people - a figure that can increase significantly with

visitors during the busiest times of the year. We employ approximately 6,700 staff and have a budget of approximately £580 million.

We are a teaching hospital in partnership with the University of Exeter Medical School, University of Plymouth School of Nursing and Midwifery, and Peninsula Dental School.

The Knowledge Spa on the Royal Cornwall Hospital site is the base for medical and nursing as well as ongoing education for health professions in clinical and non-clinical roles.

Keeping at the forefront of medical advances, we are continually developing our clinical services as well as our facilities and are committed to maximising the range of specialist care that can be offered locally. Allied to this is a growing reputation for research and innovation.

Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust is a research active organisation.

It's established South West Clinical School in Cornwall exists to promote clinical academic career opportunities for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals interested in research and evidence-based activities. Read their research paper to find out more.

Website: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/clinical-schools/royal-cornwall-hospitals-nhs-trust-clinical-school

https://doi.org/10.1177/17449871231209037

Details

Date posted

03 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

156-7422848

Job locations

Royal Cornwall Hospital

Truro

TR1 3LJ


Job description

Job responsibilities

PLEASE NOTE: To view the full Job Description and Person Specification, please click the supporting document on the right-hand side.

To be an employee of the NHS you need to successfully complete the following:

Identity Checks

Professional registration and qualification checks

Employment history and reference checks

Occupational Health clearance

Satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check

Right to work in the UK

For further information please visit:

https://www.nhsemployers.org/topics-networks/employment-standards-and-regulation

We reserve the right to close this advert early.

We may be able to offer flexible working. Please discuss at interview.

Job description

Job responsibilities

PLEASE NOTE: To view the full Job Description and Person Specification, please click the supporting document on the right-hand side.

To be an employee of the NHS you need to successfully complete the following:

Identity Checks

Professional registration and qualification checks

Employment history and reference checks

Occupational Health clearance

Satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check

Right to work in the UK

For further information please visit:

https://www.nhsemployers.org/topics-networks/employment-standards-and-regulation

We reserve the right to close this advert early.

We may be able to offer flexible working. Please discuss at interview.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Minimum of 5 GCSE passes at grade 4 or above or equivalent, must include Maths, English & Science.
  • ECDL or firm undertaking to obtain.
  • Must be prepared to undertake the National Clinical Coding Qualification.

Experience

Essential

  • Good Keyboard Skills.

Desirable

  • PAS Basic Module.
  • Windows Packages.

Skills

Essential

  • Proven communication skills.
  • Methodical, analytical, accurate & numerate.
  • Excellent organisational and problem-solving skills.
  • Able to prioritise and manage own workload.
  • Manual handling.
  • Own initiative.
  • Team working.
  • Resilience.
  • Good attention to detail.
  • Working to deadlines/timescales.
  • Ability to concentrate for long periods of time.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of Anatomy, Physiology and Medical Terminology.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Minimum of 5 GCSE passes at grade 4 or above or equivalent, must include Maths, English & Science.
  • ECDL or firm undertaking to obtain.
  • Must be prepared to undertake the National Clinical Coding Qualification.

Experience

Essential

  • Good Keyboard Skills.

Desirable

  • PAS Basic Module.
  • Windows Packages.

Skills

Essential

  • Proven communication skills.
  • Methodical, analytical, accurate & numerate.
  • Excellent organisational and problem-solving skills.
  • Able to prioritise and manage own workload.
  • Manual handling.
  • Own initiative.
  • Team working.
  • Resilience.
  • Good attention to detail.
  • Working to deadlines/timescales.
  • Ability to concentrate for long periods of time.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of Anatomy, Physiology and Medical Terminology.

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.

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 (Opens in a new tab).

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. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

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.

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 (Opens in a new tab).

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. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust

Address

Royal Cornwall Hospital

Truro

TR1 3LJ


Employer's website

https://www.royalcornwall.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust

Address

Royal Cornwall Hospital

Truro

TR1 3LJ


Employer's website

https://www.royalcornwall.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Clinical Coding Service Manager

Katie Fairhurst

katie.fairhurst@nhs.net

01872253486

Details

Date posted

03 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 3

Salary

£24,937 to £26,598 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

156-7422848

Job locations

Royal Cornwall Hospital

Truro

TR1 3LJ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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