Job summary
Working Full Time - 37.5 Hours per Week
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Clinical Coder to join the Clinical Coding Team at The Countess of Chester Foundation NHS Trust. Applicants will already be ACC qualified and either have experience of supervising staff or looking to take the next steps in to management.
We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual who is a team player with excellent communication skills as well as a proven track record of problem solving and negotiation. The post holder will need to work closely with the Clinical Coding Management Team to promote clinical engagement and raise the profile of Clinical Coding in the Trust.
You will be responsible for delivering high standards of accuracy across the team and ensuring that coding deadlines are met.
Hybrid remote/onsite working arrangement with flexible working hours.
Informal enquiries and visits to the department are encouraged. Please contact: Michael Jones, Data Quality and Clinical Coding Manager on 01244 366285 or by emailingmichaeljones4@nhs.net
Main duties of the job
- To undertake clinical coding as required throughout the month with an average coding rate of five FCEs per hour per day, with coding accuracy at a minimum of 95%, in line with the IG toolkit level 3 standards for experienced coders with ACC qualification.
- To have a proactive and positive approach in working with consultants and clinicians to ensure that sufficient code-able information is clearly provided in case notes to enable high levels of data quality.
- To manage your own day to day workload including the supervision of staff and allocation of work within own area.
- To mentor Trainee coders and ensure that they follow the Clinical Coding Training Programme and attend the Standards course.
About us
The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides services to West Cheshire and to Welsh patients covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Its services are provided from three locations:
- The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 438 general and acute beds.
- Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 56 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility.
- Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.
The Trust employs over 6258 staff (headcount) which includes temporary bank staff and provides acute emergency and elective services, primary care direct access services and obstetric services to a population of approximately 407,000. This includes 357,000 residents in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire which has a population of approximately 50,000.
The Trust is a busy district general hospital and in 2022/2023, there were more than 503,342 patient attendances (inpatient, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery. This is an increase of nearly 10,000 compared to the previous year when there were 494,387 patient attendances.
Job description
Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £23 (standard) or £43 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first three months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £13 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Job description
Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £23 (standard) or £43 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first three months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £13 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Accredited Clinical Coder (ACC)
- Clinical Coder Refresher Status is current.
- Evidence of continued professional development by attendance at Clinical coding specialty workshops
- Pass mark of 85% for internal specialist clinical coding exam undertaken before appointment to the role
Desirable
- Degree level or equivalent.
Knowledge and experience
Essential
- Substantial clinical coding experience in an acute NHS Trust post ACC qualification
- Experience of assigning ICD-10 and OPCS-4 codes in a wide range of specialties
- Experience of explaining complex coding rules to junior coders.
- Experience of applying coding rules and conventions in order to reach appropriate coding decisions.
- Knowledge of clinical coding audit process
- Experience of building effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders at all levels of seniority in order to validate coding and explain coding rules and conventions.
Desirable
- Experience of staff supervision/leadership including organising and distributing workload
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Accredited Clinical Coder (ACC)
- Clinical Coder Refresher Status is current.
- Evidence of continued professional development by attendance at Clinical coding specialty workshops
- Pass mark of 85% for internal specialist clinical coding exam undertaken before appointment to the role
Desirable
- Degree level or equivalent.
Knowledge and experience
Essential
- Substantial clinical coding experience in an acute NHS Trust post ACC qualification
- Experience of assigning ICD-10 and OPCS-4 codes in a wide range of specialties
- Experience of explaining complex coding rules to junior coders.
- Experience of applying coding rules and conventions in order to reach appropriate coding decisions.
- Knowledge of clinical coding audit process
- Experience of building effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders at all levels of seniority in order to validate coding and explain coding rules and conventions.
Desirable
- Experience of staff supervision/leadership including organising and distributing workload
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
