Job summary
Medical Examiner (ME) positions are now available in the Medical Examiner Service for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG). This is an opportunity to be part of a new and expanding service which, when fully established, will provide independent scrutiny of all non-coronial deaths across BNSSG. You'll work with a multidisciplinary team both internally and externally including Medical Examiner Officers, clinical staff of all grades, HM Coroner's Office, Bereavement Services staff and Registration Services, as well as having close contact with bereaved families.
MEs will undergo formal training appropriate to the role, as stipulated by the Royal College of Pathologists. MEs will continue to train in post as part of a lifelong learning role and will have access to ongoing CPD at local and national level. There is a requirement to complete the online Medical Examiner e-Learning for Healthcare training modules prior to application, and the face-to-face component must be completed within six months of taking up the position. The e-learning can be found here: https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/medical-examiner/
The ME role is a hugely rewarding one that will allow successful colleagues to develop a new area of clinical practice.
Main duties of the job
In this role, Medical Examiners (MEs) will perform proportionate scrutiny of non-coronial deaths in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) in order to improve quality and accuracy of mortality data and will directly contribute to improving overall quality of care in BNSSG, with important links to system-wide mortality improvement programmes. MEs will highlight cases for review and ensure they are flagged to the relevant body and/or mortality review programme.
The service, spanning organisations across BNSSG, is well established within acute trusts and still in development across non-acute healthcare providers. There are opportunities for scrutiny of acute deaths in the hospital setting, and for non-acute deaths in a community setting, based on current gaps in the ME team and with some scope for flexibility on agreed working pattern.
As the service develops, successful candidates will be able to have a say in how best we can adapt to the needs of our patients and relatives. This includes development of an out of hours on-call service as the role requires. At present it is anticipated that this will be delivered from home in weekend and bank holiday daytime hours only.
About us
Three posts are available, consisting of three PAs of Medical Examiner time.
Post one will be one PA to be worked on Wednesday afternoons based at Bristol Royal Infirmary with mandatory cover at Weston General Hospital (which may comprise up to 50% of sessions).
Post two will be one PA to be worked on Tuesday mornings based at Bristol Royal Infirmary with mandatory cover at Weston General Hospital (which may comprise up to 50% of sessions).
Post three will be one PA to be worked on Friday afternoons based at the community office in Frenchay.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To ensure compliance with the legal and procedural requirements associated with the current and proposed reformed processes of certification, investigation by coroners and registration of deaths.
- To scrutinise the medical records of deceased patients and certified causes of death offered by doctors in a way that is proportionate, consistent, and compliant with the national protocol.
- To discuss and explain the cause of death with next of kin/informants in a transparent, tactful and sympathetic manner. It is anticipated that such discussions will be predominately conducted through telephone conversations where barriers to understanding information may exist.
- To ensure that all users of the ME system are treated with respect and are not discriminated against on the grounds of sex, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability.
- To participate in and inform relevant clinical governance activities relating to death certification including audits, mortality review processes, benchmarking exercises, and investigations regarding formal complaints about patient care.
- To support the training of junior doctors in their understanding of death certification and promote good practice in accurate completion of MCCDs.
- To work with the Lead Medical Examiner Officer and Medical Examiner Officers (MEOs), delegating duties as appropriate.
- To engage with Lead ME and Lead MEO for the region.
- To adopt a collaborative working relationship with other MEs by sharing experiences and expertise to support peer learning and set uniform standards of service delivery.
- To engage with and participate in Continuous Professional Development for the ME Service and to contribute to internal departmental governance and audit activity.
- To participate in the Medical Examiner weekend and bank holiday daytime on-call rota to provide an out-of-hours service for cases requiring urgent ME input.
- There is an expectation that individuals demonstrate flexibility to fill rota gaps at any site across the service when these arise.
- There is an expectation that scrutiny of both community and hospital deaths will be undertaken.
- Occasionally, homeworking will be required.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To ensure compliance with the legal and procedural requirements associated with the current and proposed reformed processes of certification, investigation by coroners and registration of deaths.
- To scrutinise the medical records of deceased patients and certified causes of death offered by doctors in a way that is proportionate, consistent, and compliant with the national protocol.
- To discuss and explain the cause of death with next of kin/informants in a transparent, tactful and sympathetic manner. It is anticipated that such discussions will be predominately conducted through telephone conversations where barriers to understanding information may exist.
- To ensure that all users of the ME system are treated with respect and are not discriminated against on the grounds of sex, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability.
- To participate in and inform relevant clinical governance activities relating to death certification including audits, mortality review processes, benchmarking exercises, and investigations regarding formal complaints about patient care.
- To support the training of junior doctors in their understanding of death certification and promote good practice in accurate completion of MCCDs.
- To work with the Lead Medical Examiner Officer and Medical Examiner Officers (MEOs), delegating duties as appropriate.
- To engage with Lead ME and Lead MEO for the region.
- To adopt a collaborative working relationship with other MEs by sharing experiences and expertise to support peer learning and set uniform standards of service delivery.
- To engage with and participate in Continuous Professional Development for the ME Service and to contribute to internal departmental governance and audit activity.
- To participate in the Medical Examiner weekend and bank holiday daytime on-call rota to provide an out-of-hours service for cases requiring urgent ME input.
- There is an expectation that individuals demonstrate flexibility to fill rota gaps at any site across the service when these arise.
- There is an expectation that scrutiny of both community and hospital deaths will be undertaken.
- Occasionally, homeworking will be required.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Ability to manage an information-based process under tight timescales
- Ability to communicate effectively within own team and with people in other disciplines (Medical Examiner's Officer, Medical and other clinical staff, senior coroner, the police, funeral director, & Registrar).
- Ability to communicate effectively and with sensitivity with the relatives or representatives of the deceased when explaining the cause of death
- Ability to work within own team and closely with people in other disciplines
- Good organisational and leadership skills. Good management skills - able to demonstrate effective and efficient working practices.
- IT competent, for the purposes of efficient scrutiny and routine analysis of information for local clinical governance and public health surveillance
Desirable
- Ability to assist or deliver training to enhance skills within the ME's team, to other services, and/or junior doctors in the process of death certification
Knowledge
Essential
- A commitment to life-long learning and undertaking personal development opportunities
- Up-to-date knowledge of causes of death and an understanding of the legal frameworks associated with death certification processes
Other requirements
Essential
- Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism
General Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Registered and licensed to practise in the UK by the GMC for at least 5 years and hold a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT)
Professional Qualifications
Essential
- MBBS
- Candidate will have successfully completed the approved components of the national on-line training curriculum as a precondition of interview for the post of Medical Examiner
Desirable
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Ability to manage an information-based process under tight timescales
- Ability to communicate effectively within own team and with people in other disciplines (Medical Examiner's Officer, Medical and other clinical staff, senior coroner, the police, funeral director, & Registrar).
- Ability to communicate effectively and with sensitivity with the relatives or representatives of the deceased when explaining the cause of death
- Ability to work within own team and closely with people in other disciplines
- Good organisational and leadership skills. Good management skills - able to demonstrate effective and efficient working practices.
- IT competent, for the purposes of efficient scrutiny and routine analysis of information for local clinical governance and public health surveillance
Desirable
- Ability to assist or deliver training to enhance skills within the ME's team, to other services, and/or junior doctors in the process of death certification
Knowledge
Essential
- A commitment to life-long learning and undertaking personal development opportunities
- Up-to-date knowledge of causes of death and an understanding of the legal frameworks associated with death certification processes
Other requirements
Essential
- Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism
General Education and Qualifications
Essential
- Registered and licensed to practise in the UK by the GMC for at least 5 years and hold a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT)
Professional Qualifications
Essential
- MBBS
- Candidate will have successfully completed the approved components of the national on-line training curriculum as a precondition of interview for the post of Medical Examiner
Desirable
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).
