Medical Examiner Officer | York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is expanding the team of Medical Examiner Officers (MEO) to accommodate the increase in workload following statutory changes. The new post holder will be primarily based at York Hospital but may occasionally be asked to travel to, and work at, Scarborough Hospital. This role is part of the national implementation of the Medical Examiner Service in England and Wales, and we invite applications from anyone with degree level education or equivalent experience; and either with a professional clinical background or relevant experience in the bereavement or coroner service. The post will involve:

• Strengthening safeguards for the public by providing robust, systematic and independent scrutiny of all deaths not referred directly to the Coroner.
• Improving the quality of death certification, providing advice based on a review of relevant health records.
• Avoiding unnecessary distress for the bereaved by answering questions about the care given or certified cause of death.
This vacancy will be considered for a secondment opportunity. Please note - if you would like your application to be considered for secondment, you must secure agreement from your line manager beforehand that you can be released to undertake the role. You will be a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals and coroner and registration services. You will be responsible for ensuring internal and external qualitative, and quantitative key performance indicators are managed and achieved and work closely with the bereavement team, coronal and registrar services to provide the best experience for bereaved families. Working under delegation from the Medical Examiner (ME), the MEO will support the end process of death certification within the Medical Examiner Service. This will require a combination of skills and clinical knowledge, compassion, sensitivity and a commitment to engage with bereaved families. The MEO will review patient records to gather information for the ME. The post holder will provide administrative skills to support Medical Examiners in scrutinizing deaths, ensuring necessary paperwork is accurate and complete. The MEO will contact the next of kin to discuss the death, to enquire about any concerns they may have about care, and to explain the proposed wording of the Death Certificate. This requires excellent communication skills. There will additionally be a point of contact and source of advice for healthcare professionals from elsewhere in the organisation and, where appropriate, Coroners' and Registration services., As part of seeking to become more inclusive, we will consider requests for flexible working from the start of your employment. It may not be suitable for every role, but we will try and be supportive where we can. We would encourage you to speak to the recruiting manager named within this advert to discuss any requirements you may have. Armed Forces Friendly Employer We are holders of the Gold Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, which is helping actively promote SaBRE - Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers. This means that we have made a statement of intent to support all Defence personnel, including with applications for employment. COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements Our Trust continues to strongly encourage our staff to be vaccinated against COVID19, this remains our best defence to protect our patients, ourselves and everyone else.

Disability Confident About Disability Confident A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.

We offer a range of benefits to support our staff including: · Access to the NHS Pension Scheme, providing generous benefits upon retirement, as well as a lump sum and pension for dependants · 27 days holiday rising to 33 days (depending on NHS Trust service) · A generous relocation package of up to 30% of salary (capped at £18k) to support with relocation expenses for hard to fill positions where relocation would be an expectation to undertake the role fully. If you would like to discuss a potential relocation package, please speak to the recruiting department/manager. · A variety of different types of paid and unpaid leave covering emergency and planned leave · Confidential advice and support on personal, work, family and relationship issues, 24/7, from our Employee Assistance Programme · NHS Car Lease scheme and Cycle to Work scheme · An extensive range of learning and development opportunities · Discounts on restaurants, getaways, shopping, motoring, cinema and finance from a range of providers For further information on the fantastic range of benefits we offer please visit the Trust's dedicated Staff Benefits pages. A full description of the role is available in the attachment: job description. Please note that if a high number of applications are received this advert may close early. You are advised to submit your application at the earliest opportunity. Working for the Trust Across our organisation, people are guided by values that were co-developed with staff: we are kind; we are open; and we pursue excellence.