Medical Examiner Officer

Job overview

The West Dorset Medical Examiner Service (WDMES) is looking to recruit 2 full time Medical Examiner Officers to cover maternity leave of existing staff members. The two positions will be fixed term contracts with start and end dates to be confirmed.

The Service is based at Dorset County Hospital, providing independent review of all non-Coronial deaths in the West of Dorset for both the Hospital and in the Community.

The Medical Examiner Officers will  support Medical Examiners in their role in scrutinising the circumstances surrounding causes of death, to act as an intermediary between the bereaved and clinicians to establish and resolve any concerns relating to a patient’s death, and be a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals, His Majesty’s Coroner and Registration Services.

The Medical Examiner Officers (MEOs) will be part of an existing team acting as experts in death certification and scrutiny of Non-Coronial deaths, assisting in highlighting cases for assessment by the Structured Judgement Review team, Child Death Overview Panel, Clinical Governance Teams and the Learning Disability Review Teams.

There is significant emotional effort associated with dealing with bereaved families.

Main duties of the job

To undertake a wide ranging a multifactorial initial review of medical records (paper and electronic), supporting the Medical Examiner in their scrutiny.

To analyse and assist in highlighting cases for assessment in respect of maternal and child death, safeguarding, Learning Disability (LeDeR) cases, and those requiring review under the Serious Incident reporting process.

To ensure cases are referred to the Structured Judgement Review (SJR) Process if required.

To maintain robust electronic records of all deaths, aligning with current information systems in place. This requires use of a computer for extended periods of time daily to undertake complex data input and analysis.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

JOB PURPOSE

To support Medical Examiners in their role in scrutinising the circumstances surrounding causes of death.

To act as an intermediary between the bereaved and clinicians to establish and resolve any concerns relating to a patient’s death.

To be a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals, His Majesty’s Coroner and Registration Services.

The Medical Examiner Officer (MEO) will be part of an existing team acting as experts in death certification and scrutiny of Non-Coronial deaths.

To assist in highlighting cases for assessment by the Structured Judgement Review team, Child Death Overview Panel, Clinical Governance Teams and the Learning Disability Review Teams

To refer patients to the Coroner for further investigation on approval by the Medical Examiner.

There is significant emotional effort associated with dealing with bereaved families.

DIMENSIONS

To undertake a wide ranging a multifactorial initial review of medical records (paper and electronic), supporting the Medical Examiner in their scrutiny.

To analyse and assist in highlighting cases for assessment in respect of maternal and child death, safeguarding, Learning Disability (LeDeR) cases, and those requiring review under the Serious Incident reporting process.

To ensure cases are referred to the Structured Judgement Review (SJR) Process if required.

Monitor data quality and take the necessary action to address the issues identified.

COMMUNICATION AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

To work with MEs to aid them in their responsibility for overseeing the death certification process for all deceased patients in the organisation

To interact with bereaved relatives in person or over the telephone

To identify any concerns relatives may have and escalate appropriately. To refer any concerns raised by families which are not resolved in discussion with the Medical Examiner/Medical Examiner Officer through agreed channels.

To liaise with the Mortuary & Bereavement Assistants regarding status of Medical Certificates of Cause of Death and referrals to His Majesty’s Coroner to ensure a seamless death certification process for families.

To work with the Risk Management Department in liaising with the Coroner’s Office regarding referrals, inquests and progression of referred cases.

The information to be communicated will be highly sensitive and in some cases, highly charged, emotive and stressful. The Medical Examiner Officer must have excellent communication skills with a high level of empathy when communication with bereaved relatives and friends. They must be able to maintain this even in highly emotive and stressful scenarios.

• -       Hospital Doctors and other healthcare professionals -       Medical Examiners -       Quality Managers for each division -       Service managers, clinical governance leads, infection control and Mortuary staff -       His Majesty’s Coroner and Officers -       Spiritual/Faith Community Leads -       Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages -       General Practitioners and Practice Staff -       Bereaves Relatives, carers and Executors/Solicitors -       Funeral Directors -       National Medical Examiner -       Regional Leads for the Medical Examiner System -       Police

KEY RESULT AREAS

Responsibility for patients

Interaction with bereaved relatives/friends/carers in person or over the telephone. The post holder must demonstrate the ability to convey empathy and always remain professional

To be responsible for communicating technical information in a supportive manner

To be aware of the diverse needs of users of the Medical Examiner System to ensure equality to any group defined by sex, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability. This particularly includes the needs of those with religious or cultural expectations surrounding death.

There will not be responsibility for clinical care in this post.

Responsibility for policy and Service Development

To contribute to and review Medical Examiner Service policies and Procedures to reflect best practice in the delivery of a Medical Examiner System.

Responsibility for Financial and Physical Resources

Collate routine information on income and expenditure with support from finance

Engagement in Information Resources

To support the design, testing and implementation of the new potential eMedical Examiner process

To set up and maintain robust electronic record (including Microsoft Office Calendar, Medical Examiner Database on Microsoft Excel etc.) of all deaths and to align with current information systems in place. To optimise the way such data is collected and to ensure it is accurate and up to date.

To assist in preparing of quarterly performance reports for uploading to NHS Data Collections Framework for funding reimbursement in line with national procedures.

To use a computer for long periods of time daily to undertake complex data input and analysis.

Provide support in designing, building, maintaining and developing reporting tools.