Lead Medical Examiner Officer

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is looking to recruit an enthusiastic and highly motivated Lead Medical Examiner Officer (Lead MEO).

The role of the Lead Medical Examiner Officer is to ensure support for Medical Examiners (MEs) in their role in scrutinising the circumstances and causes of death, and to be a point of contact for coroner and registration services. The Lead MEO manages the MEO team, and they are also a source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals and the bereavement service.

The Lead Medical Examiner Officer role is anticipated to be hugely rewarding and will improve personal skills for the successful applicant. It is also a highly responsible and involved role and will require a dedicated and driven applicant.

Main duties of the job

The Medical Examiner's Office is an independent service hosted by Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The team consists of Medical Examiner Officers who support the Medical Examiner with the focus of:

1. providing greater safeguards for the public by ensuring proper scrutiny of all non-coronial deaths
2. ensuring the appropriate referral of deaths to the coroner
3. providing a better service for the bereaved and an opportunity for them to raise any concerns to a Doctor not involved in the care of the deceased
4. improving the quality of death certification
5. improving the quality of mortality data

This role is critical in developing a responsive and fluid service which is adaptable to the needs of our patients and our workforce. The successful candidate will have a proactive role in shaping how the service grows and adapts to the needs of our patients and relatives.

About us

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is situated on the west coast of Lancashire, with services covering the local authority areas of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre. The Trust is part of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS) supporting a population of around 1.6 million people.

We have three main hospitals providing acute services to around 330,000 local residents. The organisation also provides specialist tertiary care for cardiac and haematology services, delivers community health services to over 445,000 residents including those in North Lancashire and hosts the National Artificial Eye Service across England. Plus, we provide urgent and emergency care services to an estimated 18 million people who visit the seaside resort each year. We employ over 7000 people from 68 different countries.

We welcome and encourage application from anyone with protected characteristics, as well as supporting reservists and Veterans who are looking for a rewarding and challenging career within the NHS.

Job description

Job responsibilities

• To manage the Medical Examiners (MEs) office and ensure the Medical Examiners Officers (MEOs) are provided with appropriate and relevant support.
• To provide line management for the MEOs.
• To support in the implementation of the reforms of death certification and improvement of the processes of death certification and referrals to the Coroner.
• To be a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals, coroner, and registration services.
• To support in the development of protocols, guidelines, and policies for the service development and implementation of a system-wide model of the Medical Examiners System at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and across the Fylde Coast.

Person Specification

Experience & Knowledge

Essential

• Previous experience of working as a Medical Examiners Officer
• Experience of working in the NHS

Skills and ability

Essential

• Computer literate to use multiple IT software

Education & Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to Bachelors' degree level, or equivalent practical experience in a related field.
• RCP Certificate
• Postgraduate qualification or equivalent experience in a relevant topic

Employer details

Employer name: Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Blackpool Victoria Hospital, Whinney Heys Rd, Blackpool, FY3 8NR

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

382-COR59-24