Graduate Clinical Coder

Job summary

Are you a recent graduate looking to start a rewarding career in healthcare data and primary care? Hope Citadel Healthcare is launching an exciting Graduate Clinical Coding Scheme designed to develop the next generation of healthcare information specialists. As a Graduate Clinical Coding Officer, you will receive structured training and mentorship while learning how to accurately interpret clinical correspondence, maintain patient records, and support the safe delivery of care across our GP practices. Working alongside GPs, nurses, pharmacists and practice managers, you will develop expertise in medical terminology, SNOMED CT coding, and healthcare informatics. This unique role offers an excellent foundation for a career in clinical coding, healthcare management, informatics, or wider NHS clinical support roles, with clear opportunities for development and progression.

Main duties of the job

As a Graduate Clinical Coding Officer, you will review and process clinical correspondence received from hospitals and other healthcare providers, accurately recording information within patient records using recognised clinical coding systems. You will support the maintenance of chronic disease registers, identify and highlight important clinical actions arising from correspondence, and work closely with GPs, nurses, pharmacists and administrative teams to ensure patient records are accurate, complete and support the safe delivery of care. You will also contribute to data quality improvement initiatives and develop specialist knowledge of primary care systems, medical terminology and healthcare informatics through a structured training programme.

About us

Hope Citadel Healthcare is a not-for-profit primary care organisation providing NHS General Practice services across Greater Manchester. We operate eleven GP practices serving diverse communities throughout Manchester, Oldham and Rochdale, with a strong focus on reducing health inequalities and improving outcomes for some of the area's most underserved populations.

Our vision is to deliver high-quality, person-centred healthcare that meets the needs of local communities. We believe that excellent patient care starts with excellent information, and we recognise the vital role that accurate clinical data plays in supporting safe, effective and proactive healthcare.

As an innovative and forward-thinking organisation, we are committed to developing our workforce and creating rewarding career opportunities. Through investment in training, technology and professional development, we support our colleagues to grow their skills and make a meaningful difference to the lives of our patients every day.

The Graduate Clinical Coding Scheme reflects our commitment to building the next generation of healthcare data professionals and supporting future leaders in primary care.

Details

• Date posted: 23 October 2026
• Pay scheme: Other
• Salary: £26,000 to £28,500 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time
• Reference number: B0212-26-0049
• Job locations: Kirkholt Medical Practice, The strand, Kirkholt, OL11 2JG, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

Hope Citadel Healthcare is seeking motivated and ambitious graduates to join our Graduate Clinical Coding Scheme commencing in January 2027. This unique opportunity has been developed to cultivate future specialists in healthcare data, clinical coding, and primary care informatics.

Clinical coding is a vital function within modern healthcare. Accurate coding enables clinicians to identify patients requiring monitoring, supports preventative healthcare programmes, ensures chronic disease registers remain accurate, and contributes to the safe and effective delivery of patient care. The information generated through clinical coding underpins population health management, service planning, quality improvement initiatives and contractual reporting requirements.

The Graduate Clinical Coding Officer will receive structured training, mentoring and support while developing specialist knowledge in primary care systems, clinical terminology, SNOMED CT, information governance and healthcare data management. The successful candidate will work closely with GPs, nurses, pharmacists, healthcare assistants and administrative colleagues to ensure that patient records accurately reflect clinical activity and support the delivery of high-quality care.

This role is particularly suited to graduates from biomedical, life science, health informatics, healthcare management, public health, data science or other analytical disciplines who wish to pursue a career at the intersection of healthcare, data and technology.

• Review and accurately process incoming clinical correspondence from hospitals, community services and other healthcare providers.
• Extract clinically relevant information from discharge summaries, outpatient clinic letters, diagnostic reports, investigation results and other healthcare documentation.
• Apply SNOMED CT clinical codes appropriately and consistently within electronic patient records.
• Ensure that all data entered into patient records is accurate, complete and clinically relevant.
• Develop a thorough understanding of clinical coding principles, coding standards and local protocols.
• Support the continuous improvement of coding accuracy across the organisation.
• Maintain high-quality electronic patient records.
• Update patient records following receipt of clinical correspondence and other healthcare information.
• Ensure that relevant diagnoses, procedures, investigations and clinical findings are appropriately recorded.
• Identify incomplete or inconsistent records and take action to improve data quality.
• Contribute to organisational objectives relating to record accuracy and information management.
• Support the maintenance and validation of disease registers used within primary care.
• Ensure that patients with long-term conditions are coded accurately to support proactive care management.
• Assist in identifying patients who may require inclusion on disease registers following receipt of clinical information.
• Support quality improvement initiatives relating to long-term condition management.
• Contribute to maintaining accurate data used for population health management and service planning.
• Review clinical documents and identify actions requiring attention by clinicians.
• Recognise information relating to medication changes, follow-up requirements, new diagnoses and significant clinical findings.
• Escalate urgent or clinically significant information through appropriate practice workflows.
• Assist in ensuring correspondence is processed within agreed timescales.
• Support the safe and effective management of clinical workflows.
• Participate in regular data quality reviews and audits.
• Assist in identifying opportunities to improve data accuracy and completeness.
• Support projects aimed at enhancing the quality and consistency of patient information.
• Produce reports and information as required.
• Contribute to organisational quality improvement programmes.
• Work collaboratively with GPs, nurses, pharmacists, care coordinators and administrative colleagues.
• Liaise professionally with staff across multiple GP practices.
• Participate in meetings, training sessions and development activities.
• Communicate effectively with colleagues regarding coding queries and data quality issues.
• Develop positive working relationships across the organisation.

As part of the Graduate Clinical Coding Scheme, successful candidates will complete a structured development pathway designed specifically for primary care.

Training will include:

• Medical terminology.
• Anatomy and physiology relevant to clinical coding.
• SNOMED CT coding standards.
• Primary care workflows and processes.
• Electronic patient record systems.
• Information governance and confidentiality.
• Population health management.
• Data quality management.
• Clinical audit principles.
• NHS primary care operations.

Graduates will receive ongoing mentoring, structured supervision and regular performance reviews to support their development and progression.

The post holder will:

• Maintain strict confidentiality regarding patient information.
• Comply with UK GDPR, Data Protection legislation and NHS confidentiality requirements.
• Follow organisational policies relating to information governance.
• Ensure patient information is handled securely at all times.
• Complete mandatory training relating to information governance and cybersecurity.
• Comply with all organisational health and safety policies.
• Take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others.
• Report accidents, incidents and hazards in accordance with organisational procedures.
• Participate in mandatory health and safety training as required.

Hope Citadel Healthcare is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone is treated with dignity, fairness and respect. The post holder will support the organisation's commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and contribute to creating a positive working environment for colleagues and patients.

• Undertake any training necessary for the successful performance of the role.
• Participate in appraisal, supervision and personal development processes.
• Maintain professional conduct at all times.
• Support service improvement initiatives as required.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade and nature of the post.

This graduate programme has been designed as a foundation for a long-term career within primary care and healthcare informatics. Successful candidates may have opportunities to progress into senior clinical coding, data quality, healthcare analytics, practice management, population health, digital transformation or General Practice Assistant (GPA) roles within Hope Citadel Healthcare.

Through structured training, exposure to frontline healthcare operations and mentorship from experienced leaders, graduates will gain valuable skills and experience that can support future careers across the NHS and wider healthcare sector.