The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

Medical Examiner Officer

The closing date is 22 December 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Medical Examiner Officer to join the Medical Examiner service at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH).

You will be assisting Medical Examiners in carrying out their duty of independent scrutiny of deceased patient's medical records to review the patient's care and ascertain a cause of death. You are a point of contact and source of advice and support for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals and coroner and registration services.

The nature of the job is such that it demands high standards of integrity. It is essential that you have good and clear interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to show empathy and deal sensitively with bereaved families in highly emotive situations, whilst maintaining professional standards.

Applicants will be required to work from either of our hospital sites as and when required to meet the needs of the service and should have reliable transport plans in place to facilitate this. A full rota of site working will be made available to the successful candidate on an ongoing basis.

*Please note the shortlisting for this vacancy will take place w/c 5th January*

Main duties of the job

To 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. Assist in highlighting cases that require referral to the Coroner and discuss with bereaved relatives why this might be necessary.

To assist in highlighting cases for assessment by the Structured Judgement Review team (SJR), Clinical Governance teams and the Learning Disability Review Teams (LeDeR).

To discuss likely content of medical certificate of cause of death with relatives of deceased and in all cases, collect additional information. This may include the need to communicate sensitive information and offer explanations but would be fully supported by the Medical Examiner of the day and the lead MEO.

To ensure any concerns raised by the relatives are dealt with in a timely manner and forwarded to the appropriate support service such as Patient Safety or Patient Experience for further investigation or input.

The nature of our work means you can be exposed to distressing and upsetting detail. The role of the MEO can be demanding with a sizable workload and requires an applicant with resilience and the ability to cope under pressure amongst their skill set.

About us

The Medical Examiner Office is a team of knowledgeable & dedicated staff who are committed to helping and supporting family members following the death of a patient. You will benefit from joining a small and friendly team who look out for each another and due to the nature of our work we ensure our colleagues are supported in their roles. We work with staff at all levels and with various internal and external stakeholders and in doing so, you will build a rapport with interdependent departments and services which will expand your knowledge base, skills and experience.

Details

Date posted

08 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£31,049 to £37,796 a year per annum/pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

223-MEO-910

Job locations

The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and The Princess Royal Hospital, Telford

Mytton Oak Road

Shrewsbury and Telford

SY3 8XQ


Job description

Job responsibilities

For full duties and responsibilities please refer to the attached document entitled Job Description.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For full duties and responsibilities please refer to the attached document entitled Job Description.

Person Specification

Skills

Essential

  • 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.
  • Competent in the use of IT software systems including Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and handling sensitive personal identifiable data.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to degree level or equivalent working knowledge
  • Completed e-learning MEO core training modules

Desirable

  • Counselling qualification

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

  • Working knowledge of clinical and medical terminology
  • Experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations - recently bereaved
  • Experience of working in a healthcare setting with multi-disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of the Coroner and Justice Act 2009 with reference to the Medical Examiner System
  • Working clinical background in a nursing or equivalent discipline.
Person Specification

Skills

Essential

  • 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.
  • Competent in the use of IT software systems including Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and handling sensitive personal identifiable data.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Educated to degree level or equivalent working knowledge
  • Completed e-learning MEO core training modules

Desirable

  • Counselling qualification

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

  • Working knowledge of clinical and medical terminology
  • Experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations - recently bereaved
  • Experience of working in a healthcare setting with multi-disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of the Coroner and Justice Act 2009 with reference to the Medical Examiner System
  • Working clinical background in a nursing or equivalent discipline.

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

Employer name

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

Address

The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and The Princess Royal Hospital, Telford

Mytton Oak Road

Shrewsbury and Telford

SY3 8XQ


Employer's website

http://www.sath.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust

Address

The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and The Princess Royal Hospital, Telford

Mytton Oak Road

Shrewsbury and Telford

SY3 8XQ


Employer's website

http://www.sath.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Medical Examiner Service Manager

Clare Banford

c.banford@nhs.net

01743261384

Details

Date posted

08 December 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£31,049 to £37,796 a year per annum/pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

223-MEO-910

Job locations

The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and The Princess Royal Hospital, Telford

Mytton Oak Road

Shrewsbury and Telford

SY3 8XQ


Supporting documents

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