We have an exciting opportunity for a Medical Examiner Officer (MEO) to join the West Hertfordshire Medical Examiners Service.

This role is part of the national implementation of the Medical Examiner service in England and Wales, which will become statutory from September 2024.

The Medical Examiner Service has been introduced to:

o Strengthen safeguards for the public by providing robust, systematic and independent scrutiny of all deaths not referred directly to the Coroner.

o Improve the quality of death certification, providing advice based on a review of relevant health records.

o Avoid unnecessary distress for the bereaved by answering questions about the care given and the certified cause of death, working alongside Bereavement Services

We would like to invite applications from anyone with either with a professional clinical background or relevant experience working in a bereavement service.

We are seeking to recruit individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, including nurses, allied health professionals, biomedical scientists, paramedics, and highly experienced bereavement officers.

Whilst previous experience working in a medical setting is desirable, we would welcome applications from any individual with suitable professional experience relevant to this role.

Main duties of the job

Working under delegation from the Lead Medical Examiner and Lead MEO, the post holder will support with the scrutiny and process of death certification within the Medical Examiner Service. This will require a combination of skills and knowledge, compassion, sensitivity, and a commitment to engage with bereaved families.

The MEO will review patient records to gather information for the Medical Examiner, so a good working knowledge of medical language and clinical understanding are essential.

The post holder will provide administrative skills to support Medical Examiners in scrutinizing deaths ensuring necessary paperwork is accurate and complete.

The MEO will also contact the next of kin to discuss the circumstances of death, to enquire about any concerns they may have about care, and to explain the proposed cause of death and wording of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD). This requires excellent communication skills, a good knowledge of clinical information and medical terminology.

They will additionally be a point of contact and source of advice for healthcare professionals from elsewhere in the organisation, outside of the Trust and both the Coroners' Office and Registration services.

About us

With a new hospital planned for Watford and work underway to update theatres at St Albans City Hospital, this is an exciting time to join us.

We are building on the success of our award-winning virtual hospital and re-imaging models of care, working ever more closely with partners and making the most of advances in digital healthcare.

Staff wellbeing and development are a priority at our Trust, as is the role of innovation in improving clinical care, outcomes and patient experience.

Our vision is Excellent patient care, together and our values are to be empowered, compassionate, professional and inclusive. They capture an important balance across what we must all do as individuals and to support others.

At West Herts we offer a variety of flexible working options as we recognise the importance of a good work life balance and the ability to work flexibly.

We kindly invite you to consider submitting an application.

If you have a disability or long-term health condition and should you require support or guidance please contact westherts.recruitment@nhs.net.

If you are a Service Leaver, Veteran, Military Reserve, Cadet Force Adult Volunteer, or partner/spouse of those serving please tick Member of the Armed Forces Community on the application form.

We reserve the right to close this advert early due to the volume of applicants.

If you do not hear back within 3 weeks of your application, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for a full list of duties and details about the role.

You can also read more information about the Medical Examiners Service on the Royal College of Pathologists website Medical examiners (rcpath.org).

Please note: as part of this role, we will require the applicant to work occasional weekend mornings on a rota basis, as part of the services out-of-hours provision.

Person Specification

Education and qualifications:

Essential

• Appropriate GCSE's and /or 'A' levels.
• A commitment to life-long learning and undertaking personal development opportunities.
• Completing e-learning MEO core training modules prior to starting in the post.

Desirable

• Bachelor's degree.
• Post-graduate management or leadership qualification.
• Bereavement/counselling qualification.

Knowledge:

Essential

• Appropriate experience working in an NHS/healthcare setting.
• The ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including the recently bereaved.
• Excellent knowledge of clinical/medical terminology Knowledge of the Coroner and Justice Act 2009 with reference to the medical examiner system.

Desirable

• A sound knowledge of Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts.
• Understanding of the Caldicott Principles and willingness to uphold them.
• Full understanding of the medical examiner system operational remit when incorporated within Bereavement services.

Experience:

Essential

• Working with people in sensitive and emotional situations.
• Good knowledge of the special requirements of various faith groups and respect for equality and diversity of issues around formalities following a death.
• Working with multi-disciplinary teams across organisation boundaries.
• Experience of working in a healthcare setting with multi-disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries.

Desirable

• Experience of change management within complex environments.

Employer details

Employer name

West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Address

Watford General Hospital

Vicarage Road

Watford

WD18 0HB

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

360-E-6153