Job summary
We are looking for a Band 5 Medical Examiner Officer (MEO) to join the Medical Examiner's Office at Calderdale Royal Hospital site.
The Medical Examiner system is a new service, recently introduced in England and Wales, which will become statutory from April 2024.
The principal functions are:
- To provide the bereaved with explanation, transparency and early opportunity to ask questions or raise concerns.
- To improve accuracy and quality in all aspects of the medical certification of the cause of death.
- To ensure appropriate referral to the Coroner.
- To safeguard the public through consistent scrutiny of all non-coronial deaths.
- To support clinical governance in learning and improvement.
Main duties of the job
We are seeking an individual who will be responsible for working within the Medical Examiner Service based at the Calderdale Royal Hospital site.
To act as an intermediary between the bereaved and clinicians to establish and resolve any concerns relating to a patient's death. Work with medical examiners to aid them in their responsibility for overseeing the death certification process for all deceased patients in the organisation.
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.
To assist in highlighting cases for assessment by the Structured Judgement Review team (SJR), Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP), Clinical Governance teams and the Learning Disability Review Teams (LeDeR).
To refer patients to the coroner for further investigation on approval by the medical examiner
Maintain an awareness of the diverse needs of users of the medical examiner system to ensure equality to any particular group defined by sex, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability.
The post holder will be required to have completed the Medical Examiner Officer training modules (Royal College of Pathologist).
About us
We employ more than 6,500 staffwho deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals,Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, healthcentres and in patients' homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.
We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children's and young people's services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.
We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza.
We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation.Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS- yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boardslisten to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members - patients, staff andthe local community.
Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in thechanges to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job responsibilities
We are looking for a Medical Examiner Officer to help the Medical Examiners scrutinise all deaths within the area in and surrounding Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield.
The overarching purpose of the National Medical Examiner service is to:
- Provide greater safeguards for the public by ensuring proper scrutiny of all non-coronial deaths
- Ensure appropriate referrals to the coronial system Provide a better service for the bereaved to ensure they can raise any concerns to a doctor not involved in the care of the deceased Improve the quality of both death certification and mortality data.
Person Specification Qualifications Essential
- Educated to Batchelor's degree level, or equivalent working knowledge in related field
- A commitment to maintaining professional development
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a wide range of stakeholders, including the recently bereaved
- Completed e-learning Royal College of Pathology ME core training modules (successful applicant will be asked to complete prior to starting in the post)
- Face to face (virtual) MEO training will be delivered by the Royal College of Pathologists once in post
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, Outlook, and MS TEAMS
Experience Essential
- Experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations
- Proven track record of co-ordinating and using communication skills with a variety of professionals and services.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a healthcare setting with multi-disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries.
- Using case management and referral-based processes
Additional criteria Essential
- General knowledge of clinical/medical terminology
- Proactive and self-motivated with the ability to deputise for senior MEO often at short notice
- Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and understanding
- Completed e-learning MEO core training modules prior to starting in the post
- Excellent communication skills (verbal & written) with the ability to engage at all levels including senior clinicians/coroners etc about sensitive issues
- Ability to work as part of a team and organise fluctuating workload around competing priorities
- Competent in the use of multiple IT software systems and handling sensitive personal identifiable data
Desirable
- Knowledge of the special requirements of various faith groups and respect for equality and diversity of issues around formalities following a death.
- Knowledge of the Coroner and Justice Act 2009 reference to the medical examiner system
- Full understanding of the medical examiners system operational remits
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job responsibilities
We are looking for a Medical Examiner Officer to help the Medical Examiners scrutinise all deaths within the area in and surrounding Calderdale and Greater Huddersfield.
The overarching purpose of the National Medical Examiner service is to:
- Provide greater safeguards for the public by ensuring proper scrutiny of all non-coronial deaths
- Ensure appropriate referrals to the coronial system Provide a better service for the bereaved to ensure they can raise any concerns to a doctor not involved in the care of the deceased Improve the quality of both death certification and mortality data.
Person Specification Qualifications Essential
- Educated to Batchelor's degree level, or equivalent working knowledge in related field
- A commitment to maintaining professional development
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a wide range of stakeholders, including the recently bereaved
- Completed e-learning Royal College of Pathology ME core training modules (successful applicant will be asked to complete prior to starting in the post)
- Face to face (virtual) MEO training will be delivered by the Royal College of Pathologists once in post
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, Outlook, and MS TEAMS
Experience Essential
- Experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations
- Proven track record of co-ordinating and using communication skills with a variety of professionals and services.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a healthcare setting with multi-disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries.
- Using case management and referral-based processes
Additional criteria Essential
- General knowledge of clinical/medical terminology
- Proactive and self-motivated with the ability to deputise for senior MEO often at short notice
- Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and understanding
- Completed e-learning MEO core training modules prior to starting in the post
- Excellent communication skills (verbal & written) with the ability to engage at all levels including senior clinicians/coroners etc about sensitive issues
- Ability to work as part of a team and organise fluctuating workload around competing priorities
- Competent in the use of multiple IT software systems and handling sensitive personal identifiable data
Desirable
- Knowledge of the special requirements of various faith groups and respect for equality and diversity of issues around formalities following a death.
- Knowledge of the Coroner and Justice Act 2009 reference to the medical examiner system
- Full understanding of the medical examiners system operational remits
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING
Essential
- Educated to Batchelor's degree level or equivalent working knowledge in related field
- Completed e-learning MEO core training modules prior to starting in the post
KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE
Essential
- Competent in the use of IT software systems and handling sensitive personal identifiable data
- General knowledge of clinical/medical terminology
- Experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations
- Ability to work as part of a team and organise fluctuating workload around competing priorities
- Proactive and self-motivated
Desirable
- Experience of working in a healthcare setting with multi-disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries
- Knowledge of the special requirements of various faith groups and respect for equality and diversity of issues around formalities following a death.
- Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2009 reference to the medical examiner system. Full understanding of the medical examiner system operational remit when incorporated within Bereavement Services or as a stand-alone office
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING
Essential
- Educated to Batchelor's degree level or equivalent working knowledge in related field
- Completed e-learning MEO core training modules prior to starting in the post
KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE
Essential
- Competent in the use of IT software systems and handling sensitive personal identifiable data
- General knowledge of clinical/medical terminology
- Experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations
- Ability to work as part of a team and organise fluctuating workload around competing priorities
- Proactive and self-motivated
Desirable
- Experience of working in a healthcare setting with multi-disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries
- Knowledge of the special requirements of various faith groups and respect for equality and diversity of issues around formalities following a death.
- Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2009 reference to the medical examiner system. Full understanding of the medical examiner system operational remit when incorporated within Bereavement Services or as a stand-alone office
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).
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).
