Medical Examiner

Job responsibilities

• Proportionate scrutiny of the case records (paper and electronic) of patients who have died on the Isle of Wight.
• Ensure consistent and appropriate referral by the qualified attending practitioner to the Coroners Services where indicated. You must be able to distinguish between natural and unnatural causes of death and be familiar with National and local Guidance on when to advise that deaths be reported to the Coroner.
• Supporting doctors to complete the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD); providing scrutiny and opportunity to discuss the circumstances leading to death. The ME will be expected to comply with national protocols to ensure that in each case the cause of death is scrutinised in a way that is robust, proportionate and consistent.
• Comply with local protocols to ensure that each death is assessed and screened in a way that is robust, proportionate and consistent.

• Contact the deceaseds next of kin to explain the cause of death in a transparent, tactful and sympathetic manner, which respects different faith, cultural, ethnic and diversity considerations. The ME must be able to communicate with the bereaved of all faiths and communities in a sensitive and understanding manner.

• Ask the next of kin if they have any questions around the death certificate, the quality of care provided or any other matters relating to the patients death.
• Maintain comprehensive records of all deaths screened and provide input to analysis of mortality data.
• Liaise with other local MEs to arrange cover for holidays and other periods of absence and
• Liaise with the other local MEs to ensure that there is no potential conflict of interest between the medical examiner and the death being scrutinised.
• Support Trust training of junior doctors in completion of MCCDs.

• Attend Coroners Court as as required.

• Additionally, the ME must have detailed knowledge of the relevant legislation and processes which apply to the role; examples include:

• • coroners and death certification;
  • 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 .
• Take responsibility for their own continuing professional development and to take part in continuing medical education activities, in accordance with any relevant standards for maintaining GMC licence to practice and membership of any relevant professional body.
• Be committed to the concept of lifelong learning and include the Medical Examiner role in the appraisal discussion.
• Attend relevant local, and national activities in order to maintain up to date knowledge and to ensure compliance with legal and procedural requirements associated with the current processes of certification, investigation (by coroners) and registration.
• Participate in any relevant governance activities relating to the screening of in-hospital deaths and confirmation of cause of death. This will include participating in audits and investigations where appropriate and responding to complaints within the Trusts expected timescale.

• The Medical Examiner Office is co-located in the Bereavement Centre with the Mortuary. Medical Examiners are required to scrutinise deaths on site at St Marys Hospital Isle of Wight.

Qualifications

Essential

• Medical Degree
• Registered with GMC as a medical practitioner with a license to practice.
• Current and satisfactory ongoing yearly appraisal
• Successful completion of the approved components of the national online training curriculum prior to undertaking case record reviews as a IWNHST Medical Examiner
• Equality and Diversity Training

Desirable

• Completion of face to face RCPath Medical Examiner training - to be completed within 3 months of starting job if successfully appointed

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• To have been working as a doctor for a minimum of 5 years or to be no more than 3 years post retirement
• Commitment to maintain knowledge and keep skills up to date
• Experience of undertaking clinical case note reviews as part of Mortality and Morbidity or Serious Incident process
• Working knowledge of practice in a healthcare environment
• Up to date knowledge of clinical causes of death, together with death certification requirements and processes
• Ability to distinguish between natural and unnatural causes of death and when death must be reported to, and investigated by, a coroner
• Awareness of equality and diversity issues within the community and a demonstrable ability to understand the requirement of diverse faith groups
• Knowledge of clinical governance systems as they affect the work of professionals and organisations
• Knowledge of Duty of Candour legislation and local processes that support it

Desirable

• Experience in recognising good and substandard clinical and organisational performance and raising the issues to relevant colleagues in a proportionate and constructive way to improve the quality of services.

Attributes and Skills

Essential

• Good written communication skills, including the ability to summarise clearly and accurately
• Good oral communication skills, including active listening skills, the ability to understand and summarise a discussion, ask appropriate questions, provide constructive challenge and give effective feedback
• Ability to communicate effectively and with sensitivity with the relatives or representatives of the deceased when explaining the cause of death and to communicate with the bereaved of all faiths and communities in a sensitive and understanding manner
• Ability to demonstrate transparency when explaining cause of death to bereaved families and make it easier to raise concerns
• Ability to manage an information based process under tight timescales
• Ability to work within own team and closely with people in other disciplines
• Ability to assist or delivery training to enhance skills within the ME's team and junior doctors in the process of death certification
• Ability to identify available data sources to support detection and analysis of concerns and to recognise gaps in available knowledge
• Excellent personal integrity, personal effectiveness and self-awareness
• Able to work independently and autonomously and manage own workload
• Able to make timely and informed decisions
• Demonstrates a commitment to and focus on quality
• Able to work effectively in a team
• Good working relationships and credibility with professional colleagues and relevant stakeholders
• Good management skills - able to demonstrate effective and efficient working practices
• Ability to put in place appropriate reporting, information sharing and feedback mechanisms

Desirable

• IT competent, for the purposes of effective scrutiny of deaths where relevant records may be kept on different systems
• Proactive and self-motivated with a flexible working approach
• Ability to take a pragmatic and proportionate approach to problem solving whilst maintaining high ethical standards
• Demonstrable ability to meet Trust 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).