Healthcare Lawyer

Job summary

This role sits within the Trust's Legal Department and the post holder acts as In-House Healthcare Lawyer within a team of lawyers of other legal specialties, supported by the Head of Legal Services. The post holder will provide a professional and confidential legal function to multiple departments within the Trust, including the senior executive team. The post holder will advise in relation to clinical litigation, medico legal work and coronial inquests, and on occasion may have opportunity to work across other areas such as employment and commercial matters, to provide a generalist legal service.

The role will be based in Basingstoke, but the post holder is required to attend the Winchester and Andover sites on occasion when necessary. The post holder will be expected to attend further locations as may be necessary to perform the role, such as attendance at Court or Inquests.

Main duties of the job

• Advising on clinical negligence, Employer and Public Liability Claims, running own caseload, drafting witness statements, reviewing, and commissioning expert evidence, preparing reports, and advising the trust on litigation risk, negotiating on settlements, liaising with NHS Resolution, panel solicitors, experts and witnesses;
• Handling own caseload of inquest matters, drafting witness statements, advising on risk, conducting court representation and advocacy (including examination of witnesses and legal submissions to HM Coroner on inquest scope and conclusions), liaising with the coroner's office and internal clinical teams, working with NHSR and external lawyers in preparation for inquests and supporting staff required to give evidence.
• Advising in relation to Court of Protection matters, managing own caseload, drafting, and issuing relevant documentation and representation at hearings as necessary;
• Reviewing incident reports and attending incident review meetings;
• Reviewing and advising on complaint responses
• To build and maintain close and effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, advising on risk and maintaining professionalism at all times;
• Reviewing litigation data and reporting to senior leaders and executives at the trust;
• Managing NHSR Maternity Early Notification Scheme matters;

About us

Our vision is to provide outstanding care for every patient. Patient care is at the heart of what we do at our three sites: Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester and Andover War Memorial Hospital. Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides medical and surgical services to a population of approximately 600,000 people across Hampshire and parts of West Berkshire.

Our cultural ambition is to have a culture that places people at the heart of all we do, where we all belong, and where learning, improvement and excellence thrive.

We provide specialist services to people across the UK and internationally. We are one of only two centres in the UK treating pseudomyxoma peritonei (a rare form of abdominal cancer) and we are leaders in the field of tertiary liver cancer and colorectal cancer.

The trust employs more than 9,000 staff and has a turnover of over £500 million a year. As a Foundation Trust, we are directly accountable to our members through the governors. The Council of Governors represent the interests of their constituencies and influence the future plans of the Foundation Trust.