Litigation and Inquest Officer Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter: @CRHCareers @WellbeingCRH @royalhospital

This exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Patient Safety Team as Litigation and Inquest Officer.
The successful post holder will be working with our panel of solicitors to progress clinical negligence claims made against the Trust and will be involved in supporting the inquest investigation process.
Responsible for facilitating the Trust's portfolio of clinical negligence claims in line with current guidelines/policies and procedures, under the supervision of the Litigation & Inquest Co-ordinator and the Patient Safety and Complaint Manager. With on the job training; liaising with CRH clinicians, Trust solicitors, Claimant's solicitors and NHS Resolution.
This important role in the Patient Safety Team works alongside the Learning Response Co-ordinators and the Patient Safety Specialist and other functions in the wider Quality Governance Team., Providing support and cover as required to the Litigation and Inquest Co-ordinator and Patient Safety & Litigation Administrator on the management of the Trust portfolio of Coronial investigations in line with current guidelines/policies and procedures.
The post holder must be able to exercise significant discretion to work within assigned parameters and must have the confidence and the abilities to be able to identify and escalate any potential matters of concern relating to the Trust's reputation or clinical practice, to the Litigation and Inquest Co-ordinator.
The post holder must be accomplished in building firm and supportive working relationships with colleagues and external parties.
On occasions the post holder may be exposed to Post-mortem images, and reports that may cause certain degrees of upset. The post holder should be experienced and capable in managing their resilience.
There may sometimes be a requirement for the post holder to contact the claimant or members of the deceased family to offer support and provide information relating to the Trust's processes around claims and inquests.
The post holder will need to support parties who are emotionally distressed and/or may need to engage in difficult conversations with colleagues in order to clarify certain areas on behalf of solicitors or the Coroner.
Providing advice and support to colleagues on inquests and claim related matters, under the guidance of the Litigation & Inquest Co-ordinator.

Working for our organisation
+ COMPASSION - treating everyone with kindness - welcoming diversity and inclusion, considering individual needs; and challenging inappropriate behaviours outside of our values.
+ AMBITION - Aspiring to be the best - reaching high standards, providing exceptional care and services; and achieving measurable improvements in people's health and wellbeing.
+ RESPECT - Valuing and appreciating everyone - listening, learning, and acting on their experiences, being open and honest; and recognising that working with others brings benefits.
+ ENCOURAGEMENT- Opportunities for all - supporting education and development, helping people to bring their improvement ideas to life and speak-up; and getting everyone involved in our future., Under the guidance of the Litigation & Inquest Co-ordinator, manage a portfolio of potential and confirmed clinical negligence claims Tasks include but are not limited to:
[DEL: · :DEL] Investigate and respond to all disclosure queries from claimant's solicitors. Review all available healthcare records and liaise with the Patient Records Data Office, all Departments and Divisions to identify and locate all relevant records pertaining to a case.
· Where a serious incident/complaint identifies a breach of duty and there is the possibility of a large value claim report to NHS Resolution irrespective of whether or not a claim has been notified or a disclosure request received.
· Update the Assistance and Complaints Service (ACS) Team of any new claim where there has previously been a complaint.
· Set up and maintain the Trust file for each claim.
· Ensure that all clinical negligence claims are logged on the DATIX database and update the information as required until the claim is closed.
· Ensure that confirmed clinical negligence claims are reported to National Health Service Resolution and that the Trust meets the time scales set down in NHS Resolution reporting requirements.
· Act as the Trust's named point of contact with NHS Resolution, Trust solicitors and claimant's solicitors.
· Liaise with NHS Resolution, all solicitors (both defendant and claimant) and staff involved to facilitate the efficient handling of clinical claims.
· Ensure all clinical negligence claims are investigated and managed efficiently in accordance with Trust Policy, pre-action protocol and civil procedure rules.
· With support from the Litigation & Inquest Co-ordinator identify across all staff groups, colleagues who are likely to have information and knowledge which would be material and useful to the Trust in the conduct of the claim.
· Where staff have left the Trust undertake reasonable searches to locate them and request their comments.
· Ensure that following requests for limitation extensions from a claimant's solicitor, healthcare records are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and NHSR is consulted for approval or refusal where appropriate.
· Assigning work to and requesting comments on allegations, evidential reports/statements from all appropriate Clinicians.
· Provide the Litigation & Inquest Co-ordinator the clinicians statements for proof reading, before disclosing; and ensuring that these are provided within the deadlines to prevent any unnecessary delays to the process.
· On occasion provide cover for the Litigation & Inquest Co-ordinator in supporting to the Trusts Solicitors, the Trust, and Royal Primary Care staff at internal and external case conferences.
· Providing emotional signposting to staff involved in clinical negligence claims and supporting as appropriate.
· Ensure that the Executive Medical Director and the respective Divisional Leadership Team are kept fully informed of a claim as it develops.
· Gain timely approval of Pre-Action Protocol documents from the relevant Executive colleagues.
· Provide Divisional Leadership Teams and Litigation and Inquest Co-ordinator with regular updates on claims statistics along with a monthly 'Reportable Issues Log' that can be shared with members of the Trust's Quality Delivery Group.
For further information please see the Job Description.
Flexible Working
If you're looking for flexible or predictable working arrangements, please speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate this. If it works for our service and patients, we will do our best to make it work for you.
COVID19 Vaccination
Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is committed to ensuring the safety of all our staff and patients therefore encourages and supports staff to be vaccinated against COVID19 as this remains the best line of defence against the virus.
UK Points-based immigration system
Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the United Kingdom (UK) are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Please note that from 1 January 2021, to work in the UK all candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship unless you have permission to work via another route. Non UK / RoI candidates wishing to apply can self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship here Work in the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
It is vital that you provide full and accurate details of your current immigration status on the application form. Overseas applicants applying for entry clearance into the UK must present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided in continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If you are applying for a vacancy in health or adult social care, you may be eligible to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead, which is cheaper to apply for and you do not need to pay the annual immigration health surcharge.
Communications
Communications throughout the application process will be via e-mail therefore please check your e-mail account and Trac account regularly. References are also requested by email (where possible). Therefore to speed up the recruitment process please provide an email address for all referees when completing your application form.
If you require any support in completing the application form, please do not hesitate to contact the HR Support Services team on and we will be happy to provide assistance.
Please see the attached documents and links in relation to working for Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. In particular, the general conditions of employment and benefits of working for the trust.
This role is part of the integrated health and social care community across Derbyshire, where there are many opportunities to work across different locations and providers developing new and different skills. Whilst this role is initially based in Chesterfield there may be future opportunities to be based at different locations within the health and social care community which we may talk to you about in the future.