Job summary
The Legal Services Department at North Middlesex Hospital has an exciting opportunity for a Legal Services Officer to join our team. We require an experienced case handler in claims/inquests work.
Reporting to the Head of Legal Services, you will take responsibility for a varied caseload. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience of healthcare law gained in either in-house NHS legal departments or private practice.
You will be a highly motivated individual with a flexible and pro-active approach to work. Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate with people on all levels and provide support and reassurance to staff involved in legal cases is an essential prerequisite. This post requires someone with a positive attitude and the ability to work autonomously and meet tight deadlines.
Legal Services sits within the Quality Governance department and there is a requirement for collaborative working with the Clinical Governance and Quality Improvement teams. Our teams work together to promote and support a culture of learning and quality improvement across all aspects of patient care and experience within the Trust, so that our services provide excellent outcomes and an excellent experience for patients and staff and have excellent value for money of trust services.
For further details contact:
Zoe Gill - Head of Legal Services
02045534829 / Zoe.Gill5@nhs.net
Main duties of the job
Handling Coroner's inquest cases and clinical negligence/personal injury claims and all aspects of case management in these areas including, but not limited to statement preparation, analysis of expert evidence, attending court, attending case conferences and reviewing/analysing legal documentation.
You will need experience of representing organisations at coroner's hearings and supporting witnesses through the inquest process.
You will hold a caseload of clinical negligence and personal injury claims and be responsible for your own designated files.
The successful candidate will have excellent knowledge of administrative systems and experience of working with IT systems and databases. Ideally you will also be competent in the use of Datix.
About us
NMUH North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Hospital Trust (NMUH) is one of London's busiest healthcare providers, providing hospital care and community services for the 350,000 people living in Enfield, Haringey and beyond. Our specialist services include HIV, cardiology, blood disorders, diabetes, fertility, sickle cell and thalassemia. In addition to a full range of cancer diagnosis and treatment services, the Helen Rollason Cancer Support Centre is based on-site and provides services to support cancer patients' wellbeing. We also provide community services and have a dedicated 0-19 service for children and young people in Enfield so that they can get the best possible start in life. This includes health visitors and school nurses who are delivering the national Healthy Child Programme, which provides a structured framework for the delivery of key interventions to support the health and wellbeing of children and families from 0 to 5 and school aged children from 5-19. The 0-19 service aims to improve pathways and partnerships with services in the hospital and deliver excellent care for the children and families. For more information, please access the following link: https://www.northmid.nhs.uk/
Job description
Job responsibilities
The detailed duties and main responsibilities for this post can be found within the job description and person specification.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The detailed duties and main responsibilities for this post can be found within the job description and person specification.
Person Specification
Attributes/Skills
Essential
- Educated to degree level in law or equivalent experience
- Post graduate qualification in legal practice or equivalent knowledge/experience (claims/inquest)
Desirable
- Membership of ILEX / SRA / Law Society
- Clinical risk & claims management diploma
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Manage a large caseload
- Exceptional organisation and interpersonal skills
- Ability to communicate at all levels
- Developed negotiation skills
- Self motivated / work on own initiative
- Excellent knowledge of microsoft office
- Working under pressure and within set timescales
Desirable
- Staff management/supervision
Experience
Essential
- Working within an NHS legal department or private practice specialising in healthcare law
- Experience of working in an environment with conflicting pressures and changing workload.
- Experience of working within a team and of developing good working relationships with internal and external staff at all levels.
Desirable
- Familiar with Datix risk/claims management system
- Ability to use NHS Resolution case management system
- Understanding of risk management in the NHS
- Understanding of the NHS Complaints process
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Flexible & adaptable to change with a can-do attitude.
- Able to motivate self and engage others.
- Able to demonstrate a commitment to self-development.
- Ability to empathise & communicate well with emotional (distressed, angry, frightened etc) people (claimants, patients, relatives & staff).
Values
Essential
- Demonstrable ability to meet Trust values
Person Specification
Attributes/Skills
Essential
- Educated to degree level in law or equivalent experience
- Post graduate qualification in legal practice or equivalent knowledge/experience (claims/inquest)
Desirable
- Membership of ILEX / SRA / Law Society
- Clinical risk & claims management diploma
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Manage a large caseload
- Exceptional organisation and interpersonal skills
- Ability to communicate at all levels
- Developed negotiation skills
- Self motivated / work on own initiative
- Excellent knowledge of microsoft office
- Working under pressure and within set timescales
Desirable
- Staff management/supervision
Experience
Essential
- Working within an NHS legal department or private practice specialising in healthcare law
- Experience of working in an environment with conflicting pressures and changing workload.
- Experience of working within a team and of developing good working relationships with internal and external staff at all levels.
Desirable
- Familiar with Datix risk/claims management system
- Ability to use NHS Resolution case management system
- Understanding of risk management in the NHS
- Understanding of the NHS Complaints process
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Flexible & adaptable to change with a can-do attitude.
- Able to motivate self and engage others.
- Able to demonstrate a commitment to self-development.
- Ability to empathise & communicate well with emotional (distressed, angry, frightened etc) people (claimants, patients, relatives & staff).
Values
Essential
- Demonstrable ability to meet Trust values
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).
