Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Bereavement Support Office to join our Pathology Department
Bereavement support officer's role is to provide comprehensive administrative support for thebereavement service including guidance to relatives of the deceased, hospital doctors, GPs and mortuary staff, and ensuring paperwork is completed accurately and in a timely manner
Interview Date - Week commencing 17th February 2025
Main duties of the job
To provide a general advice, guidance and support within the bereavement office for all deaths occurring in the Trust.
Carry out duties in such a way as to make a direct and positive contribution to the organisation of the work.
It is essential that you exercise initiative commensurate with the role and it is vital that confidentiality is always maintained.
About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our Services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
- Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
- Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
- National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
- To liaise with mortuary staff and ward staff on a daily basis to identify deaths which have occurred in the hospital.
- To liaise with ward staff and medical staff for the timely and accurate completion of medical certificates of death.
- To facilitate the preparation of cremation forms and liaise with funeral directors, doctors and mortuary staff.
- To verify and process all documents relating to the registration of deaths for families.
- To liaise with Coroners Officers regarding referrals of hospital deaths and relatives enquiries.
- To liaise with GP Surgeries informing them of the date of death and cause of death in a timely manner.
- Be able to work as part of a team, promote effective flows in the department to cover leave and ensure office runs smoothly.
- Work with managers to review working practices, ways of working and find solution to problems/update procedures.
- Liaise with appropriate stakeholders/departments in arranging hospital funerals.
- Liaise with the General Registrars Office concerning any queries over acceptable causes of death.
- Liaise with Coroners Liaison Officer to obtain medical certificates of death where possible for the relatives of patients that have been recently discharged from hospital where the G.P. has been unable to issue, in order to save the relatives from the distress of the deceased having to go through a postmortem.
- To supply the Notification of Death report to other hospital departments that use stand-alone recording systems.
- When circumstances require, contacting HM Coroners Offices concerning any reportable deaths giving any assistance that may be required.
- To support the Bereavement Officers in general office duties.
- To assist in the production, maintenance and implementation of SOPs and implementation of new processes.
- Participate in the new doctors induction day informing them of the requirements of the Bereavement Service
- Assist with the investigation and compilation of responses to complaints, helping to ensure this is done within the optimum deadlines set by the Trust.
- Recording of deaths and all appropriate information in the death register.
- Update the deceased patients notes and arrange for them to be sent to the relevant department.
- Compile monthly/annual statistics for internal and external use.
- Make full use of the computer systems and packages available. Ensure all information is updated regularly and take responsibility for reporting any faults, incorrect patient data and breaches in security.
- Collate audit data for Clinical Pathology Accreditation and Benchmarking, leading for Qualsys on documentation control for Departmental Manager. Undertake audit of own work when necessary.
- Establish, maintain and develop professional working relations with colleagues.
- Make full use of the computer systems and packages available. Ensure all information is updated regularly and take responsibility for reporting any faults, incorrect patient data and breaches in security.
- Effective verbal and written communication should be maintained at all times by extracting the correct and relevant information to deal successfully with queries/requests from GPs, staff, patients, relatives and other agencies. Show empathy when dealing with calls of a distressing nature. Impart confidential information when instructed
- Be aware and responsive to changes within the Trust and adopt a flexible and proactive approach to work.
- General office duties including dealing with incoming and outgoing mail, e-mail, photocopier. Participate in housekeeping of the office environment.
- Be able to work as part of a team, promote effective flows in the department to cover leave to ensure office runs smoothly. Guidance/mentoring to new clerical/medical staff.
- Any other duties as deemed necessary for the effective service for the department.
- Undertake audits as required.
- Assist with research/data collection as required.
- Obtain information requested by Cellular Pathology Service Lead Manager/ASC Manager as and when required.
- Work with manager to review working practices, ways of working and find solution to problems.
- To work in a flexible manner in accordance with Trust Policy.
- Any other duties required by ASC Manager.
TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES
- To provide training in all aspects of the role as necessary to less experienced members of staff.
- Attend appropriate training and education sessions at the request of the manager.
PERFORMANCE
The performance of the post holder will be continually assessed for professional competence by means of an annual appraisal. Key elements of this process will be used to establish evidence of continuing professional development and will contribute to the corporate objectives of the department and the
Trust.
Job description
Job responsibilities
KEY DUTIES
- To liaise with mortuary staff and ward staff on a daily basis to identify deaths which have occurred in the hospital.
- To liaise with ward staff and medical staff for the timely and accurate completion of medical certificates of death.
- To facilitate the preparation of cremation forms and liaise with funeral directors, doctors and mortuary staff.
- To verify and process all documents relating to the registration of deaths for families.
- To liaise with Coroners Officers regarding referrals of hospital deaths and relatives enquiries.
- To liaise with GP Surgeries informing them of the date of death and cause of death in a timely manner.
- Be able to work as part of a team, promote effective flows in the department to cover leave and ensure office runs smoothly.
- Work with managers to review working practices, ways of working and find solution to problems/update procedures.
- Liaise with appropriate stakeholders/departments in arranging hospital funerals.
- Liaise with the General Registrars Office concerning any queries over acceptable causes of death.
- Liaise with Coroners Liaison Officer to obtain medical certificates of death where possible for the relatives of patients that have been recently discharged from hospital where the G.P. has been unable to issue, in order to save the relatives from the distress of the deceased having to go through a postmortem.
- To supply the Notification of Death report to other hospital departments that use stand-alone recording systems.
- When circumstances require, contacting HM Coroners Offices concerning any reportable deaths giving any assistance that may be required.
- To support the Bereavement Officers in general office duties.
- To assist in the production, maintenance and implementation of SOPs and implementation of new processes.
- Participate in the new doctors induction day informing them of the requirements of the Bereavement Service
- Assist with the investigation and compilation of responses to complaints, helping to ensure this is done within the optimum deadlines set by the Trust.
- Recording of deaths and all appropriate information in the death register.
- Update the deceased patients notes and arrange for them to be sent to the relevant department.
- Compile monthly/annual statistics for internal and external use.
- Make full use of the computer systems and packages available. Ensure all information is updated regularly and take responsibility for reporting any faults, incorrect patient data and breaches in security.
- Collate audit data for Clinical Pathology Accreditation and Benchmarking, leading for Qualsys on documentation control for Departmental Manager. Undertake audit of own work when necessary.
- Establish, maintain and develop professional working relations with colleagues.
- Make full use of the computer systems and packages available. Ensure all information is updated regularly and take responsibility for reporting any faults, incorrect patient data and breaches in security.
- Effective verbal and written communication should be maintained at all times by extracting the correct and relevant information to deal successfully with queries/requests from GPs, staff, patients, relatives and other agencies. Show empathy when dealing with calls of a distressing nature. Impart confidential information when instructed
- Be aware and responsive to changes within the Trust and adopt a flexible and proactive approach to work.
- General office duties including dealing with incoming and outgoing mail, e-mail, photocopier. Participate in housekeeping of the office environment.
- Be able to work as part of a team, promote effective flows in the department to cover leave to ensure office runs smoothly. Guidance/mentoring to new clerical/medical staff.
- Any other duties as deemed necessary for the effective service for the department.
- Undertake audits as required.
- Assist with research/data collection as required.
- Obtain information requested by Cellular Pathology Service Lead Manager/ASC Manager as and when required.
- Work with manager to review working practices, ways of working and find solution to problems.
- To work in a flexible manner in accordance with Trust Policy.
- Any other duties required by ASC Manager.
TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSBILITIES
- To provide training in all aspects of the role as necessary to less experienced members of staff.
- Attend appropriate training and education sessions at the request of the manager.
PERFORMANCE
The performance of the post holder will be continually assessed for professional competence by means of an annual appraisal. Key elements of this process will be used to establish evidence of continuing professional development and will contribute to the corporate objectives of the department and the
Trust.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good level of general education and basic numeracy and literacy skills
Desirable
- Word processing/computer skills
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- IT skills with knowledge and experience of Microsoft office products
Desirable
- Experience in a clerical capacity/procedure
- Previous experience within the NHS
- Data entry
- Experience of working with the general public
Skills
Essential
- Good telephone manner and customer skills
- Able to work as part of a team
- Maintain confidentiality at all times
- Excellent keyboard skills and attention to detail and accuracy
- Able to use own initiative and manage/prioritise own workload
Desirable
- Knowledge of medical terminology
Other
Essential
- Willing and able to learn new skills
- Ability to work with minimal supervision
- Able to work the hours and duties required by the post
- Able to adopt flexible approach when required
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good level of general education and basic numeracy and literacy skills
Desirable
- Word processing/computer skills
Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- IT skills with knowledge and experience of Microsoft office products
Desirable
- Experience in a clerical capacity/procedure
- Previous experience within the NHS
- Data entry
- Experience of working with the general public
Skills
Essential
- Good telephone manner and customer skills
- Able to work as part of a team
- Maintain confidentiality at all times
- Excellent keyboard skills and attention to detail and accuracy
- Able to use own initiative and manage/prioritise own workload
Desirable
- Knowledge of medical terminology
Other
Essential
- Willing and able to learn new skills
- Ability to work with minimal supervision
- Able to work the hours and duties required by the post
- Able to adopt flexible approach when required
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.
