Medical Examiner Officer

The role will include supporting the Medical Examiners in their role in scrutinising the circumstances and causes of death. To be a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patient, healthcare professionals, Coroners and Registration services., The Medical Examiner Service will:
+ Strengthen safeguards for the public by providing robust, systematic and independent scrutiny of all deaths not referred directly to the Coroner.
+ Improve the quality of death certification, providing advice based on a review of relevant health records.
+ Avoid unnecessary distress for the bereaved by answering questions about the care given or certified cause of death, managing the Bereavement Services., + To work with Medical Examiners to support them in their responsibility for overseeing the death certification process for all deceased patients at the Trust and in the community.
+ To establish the circumstances of individual patient deaths by performing a preliminary review of medical records to identify clinical and circumstantial information, sourcing additional details where required, for scrutiny by the Medical Examiner.
+ Work with the Medical Examiners to ensure proper and proportionate scrutiny of medical records.
+ Discuss the findings of the Medical Examiners on medical cause of death with the qualified attending practitioners.
+ To work closely with the Bereavement Team to act as an intermediary between the bereaved and clinicians to establish and resolve any concerns relating to a patient's death.
+ Discuss the content of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) with relatives of the deceased and in all cases, collect additional information. This may include the need to communicate sensitive information and offer explanations.
+ To assist in highlighting cases for assessment by the Structured Judgement Review team (SJR), Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP), Clinical Governance teams and the Learning Disability Review Teams (LeDeR).
+ To refer patients to the relevant Coroner for further investigation as instructed by the Medical Examiner- contact the medical practitioner.
+ To maintain an awareness of the diverse needs of users of the Medical Examiner System to ensure equality to any group defined by sex, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability. To offer support and pastoral care to families and colleagues and in collaboration with the Bereavement Office, facilitate effective communication between families and health care professionals.
+ To assist relatives in identifying appropriate information and additional / further advice and support e.g., Patient Advice Liaison Service contacts, Bereavement Office information.
+ To establish clear and effective channels for communicating and co-operating with all departments, wards, and relevant professionals.
+ To support the Lead Medical Examiner Officer in the development of protocols, guidelines, and policy as appropriate.
+ To manage own workload ensuring timescales are adhered to.
+ To continually monitor one's performance in the provision of care; ensuring professional standards are always met.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early. Therefore, interested applicants are advised to apply as early as possible.
Please review the job description and person specification carefully before applying to ensure that you meet the essential requirements for the post.
All applicants will be contacted and informed by email whether they were successfully shortlisted for interview.
As part of you pre-employment checks we will be required to obtain satisfactory references. We require at least one written reference from your current or most recent employer. We are only able to accept references from a professional work email address.
From April 2017 the Government plans to extend the requirement to provide a criminal record certificate to Tier 2 visa applicants coming to work in Education, Health and Social Care sectors and to their adult dependants.
If you are a Tier 2 visa applicant and you are coming to work in an occupation defined by the relevant Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code, you will be required to provide a criminal record certificate from any country you have lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years, this is also applicable for your adult dependants.
Employers are expected to implement the Care Certificate for all applicable new starters from April 2015. The Care Certificate aims to equip health and social care support workers with the knowledge and skills which they need to provide safe, compassionate care. We expect all new starters in clinical, patient facing posts (bands 1-4) to complete all 15 standards of the Care Certificate, within their first 6 months with the Trust.
Flexible Working applications will be considered in line the Trusts flexible working policies.
The Trust is a no-smoking site.
We reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications and so urge you to submit your application as soon as possible.
Please note UKVI guidelines prohibits sponsorship for all Band 2 posts. Guidelines state that many non-clinical posts are also not eligible for sponsorship. Please use UKVI guidance on Skilled Worker Visas to determine whether you would be eligible for sponsorship if you were to gain a conditional offer for this role.

As the largest single site specialist heart and chest hospital in the UK, we, at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, have a clear vision 'to be the best cardiothoracic integrated healthcare organisation'.
We provide specialist services in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, respiratory medicine including adult cystic fibrosis and diagnostic imaging, both in the hospital and out in the community.
We serve a catchment area of 2.8 million people, spanning Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man, and increasingly we receive referrals from outside these areas for highly specialised services such as aortics.
Heart and lung disease continue to be amongst the biggest killers in the UK and the communities we serve are marked by increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, higher levels of heart failure, hypertension, coronary artery disease and an ageing population.
Our reputation for strong performance is important in delivering the best care for our patients and high quality clinical services. This is underpinned by a culture of research and innovation, delivered in modern estate and facilitated by technology. New and upgraded clinical areas are designed with patients and families fully involved to deliver their needs.
As part of our long term plan, we aim to form strong clinical and organisational relationships where possible. There is clear evidence that partnerships improve patient care and enhance quality and we aim to collaborate with a range of other providers and professionals with the aim to extending access and improve quality.
Our vision is underpinned by five strategic goals:
+ Quality: to deliver the highest quality, safest and best experience for patients and their families by providing reliable care
+ Service and Innovation: to develop our service portfolio for patients by developing innovative models of care
+ Value: to maintain financial viability, enhance service delivery and develop new models of care to improve the health of our patients and safely reduce costs
+ Workforce: to be the best NHS Employer by 2019 by attracting and retaining the best staff to deliver excellent patient care
+ Stakeholders: to develop productive relationships with key stakeholders in order to enhance our profile and reputation.
Our Mission
"Excellent, Compassionate and Safe care for every patient, every day", As the largest single site specialist heart and chest hospital in the UK, we, at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, have a clear vision 'to be the best cardiothoracic integrated healthcare organisation'.
We provide specialist services in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, respiratory medicine both in the hospital and out in the community.
We serve a catchment area of 2.8 million people, spanning Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man, and increasingly we receive referrals from outside these areas for highly specialised services such as aortics.
Our reputation for strong performance is important in delivering the best care for our patients and high quality clinical services. This is underpinned by a culture of research and innovation, delivered in modern estate and our encouragement of flexible working in a variety of forms.
Please visit our website - https://www.lhch.nhs.uk/
Please follow this link for a tour of our site - https://bit.ly/36ylsoq