Job responsibilities
Job purpose/summary
The post holder will support the Mortuary manager/lead medical examiners officer in the smooth day-to-day running of the bereavement/mortuary service and will
work under own initiative as required.
Assist Pathologists during the Autopsy process in line with
local/national training.
The post holder is expected to assist in the training and development
of staff departmental, group and trust.
This post is for a team
member who will participate in the on-call service required by the department.
Sundays 09:00 13:00 (this may expand to include Saturday on-call)
To
work as part of a strong, cohesive unit, and assist in the daily running of the
department, providing a comprehensive bereavement/mortuary service, to the
Christie Trust (including the private patients) and to the Coroner (local and
other regions).
To
provide an efficient bereavement service that involves coordinating with the
Medical Examiners Office to ensure death certification and cremation/burial
paperwork are prepared, inclusive of the preparation of bodies for viewing and
communicating with bereaved relatives.
Duties and Responsibilities
Professional
Act in a
respectful and sensitive way that maintains the integrity of the Department
Maintain and
promote the professional image of Christie Pathology Partnership.
Maintain patient
confidentiality at all times in line with the CPP/Group/trust Information
Management and Technology (IM&T) Information Security Policies.
Work unsupervised
in compliance with the Standard Operating Procedures and Health and Safety
Policies.
a. May be required
to comment on policies and procedures as part of service development
b. Develop and
implement procedures relating to the mortuary/bereavement
c. Follow good
mortuary practice in line with professional s and Human Tissue Authority
guidelines and assist with interpreting and implementing national and local
policies relevant to the department.
d. Work within the
Terms and Conditions of Employment of your Contract.
e. Report incidents,
accidents and defects according to CPP and trust guidelines (including the
contributing to the investigation of such incidents)
f. Assist in maintenance
and updating of mortuary records, including annual audits
Organisational and Administrative
To keep accurate
and complete records and ensure that the mortuary registers, release paperwork
and computer systems are kept up to date.
To take responsibility
for the release for the deceased from the mortuary facility following protocol.
Plan appointments
for funeral directors, police, relatives and doctors to visit the mortuary.
To arrange and
prepare viewings in the viewing room, occasionally accompanying families
To deal with
bereaved relatives in a sensitive and compassionate manner, giving clear and
appropriate information.
To arrange
official identifications on behalf of the Coroner.
To ensure all
documentation is completed in line with HTA guidelines before any specimens
leaving the department.
To liaise with
the Coroners office, the police and other trust staff in a confidential and
professional manner.
To maintain good
working relationships with other trust departments and external organisations
such as funeral directors, the medical examiners office and registry officers.
Ensure that
mortuary records are kept up to date and stored safely to ensure compliance
with good work practices required for HTA and UKAS. Extract, manipulate and
statistically analyse data if required
Contribute to the
provision of materials, advice and support for the Clinical Users of the
service
To assist the ME
office with the completion of the medical certificate cause of death, cremation
paperwork, free from infection forms and requests for hospital funded funerals.
To meet with next of kin to pass on ME paperwork and work with the medical
examiners office to explain the registration process.
To book
appointments online with the registrar on-line booking system
Scientific and Technical
Receive /book in
deceased patients into the mortuary ensuring they are accurately identified,
cleaned, dressed and laid out as required (including register establish the
correct body size).
Record and
secures deceaseds belongings/valuables
Arrange for the
deactivation of Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators prior to cremation.
To support Tissue
services visiting the mortuary. Ensure that correct consent is received.
To wash, dress
(if required) and removed all lines from cleared (paperwork completed) deceased
for release or viewing.
To ensure all
releases from the mortuary follow the departmental policy.
To assist at Post
Mortem including, external examination, evisceration, recording organ weights,
digital images and other details also taking specimens as required by the
pathologist or Coroner. Ensuring all paper work is complete.
To ensure that
all Post Mortems are reconstructed to a high standard.
To undertake any
specialist techniques as required.
To ensure all
deceased within the mortuary are kept within a clean and dignified manner.
To ensure all
daily cleaning duties are completed and documented.
Nature and Conditions of Work
Daily exposure to
highly distressing and emotive situations.
Physical fitness
is required for manoeuvring the deceased on a daily basis including occasional
movement of oversized bodies
There is a
requirement for sitting/standing at equipment and dissection tables for
prolonged periods of time
A high degree of
accuracy is required for eviscerating and reconstructing the deceased
A high level of
prolonged concentration is required to perform post mortems
Daily exposure to
body fluids, blood, fresh tissue, infective agents and hazardous chemicals.
There may be a
requirement to carrying out Post Mortems on cadavers infected with Hazard Group
3 pathogens.
Handle
potentially high-risk specimens (Hepatitis B, HIV, TB, TSE), both in a fresh
and fixed state.
Mental
Intense periods
of concentration while performing tasks such as eviscerating, reconstructing
and participating in specialist procedures.
The need to be
able to multi task while performing an activity. It is important to be able to
keep track of several tasks at once due to the interruptions of others and the
necessity to facilitate other mortuary users.
The post holder
is expected to be ready to attend the mortuary in the case of major incident
and therefore even when not on-call.
Emotional
Constant exposure
to distressing and emotional situations.
Dealing with
angry, abusive and occasionally violent next of kin
Dealing with
those deceased known to the technician and their families.
Dealing with the
bereaved and their emotions.
Dealing with
multi faith requirements.
Health and Safety
Work in line with
CPP and Trust Health and Safety Policies and Procedures.
Responsible for
highlighting Health & Safety issues to the departmental Health & Safety
Officer within their section.
Attend all
mandatory Health and Safety training sessions.
Keep the
workplace and workbenches clean and tidy and appropriately disinfected.
To ensure the
mortuary areas are cleaned and disinfected to a high standard as covered by the
standard operating procedure.
Safely dispose of
any contaminated materials including sharps.
To ensure all
visitors to bereavement/mortuary follow necessary guidelines and to act
accordingly.
Quality Management
Understand and
adopt the principles of the Laboratory Quality Management System.
Assist with
production and review of Departmental Standard Operating Procedures
Assist with the
development and implementation of appropriate policies and procedures within
the mortuary
Participate in
service audits as directed by the Departmental Quality Manager or Deputy