Lead Medical Examiner Officer

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

The principal functions of the LMEO include leadership and oversight for:

Leadership and support for strategic direction of the management of the MEOs and support to Medical Examiners (MEs) across the RFHNHSFT

Maintain the National Model across the RFHNHSFT

Unification and accountability for mandated quarterly report to the Regional ME office

Oversight and assurance reports for services provided

• Responsible to the Lead Medical Examiner for financial performance relating to delegated budgets and operational performance of the service

Facilitation and catalyst for innovation and new services e.g., community services and the extended hours service

Oversight for provision of the services to the bereaved with explanation, transparency and early opportunity to ask questions or raise concerns and to liaise with the Bereavement officers.

Oversight for accuracy and quality in all aspects of the medical certification of the cause of death.

Oversight and robust process in place to ensure appropriate referral to the Coroner.

Safeguard the public through consistent scrutiny of all non-coronal deaths.

Support clinical governance in learning and improvement.

Contribute to 7 day a week extended ME service delivery

Key Working Relationships

Lead Medical Examiner and direct reports

Trust Medical Examiners

Bereavement officers

Hospital doctors and consultants

Chaplaincy

Mortuary staff

Service managers

Group Head of Bereavement, Mortuary and Medical Examiner Service

Nurses

Business Intelligence Unit

Clinical Governance Leads

Quality Improvement Team

Clinical Effectiveness and Patient Experience staff

Administration staff within the NHS

HM Coroner and their officers in two jurisdictions

Spiritual/Faith community leads

Local Authorities and Public Health Departments (e.g., Registrars office)

GPs and practice staff

Bereaved relatives, carers and executors/solicitors.

Funeral directors

Crematoria Managers

Regional ME and Regional MEO

National Medical Examiner

Clinical Outcomes & Effectiveness Team members, Senior Project managers working with Divisions and Learning from Death and End of Life specialists

Education & professional Qualifications

Essential

• Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust Values

Desirable

• Completed e-learning MEO core training modules prior to starting in the post.
• Educated to Masters level/equivalent practical experience at an advanced level
• Experience of patient safety/patient experience/risk management/medical examiner system

Experience

Essential

• The ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including the recently bereaved.
• Experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations
• Leadership experience of working in a healthcare or related setting with multidisciplinary teams and of working across organisational boundaries
• Ability to rapidly assimilate a range of complex (often clinical) information and make informed judgements
• Ability to compile large amounts of data in formats that allow for analysis and conclusions.

Desirable

• Introducing new ways of working
• Project management
• Budget management experience including monitoring expenditure and identifying savings
• Experience and familiarity with business planning and preparation of business cases.
• Experience of working in a healthcare setting with multi - disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries
• General knowledge of clinical/medical terminology.
• 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 service operational remit incorporated within Bereavement Services.
• Knowledge of the Notification of Deaths Regulation 2019 - legal requirements and conditions for referral of a death to His Majesty's Coroner
• Knowledge or experience of the Medical Certificate Cause of Death Regulations 202 4 and the Medical Examiners (England) Regulations 2024

Personal Qualities and attributes

Essential

• Proactive and self -motivated
• Approachable and supportive to all levels of staff and bereaved families in a non - judgemental and discreet manner.
• Compassionate and kind with a drive to service and have a positive impact on others
• Professional appearance, manner and awareness of impact of own behaviour on others.
• Ability to maintain a calm manner in a range of challenging and emotive circumstances.
• Proactive and self -motivated with the ability to deputise for Lead Medical Examiner often at short notice.

Skills and aptitudes

Essential

• Able to make logical operation/service level decisions based on the current situation
• A commitment to life -long learning and undertaking personal development opportunities.
• Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism with all stakeholders.
• Ability to lead a multi -site team and to organise fluctuating workload around competing priorities.
• To have skills/qualifications in day -to -day operational/processmanage ment of a customer -facing service where users may have unpredictable and emotionally charged needs
• Experience of delivering training to a range of stakeholders.
• Experience in management of meetings.
• Experience of implementing change and innovation.
• Previous experience of leading and managing a team.
• Competent in the use of IT software systems and handling sensitive personal identifiable data

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).