Trust Medical Examiner

Job responsibilities

Medical examiners (MEs) are appropriately trained (typically senior) doctors who will verify clinical information on Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs) and ensure that the right referrals are made to the coroner for further investigation. MEs will take a consistent approach to the formulation of MCCD content, which must be clinically accurate and reflect any discussions with the next of kin/informant. MEs must not have been involved in the care of the deceased patients for deaths they scrutinise.

Qualifications

Registered with a licence to practice in the UK by the GMC.

As a pre-condition of practicing, an ME must have successfully completed the mandatory components of the national online medical examiner curriculum and face-to-face training.

Behavioural attributes

MEs should be aware of how their personal communication style impacts on others and be able to adapt their approach to suit a variety of situations and audiences. This will require:

• Highly evolved self-awareness and empathetic skills to liaise effectively and sympathetically with bereaved families
• The ability to demonstrate and combine appropriate levels of compassion with professionalism and discretion
• Being open to constructive criticism, ideas and solutions
• Acting as a positive role model and interacting appropriately with all stakeholders including MEOs, other MEs, the bereaved and the coroner
• Having the integrity to gain trust and comply with the independent nature of the ME role in the context of other clinical specialty duties.

Performance criteria

Communications and key working relationships

To be a source of expert knowledge and advice for health professionals and wider stakeholder groups; these include:

Internal within own organisation:

• Medical Director
• All grades of clinicians
• Clinical governance leads
• MEOs and bereavement service staff
• Mortuary staff

External:

• Coroners and their officers
• Registrar of births and deaths
• Local Authorities, including care homes and safeguarding teams
• Spiritual and faith community leaders
• Other health care providers to including GPs
• Lead MEs and lead MEOs
• National Medical Examiner

Knowledge

MEs must have up-to-date knowledge of medical conditions and treatments and be able to exercise judgement about when to seek specialist advice.

MEs must have detailed knowledge of the relevant legislation and processes which apply to:

• The determination of whether a death is natural or unnatural
• Deaths that must be reported to the coroner
• Deaths abroad where bodies are returned to England and Wales for disposal
• Deaths where relatives wish to transport the body abroad for disposal
• Certifying and registering deaths and the regulations to authorise cremation or burials of stillbirths abroad.

Accountability

MEs will have professional independence in scrutinising deaths but will be accountable to the employing organisations Board for achieving agreed standards or levels of performance.

MEs will have an independent professional line of accountability to a regional structure of NHS Improvement/NHS England outside the employing organisation and immediate line management structure.

MEs will comply with guidance issued by the National Medical Examiner when carrying out ME duties.

Safety and Quality Clinical Governance

MEs will be required to participate in any relevant governance activities relating to scrutiny and confirmation of the cause of death where concerns have been raised by the next of kin/informant of the deceased and/or clinical staff and ME scrutiny.

MEs will facilitate routine analysis of MCCD information to identify trends, patterns and unusual features of deaths and report, as required, firstly to the regional Lead ME and ultimately to the National Medical Examiners office.

MEs will provide information to local Child Death Overview panels in respect of all child deaths which are not being investigated by the coroner.

Maintaining Trust

Equality and Diversity

MEs will act in accordance with Equalities and Human Rights legislation and the organisations Equality and Diversity policies.

Independence

MEs must avoid any potential conflicts of interest. In cases where they have a personal or professional relationship with the deceased person, next of kin/informant, or with the attending doctor preparing the MCCD, they must transfer any scrutiny of the death to another ME.

Continuing professional development

MEs are expected to take responsibility for their own continuing professional development in accordance with any standards for maintaining a GMC licence to practice and membership of any relevant professional body. The ME role should be included in the whole practice appraisal.

MEs should maintain a Personal Development Plan in agreement with their appraiser.

There will be opportunities to attend local and national activities to maintain up to date knowledge.

Working Conditions:

MEs may need to use a computer for prolonged periods of time. The ME system operates within a reactive area of service delivery interacting with people in variable degrees of distress and demonstrating potentially irrational/unpredictable behaviour.

All employees are expected to undertake work on any of the Trusts sites as required by the service. As a senior employee of the Trust you will work in close co-operation with, and support other clinical, medical professional and managerial colleagues in providing high quality healthcare to the Trusts patients. Integral to these responsibilities is the following: -

• The provision of a first class clinical service
• Effective leadership to all staff engaged in the specialty
• Sustaining and developing teaching and research in conjunction with Kings College London / KHP
• Undertaking all work in accordance with the Trusts procedures and operating policies
• Conducting clinical practice in accordance with contractual requirements and within the parameters of the Trusts service plans
• Maintaining the confidence of business plans and development strategies formulated for the specialty, the Division or the Trust

Key Duties and responsibilities

1. Together with other consultant colleagues, to provide a service for the trust. This includes all aspects of treatment and relevant management duties for the proper functioning of the department.
2. Provide clinical supervision of junior medical staff as a shared responsibility with other consultant colleagues.
3. Responsible for carrying out teaching, examination and accreditation duties as required and contributing to CPD and clinical governance initiatives.
4. Responsible for outpatient clinic commitments in peripheral hospitals as agreed with the Divisional management team.
5. Contribute to departmental research interests in accordance with the Trusts R&D framework.
6. Contribute to the audit programmes, Morbidity and Mortality, clinical governance programs and learning from Deaths.
7. Take an active role in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of the departments/ Divisions Business Plan. This may include assisting with discussions regarding service plans and developments with internal and external agencies.
8. Conduct all activities within the contracted level of service and operating plan for service(s).
9. Exercise professional leadership for all staff working in the specialty. This will include fostering and developing projects focused towards these ends and ensuring that the momentum of post-qualification professional education and other appropriate training is maintained.
10. Work in conjunction with clinical and other professional colleagues to ensure that the productivity of staff within the specialty is maintained and their job satisfaction is enhanced. This may include involvement in the appraisal process for peers and/or junior colleagues.
11. Undertake Divisional management duties as agreed with the Divisional/departmental Manager/Clinical Director.
12. Be aware of, and comply with, all Trust infection prevention and control policies, to include hand hygiene, personal hygiene, environmental and food hygiene.
13. Prepare for and undertake the protective interventions that you are responsible for in a manner that is consistent with evidence-based practice and maintaining patient safety.

Qualifications & Registrations

Essential

• Registerable medical qualification
• MRCP or equivalent
• Within six months of the expected date of CCT (or equivalent) on the day of interview
• Medical Practitioner registered and licensed to practise in the UK by the GMC
• Name on Specialist Register on date of taking up appointment

Desirable

• Other higher degree or diploma (eg. MD)

Training & Experience

Essential

• Candidates must have successfully completed the mandatory e-learning modules and attended a face-to-face training session by the time they start the role

Personal Skills

Essential

• IT skills including use of email and commonly used software
• Ability to manage and comply with sensitive information-based processes under tight timescales with proportionate approach

Teaching

Essential

• Experience of undergraduate and post-graduate teaching and exam preparation

Desirable

• Teaching skills course/qualification

Knowledge

Essential

• MEs should have up-to-date knowledge of causes of death and an understanding of the legal frameworks associated with death certification processes
• Knowledge of the special requirements of various faith group and respect for equality and diversity

Administration

Essential

• Experience in day to day organisation of services in a busy Teaching Hospital

Desirable

• Familiar with current structure of Health Service and conversant with recent initiatives and changes

Management & Leadership

Essential

• Able to demonstrate leadership capability within multi-disciplinary teams

Desirable

• Management course and/or qualification

Audit, Quality Improvement & Research

Essential

• Thorough understanding of principles of medical audit and quality improvement
• Must be able to demonstrate ability to lead change
• Experience of conducting or supporting clinical research

Desirable

• Relevant research experience
• Publication of relevant review articles or case reports

Safety & Quality : Clinical Governance

Essential

• Knowledge of local and national clinical governance systems and an understanding of how the ME can work collaboratively to improve patient safety by identifying sub-optimal clinical and organisational performance
• Ability to identify available data sources to support the detection and analysis of concerns and to recognise gaps in available knowledge
• Ability to identify and disseminate examples of good practice amongst relevant colleagues

Personal & Behavioural Attributes

Essential

• Effective communicator, able to work in a close-knit team and co-operate with all medical and paramedical staff
• Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently within own team and also closely with people in other disciplines
• Ability to work as a part of a team and organise fluctuating workload around competing priorities and numerous interruptions
• Proactive and self motivated with a flexible working approach
• Have the resilience to manage own reaction to frequently distressing situations and support others within the team
• To sustain professional integrity and independence at all times, particularly where there is the potential for a conflict of interest

King's Values

Essential

• Flexible and resilient
• A commitment to life-long learning and undertaking personal development opportunities
• Professional attitude towards work, reliability, good record of attendance and tidy personal appearance
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of Kings Values
• Commitment to uphold Kings Values

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).