Job summary
An exciting opportunity is available at University Hospital Sussex (UHSx) NHS Foundation Trust for a further part time Medical Examiner Officer to join our team. After successful implementation of the Medical Examiner (ME) Service in our acute hospitals, we have expanded into the Community and Primary Care Settings in the Brighton and Mid Sussex.
We are looking for enthusiastic, motivated, and compassionate Medical Examiner Officers (MEO) to join our team, to help support the continued delivery of the Acute ME Service across our hospital sites and within the community. You will be key in supporting the Medical Examiner process, the Trust's mortality process and provide support to a range of staff within the Trust around mortality and the ME Service.
Please contact uhsussex.medicalexaminerbh@nhs.net for further details. Secondment opportunities will be considered.
Main duties of the job
These roles will incorporate administrative skills in ensuring necessary paperwork is accurate and complete, but also excellent communication skills during liaison with doctors, nurses, families, and where appropriate, the Coroners' services. Part of the day to day work will also involve investigation work and perusal of patient notes so a good working knowledge of medical terminology is important together with relevant clinical experience in an acute/community setting.
We have set up Medical Examiners Offices at 4 sites within the Trust. This enables the Medical Examiners to scrutinise every applicable inpatient death in the Trust as well as developing the service to take on the responsibility of reviewing the circumstances of all community deaths in West Sussex and Brighton locations as the national programme rolls out locally. To do this, we have aimed to develop a responsive and fluid service which is adaptable to the needs of the Trust, our patients, and our workforce. An element of cross site working between Royal Sussex County Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital (Haywards Heath) is expected in consideration of work base preference at recruitment.
Successful applicants will be expected to complete formal training appropriate to the role when in post, online training produced by the Royal College of Pathologists should be completed prior to commencement of the post.
About us
At UHSussex (UHSx), diversity is our strength, & we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness & experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, & can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) & a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients & staff with the same compassion & empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above & beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our candidate information pack & wellbeing programme,for staff which is extensive & designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching & training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us & throughout your career we will help you to grow & develop.We hope that in choosing UHSx you are choosing a long & happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make & feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application & the start of your journey with UHSx.
Candidate Information Pack: https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/candidate-information-pack/
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Effective verbal, non-verbal, and written communication with all members of the multidisciplinary team within own department and relevant departments and both internal and external to the Trust.
- To discuss content of medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) with relatives of deceased and in all cases, collect additional information. This may include the need to communicate sensitive information and offer explanations
- Communicate via all mediums with families, carers, clinical teams, in relation to medical examiner scrutiny and the outcomes of any discussions
- To assist relatives in identifying appropriate information and additional/further advice and support e.g. Patient Advice Liaison Service, Bereavement Office information and external agencies
- To ensure any concerns raised by the relatives are escalated as appropriate to the Medical Examiner or Coroners Office in a timely manner
- Address inappropriate behaviour in others in a professional manner.
- To participate in meetings with relatives alongside the Medical Examiner and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
- Service Delivery and Improvement
- To carry out the initial screening of medical notes of deceased patients to identify cases that clearly require referral to the Coroner
- To support medical staff in formulation cause of deathSupport colleagues to develop confidence in communication skills around death certification and the Medical Examiner Office.
- To work with the Medical Examiner to ensure proper and proportionate scrutiny of medical notes
- To act autonomously in identifying and reporting cases to HM Coroner when medical staff/Medical Examiner are not available.
- To manage own workload ensuring project timescales are adhered to.
- To establish clear and effective channels for communicating and co operating with all departments, wards and relevant professionals.
- To maintain an accurate and effective record keeping system in line with Information Governance Policies and National Medical ExaminerDevelop protocols, guidelines and policy for the efficient running of the Medical Examiner office in scrutinising acute and non-acute deaths.
- Responsible for the procurement of physical assets & supplies.
- Responsible for the delivery of cost effective care in relation to equipment and resources used in the course of work.Responsibility to consider implications of service development.
- Ensure resources are used efficiently and cost effectively, implementing new initiatives where possible to improve patient experience.
- Responsible for ensuring the effective use and maintenance of stock and equipment in line with the workload requirements.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Effective verbal, non-verbal, and written communication with all members of the multidisciplinary team within own department and relevant departments and both internal and external to the Trust.
- To discuss content of medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD) with relatives of deceased and in all cases, collect additional information. This may include the need to communicate sensitive information and offer explanations
- Communicate via all mediums with families, carers, clinical teams, in relation to medical examiner scrutiny and the outcomes of any discussions
- To assist relatives in identifying appropriate information and additional/further advice and support e.g. Patient Advice Liaison Service, Bereavement Office information and external agencies
- To ensure any concerns raised by the relatives are escalated as appropriate to the Medical Examiner or Coroners Office in a timely manner
- Address inappropriate behaviour in others in a professional manner.
- To participate in meetings with relatives alongside the Medical Examiner and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
- Service Delivery and Improvement
- To carry out the initial screening of medical notes of deceased patients to identify cases that clearly require referral to the Coroner
- To support medical staff in formulation cause of deathSupport colleagues to develop confidence in communication skills around death certification and the Medical Examiner Office.
- To work with the Medical Examiner to ensure proper and proportionate scrutiny of medical notes
- To act autonomously in identifying and reporting cases to HM Coroner when medical staff/Medical Examiner are not available.
- To manage own workload ensuring project timescales are adhered to.
- To establish clear and effective channels for communicating and co operating with all departments, wards and relevant professionals.
- To maintain an accurate and effective record keeping system in line with Information Governance Policies and National Medical ExaminerDevelop protocols, guidelines and policy for the efficient running of the Medical Examiner office in scrutinising acute and non-acute deaths.
- Responsible for the procurement of physical assets & supplies.
- Responsible for the delivery of cost effective care in relation to equipment and resources used in the course of work.Responsibility to consider implications of service development.
- Ensure resources are used efficiently and cost effectively, implementing new initiatives where possible to improve patient experience.
- Responsible for ensuring the effective use and maintenance of stock and equipment in line with the workload requirements.
Person Specification
Professional
Essential
- Registered Nurse/Allied Health profession or equivalent professional qualification/experience
- Experience of working in a healthcare or related setting with multi-disciplinary teams and of working across organisational boundaries
- To have an understanding of medical terminology that enables informed discussions about causes/circumstances of death with bereaved families, clinicians, coroner and registration service staff.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage at all levels including senior clinicians/coroners etc about sensitive issues
- Computer literate to use multiple IT software for recording personal identifiable data and producing statistical information for the National Medical Examiner's office and Public Health surveillance.
Desirable
- Experience as Medical Examiners Officer
- Completion of the Royal college of Pathologists Medical examiners Officers e-Learning
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential
- Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
Person Specification
Professional
Essential
- Registered Nurse/Allied Health profession or equivalent professional qualification/experience
- Experience of working in a healthcare or related setting with multi-disciplinary teams and of working across organisational boundaries
- To have an understanding of medical terminology that enables informed discussions about causes/circumstances of death with bereaved families, clinicians, coroner and registration service staff.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage at all levels including senior clinicians/coroners etc about sensitive issues
- Computer literate to use multiple IT software for recording personal identifiable data and producing statistical information for the National Medical Examiner's office and Public Health surveillance.
Desirable
- Experience as Medical Examiners Officer
- Completion of the Royal college of Pathologists Medical examiners Officers e-Learning
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Essential
- Evidence of having championed diversity in previous roles (as appropriate to role).
- Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (279)
Address
Royal Sussex County Hospital/Princess Royal County Hospital
Brighton/Haywards Heath
BN2 5BE
Employer's website
https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
