Job summary
We are seeking an experienced Senior Clinical Coder to join our Clinical Coding team. You will play a key role in ensuring accurate and timely clinical coding using ICD-10 and OPCS-4 classifications, supporting reimbursement and data quality across the Trust. This position involves working on complex and high-cost specialties, engaging with clinicians, and providing technical expertise to coding teams and stakeholders.
Main duties of the job
Accurate Clinical Coding: Assign ICD-10 and OPCS-4 codes for patient episodes, ensuring completeness, timeliness, and accuracy to meet local, national, and contractual deadlines.Specialist Expertise: Lead on complex and high-cost specialties (e.g., stroke, renal), advising on best practice and ensuring coding impacts income and national indicators correctly.Quality Assurance: Support internal and external audits, review case notes, and implement error correction and process improvements.Training & Mentoring: Assist in training new staff, provide technical guidance, and help develop efficient coding processes.Clinical Engagement: Work closely with clinicians and divisional teams to improve documentation and coding accuracy.System Management: Ensure compliance with coding systems (Cerner/Medicode) and feeder systems (ARIA, Scorpio, Horizon), troubleshoot issues, and liaise with IT support.Reporting & Analysis: Regularly report uncoded positions, contribute to data integrity projects, and assist in presenting complex coded data for audits.
Policy & Process Development: Advise on changes to coding processes, attend specialist meetings, and contribute to service improvement initiatives.
About us
Join Imperial College Healthcare and become part of a community of 12,000 staff working with a wide range of partners to offer better heath, for life.
Formed in 2007, we are one of the largest NHS trusts in the country providing acute and specialist care to over a million patients each year in central and north London and beyond.
With a global reputation for ground-breaking research and innovation as well as excellence in education, we offer huge expertise across a wide range of clinical specialities.
Alongside our five hospitals Charing Cross, Hammersmith, Queen Charlottes & Chelsea, St Marys and the Western Eye we have a growing number of community and digital services, reflecting our commitment to developing more integrated care with our partners. We also provide private healthcare at all of our hospitals (in dedicated facilities).
Together with Imperial College London and two other NHS trusts, we form one of six academic health science centres in the UK focussed on translating research into better patient care. We also host one of 20 National Institute for Health Research biomedical research centres in partnership with Imperial College London.
Our mission is to be a key partner in our local health system and to drive health and healthcare innovation, delivering outstanding care, education and research with local, national and worldwide impact
Job description
Job responsibilities
As a Senior Clinical Coder (Band 6) at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, you will be responsible for delivering accurate and timely clinical coding across a wide range of specialties. This role is critical to ensuring the Trust meets national and contractual deadlines, maintains data quality, and secures appropriate reimbursement through the correct application of ICD-10 and OPCS-4 classifications.
You will act as a subject matter expert in complex and high-cost areas, providing technical guidance to coding teams and engaging with clinicians to improve documentation and coding accuracy. The role also involves supporting audits, developing processes, and mentoring junior staff to uphold best practice standards.
Key Responsibilities
- Coding Accuracy & Timeliness: Assign ICD-10 and OPCS-4 codes for patient episodes, ensuring completeness and compliance with national standards and deadlines.
- Specialist Expertise: Lead on complex specialties (e.g., stroke, renal, haematology), advising on best practice and supporting coding in high-cost areas.
- Clinical Engagement: Work closely with clinicians and divisional teams to improve documentation and coding quality.
- Training & Mentoring: Assist in onboarding and training new coders, providing technical support and guidance.
- Audit & Quality Assurance: Participate in internal and external audits, review case notes, and implement corrective actions to improve data integrity.
- System Management: Ensure compliance with coding systems (Cerner/Medicode) and feeder systems (ARIA, Scorpio, Horizon), troubleshoot issues, and liaise with IT support.
- Process Improvement: Contribute to the development of efficient coding processes, policies, and service delivery improvements.
- Reporting & Analysis: Regularly report uncoded positions, assist in presenting complex coded data, and support data integrity projects.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Liaise with Information, Finance, ICT, and other departments to ensure coding supports Trust objectives.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As a Senior Clinical Coder (Band 6) at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, you will be responsible for delivering accurate and timely clinical coding across a wide range of specialties. This role is critical to ensuring the Trust meets national and contractual deadlines, maintains data quality, and secures appropriate reimbursement through the correct application of ICD-10 and OPCS-4 classifications.
You will act as a subject matter expert in complex and high-cost areas, providing technical guidance to coding teams and engaging with clinicians to improve documentation and coding accuracy. The role also involves supporting audits, developing processes, and mentoring junior staff to uphold best practice standards.
Key Responsibilities
- Coding Accuracy & Timeliness: Assign ICD-10 and OPCS-4 codes for patient episodes, ensuring completeness and compliance with national standards and deadlines.
- Specialist Expertise: Lead on complex specialties (e.g., stroke, renal, haematology), advising on best practice and supporting coding in high-cost areas.
- Clinical Engagement: Work closely with clinicians and divisional teams to improve documentation and coding quality.
- Training & Mentoring: Assist in onboarding and training new coders, providing technical support and guidance.
- Audit & Quality Assurance: Participate in internal and external audits, review case notes, and implement corrective actions to improve data integrity.
- System Management: Ensure compliance with coding systems (Cerner/Medicode) and feeder systems (ARIA, Scorpio, Horizon), troubleshoot issues, and liaise with IT support.
- Process Improvement: Contribute to the development of efficient coding processes, policies, and service delivery improvements.
- Reporting & Analysis: Regularly report uncoded positions, assist in presenting complex coded data, and support data integrity projects.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Liaise with Information, Finance, ICT, and other departments to ensure coding supports Trust objectives.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Academic achievements to a degree level or the equivalent in work experience ACC (Accredited clinical coding qualification)
- High degree of knowledge in Anatomy & Physiology Sound knowledge of Payment by Results/HRGs (Healthcare Resource Groups)
Desirable
- Auditor/Trainer qualifications in Clinical Coding
Skills/Abilities
Essential
- Excellent problem-solving ability
- Managerial skills Strong administration skills IT literate proficiency in all MS applications Excellent analytical and judgement skills demonstrate high levels of ability and initiative in assessing complex coding issues and to make recommendations
- Ability to prioritise & plan Ability to analyse and justify complex HRG grouping
Experience
Essential
- Not less than 3 years generalised clinical coding experience
- Experience in a wide range of specialties & their complexities
- Be able to meet the prerequisites of sitting either audit workshop or Train the Trainer Courses Experience in Clinical coding terminologies and software encoding experience Hospital information systems & IT packages Proven experience in dealing with staff at all levels
Desirable
- Project management experience/report writing
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Academic achievements to a degree level or the equivalent in work experience ACC (Accredited clinical coding qualification)
- High degree of knowledge in Anatomy & Physiology Sound knowledge of Payment by Results/HRGs (Healthcare Resource Groups)
Desirable
- Auditor/Trainer qualifications in Clinical Coding
Skills/Abilities
Essential
- Excellent problem-solving ability
- Managerial skills Strong administration skills IT literate proficiency in all MS applications Excellent analytical and judgement skills demonstrate high levels of ability and initiative in assessing complex coding issues and to make recommendations
- Ability to prioritise & plan Ability to analyse and justify complex HRG grouping
Experience
Essential
- Not less than 3 years generalised clinical coding experience
- Experience in a wide range of specialties & their complexities
- Be able to meet the prerequisites of sitting either audit workshop or Train the Trainer Courses Experience in Clinical coding terminologies and software encoding experience Hospital information systems & IT packages Proven experience in dealing with staff at all levels
Desirable
- Project management experience/report writing
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.
