Job summary
Medical Examiner posts have been created by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in response to observations made in the Third Report of the Shipman Inquiry. The introduction of the medical examiner system will promote robust, transparent and independent scrutiny of death certification processes.
The Medical Examiner is to act as an independent reviewer of patient deaths, to ensure referrals to the coroner are appropriate, to review the Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs) and liaise with the doctor or senior team members as appropriate and liaise with the bereaved relatives to explain the cause of death and take note of any concerns.
There is already a well-established Medical Examiner Service based at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust which is comprised of part-time Medical Examiners and Medical Examiner Officers (providing administrative and managerial support).
The advertised positions are replacement posts for Medical Examiners currently on the weekly rota at MFT (part-time, 1-2 PAs). Successful candidates would be expected to work approximately 8 to 9 weeks a year on this rota, providing one 4 hour session for each working day during a Mon-Fri week (1PA). There would also be a requirement to provide Medical Examiner cover on occasional weekends/bank holidays; this will be a rare activity (approx. 2-3 times per year) and will be morning only.
Main duties of the job
Medical examiners (MEs) are experienced doctors who will verify clinical information on Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs) and ensure that appropriate referrals are made to the coroner for further investigation. A practicing medical practitioner who has been on the General Medical Council register for a minimum of five years post registration can apply to be a Medical Examiner. It is recommended that Medical Examiners are either consultant grade hospital doctors from a range of disciplines or experienced GPs. MEs will take a consistent approach to the formulation of MCCD content. It is expected that ME sessions will be undertaken on one of the MFT sites and work supported by the Chief ME and Medical Examiner Officers.
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
Safety and Quality - Clinical Governance
MEs will facilitate routine analysis of MCCD information to identify trends, patterns and unusual features of deaths.
About us
MFT is England's largest NHS Trust with a turnover of £2.6bn & is on a different scale than most other NHS Trusts. We're creating an exceptional integrated health & social care system for the 1 million patients who rely on our services every year.
Bringing together 10 hospitals & community services from across Manchester, Trafford & beyond, we champion collaborative working & transformation, encouraging our 28,000 workforce to pursue their most ambitious goals. We set standards that other Trusts seek to emulate so you'll benefit from a scale of opportunity that is nothing short of extraordinary.
We've also created a digitally enabled organisation to improve clinical quality, patient & staff experience, operational effectiveness & driving research and innovation through the introduction of Hive; our brand-new Electronic Patient Record system which we've launched in September 2022.
We're proud to be a major academic Research Centre & Education provider, providing you with a robust infrastructure to encourage and facilitate high-quality research programmes. What's more, we're excited to be embarking on our new Green Plan which will set out how MFT continues to play its part in making healthcare more sustainable.
At MFT, we create and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, provide equal opportunities for career development that are fair, open and transparent, protecting your health and wellbeing and shaping the future of our organisation together.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guide that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.
COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst COVID-19 vaccination is not currently a condition of employment, we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated. If you are unvaccinated, there is helpful advice and information available by searching on the NHS England website where you can also find out more about how to access the vaccination.
Diversity Matters
MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at resourcing@mft.nhs.uk.
Were looking forward to hearing from you!
Job description
Job responsibilities
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience youll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the Supporting Documents heading. So that youre even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, youll need to take time to read the Candidate Essentials Guide that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how we care for you as you care for others. Most importantly, it also contains critical information youll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.
COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst COVID-19 vaccination is not currently a condition of employment, we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated. If you are unvaccinated, there is helpful advice and information available by searching on the NHS England website where you can also find out more about how to access the vaccination.
Diversity Matters
MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at resourcing@mft.nhs.uk.
Were looking forward to hearing from you!
Person Specification
Knowledge, Skills and Performance
Essential
- Consultant or GP who is a medical practitioner registered and licensed to practise in the UK by the GMC for at least 5 years.
- A commitment to life-long learning and undertaking personal development opportunities
- Candidates must have successfully completed the 26 core mandatory e-learning modules by the time they start acting as a Medical Examiner. Candidates must attend a face-to-face training session within the first six months in post and complete the remaining e-learning modules within 1 year of appointment
- MEs should have up-to-date knowledge of causes of death and an understanding of the legal frameworks associated with death certification processes
- IT skills including use of email and commonly used software
- Ability to manage and comply with sensitive information-based processes under tight timescales with a proportionate approach
- Knowledge of the special requirements of various faith groups and respect for equality and diversity
Safety and 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
Communication and teamwork
Essential
- 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 part of a team and organise a fluctuating workload around competing priorities and numerous interruptions
Personal qualities and behavioural attributes
Essential
- 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
Person Specification
Knowledge, Skills and Performance
Essential
- Consultant or GP who is a medical practitioner registered and licensed to practise in the UK by the GMC for at least 5 years.
- A commitment to life-long learning and undertaking personal development opportunities
- Candidates must have successfully completed the 26 core mandatory e-learning modules by the time they start acting as a Medical Examiner. Candidates must attend a face-to-face training session within the first six months in post and complete the remaining e-learning modules within 1 year of appointment
- MEs should have up-to-date knowledge of causes of death and an understanding of the legal frameworks associated with death certification processes
- IT skills including use of email and commonly used software
- Ability to manage and comply with sensitive information-based processes under tight timescales with a proportionate approach
- Knowledge of the special requirements of various faith groups and respect for equality and diversity
Safety and 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
Communication and teamwork
Essential
- 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 part of a team and organise a fluctuating workload around competing priorities and numerous interruptions
Personal qualities and behavioural attributes
Essential
- 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
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
