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Job summary

Main area
GP/Consultant - All specialities
Grade
NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Part time - 1 session per week (We are looking to recruit two Medical Examiners to provide 1 session (4 hour PA) each.)
Job ref
362-A-24-6389179
Employer
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Macclesfield District General Hospital
Town
Macclesfield
Salary
£63,152 - £131,964 Pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
23/07/2024 23:59

Employer heading

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust logo

Medical Examiner

NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

There are lots of good reasons to choose to come and work at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust. A dynamic integrated Trust with integrity and vision. Exactly the same qualities you’ll see in yourself. Stockport NHS Foundation Trust aims to be the organisation of choice for patients and an employer of choice for staff. In order to continually improve all aspects of our patient experience, we rely upon having a highly skilled, motivated, diverse, productive and patient focused workforce.

Stockport Foundation Trust is one of four ‘specialist’ hospital sites in Greater Manchester. Being a ‘specialist’ hospital will enhance our general surgery, anaesthetics, critical care and emergency medicine for the benefit of people in Stockport, High Peak, Cheshire and across Greater Manchester.

Our values ‘We Care, We Respect, We Listen’ are at the heart of everything we do, and come from our promise:  ‘Making a difference every day.’ They drive the behaviour and actions for everyone in our organisation.

In your application for this post, please describe how your experience and skills align with 'Our values-based behaviours' ( see additional documentation) and provide examples.

Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment

As well as recognising previous NHS service, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust is a member of the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. If you are currently employed by Greater Manchester Local Authority, Combined Authority, GMFRS, TfGM as well as other public service organisations, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust will recognise your previous service for sickness and maternity/paternity/adoption entitlement and also for annual leave purposes (providing there has been no break in service).  If you currently work for one of the above organisations and successfully apply for a post with Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, please ensure the Recruitment team are aware so that this service is reflected in your contract of employment.

Our Values:

We Care

About each other

Our patients and their families

The communities we serve

The environment

We support them and deliver on their promises

We Respect

Each other

Our patients and their families

Our partners

We are kind and helpful, and we expect the same in return

We Listen to

Each other

Our patients and their families

Our partners

We act and learn from what we hear


 

Job overview

Medical Examiners will be appropriately trained senior doctors who will verify clinical information on Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs), to ensure appropriate referrals to the Coroner and accuracy and consistency of MCCD content. They will be responsible for the scrutiny of the documentation and circumstances arising from the majority of deaths in England and Wales.

Main duties of the job

Their job is to review the patient’s last care episode and ensure that their cause of death is recorded accurately. They do this by reviewing their medical records and also discussing with the doctors who looked after them. Medical Examiners also review the quality of care and make sure that it was satisfactory. 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. 

Working for our organisation

We hold a unique position in the Stockport community as the provider of healthcare and we are one of its largest employers.

 

We believe that the best organisations are those that reflect the communities they serve. We are therefore seeking to improve the diversity of our workforce to make it truly representative of our local population.

 

We actively encourage applications irrespective of race, age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage & civil partnership, or pregnancy or maternity. Recognising those communities that are underrepresented within our workforce, we would particularly welcome applications from you.

 

If you require support with your application please contact a member of the recruitment team, who can discuss alternative application methods.

 

We recognise that flexible working is important. We take requests for flexible working seriously, consider any request we receive and try to work with you, so we can explore if your request may fit with the needs of the service.

 

Benefits we offer to you:

 

•  Between 27-33 days of annual leave plus bank holidays

•  NHS pension scheme membership

•  Salary sacrifice schemes for lease cars, home electronics and more, to make your salary go further

•  NHS Staff discounts

•  Cycle to work scheme

•  Salary finance – for loans, savings, budget planning and tips on managing debt

•  Stockport Credit Union– for local financial advice

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

MEs are appropriately trained 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. 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 ME. It is recommended that medical examiners are consultant grade doctors from a range of disciplines (including GP principals). 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. The main duties of an ME are as follows:

• To ensure compliance with the legal and procedural requirements associated with the current processes of certification, investigation (by coroners) and registration of deaths within a Local Authority area;

• To support those doctors who call for medical advice on suspected natural causes of death before they prepare an MCCD, and provide general medical advice to the coroner;

• Scrutinise the certified causes of all in-scope deaths in a way that is compliant with the proposed national protocol;

• Maintain comprehensive records of all deaths scrutinised and undertake analysis and provide information as required to ONS & locally for clinical governance purposes;

• Explain to bereaved relatives causes of death in a transparent, tactful and sympathetic manner, which respects different faith, cultural, ethnic and diversity considerations;

• Support the training of junior doctors in completion of MCCDs and provide feedback on accuracy of certification locally.

Person specification

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • General knowledge of the statutory process around death certification legal frameworks and how the medical examiner system aligns with other related organisations and NHS initiatives
  • General knowledge of the correct structure of causes of death on a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death.
  • Understanding of the CJA in reference to the ME service and of various faith requirements
  • Understanding of the coroners process and of natural and unatural causes of death

Education & Qualification

Essential criteria
  • Must be registered with the GMC
  • Must have at least 5 years post registration experience as a practicing doctor
  • Completed all free E- learning for healthcare ME training
  • A commitment to life-long learning and undertaking personal development opportunities
  • The ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including the recently bereaved.

Skills and abilties

Essential criteria
  • Ability to work as part of a team
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism with all stakeholders.
  • Compliance with the independent nature of the ME role
  • Proactive, self-motivated and organised
Desirable criteria
  • Understanding of the upcoming changes to the ME service
  • Competent in the use of IT software systems and handling sensitive personal identifiable data.
  • Proficient in Microsoft word and Excel
  • Evidence of good data analysis and interpretation

Experience

Essential criteria
  • 5 years post registration in clinical practice
  • Experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations
  • Experience of working in a healthcare setting with multi-disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries.
Desirable criteria
  • Flexible working e.g shift swaps, on call cover

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyMenopause Friendly EmployerAge positiveInvestors in People: GoldImproving working livesMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Step into healthDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Ellie Skelton
Job title
Lead Medical Examiner Officer
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
0161 419 5727
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