Medical Examiner

Job overview

Medical Examiner

The Medical Examiner Service at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust (NNUH) is seeking to recruit Medical Examiners.  This exciting opportunity is open for senior medical personnel and applications are welcomed from Consultant and GP colleagues.

Medical Examiners are senior clinicians who are trained in the clinical and legal elements of the death certification process.

Four Programmed Activity (PA) sessions, each lasting four hours, are available and may be allocated between suitable candidates to help support service delivery. Applicants are encouraged to specify the number of PAs they are applying for within their application, which will be discussed during the interview process. The successful candidate(s) will work on a fixed roster, based within the Medical Examiner Service offices at the NNUH, Colney Lane. Each ME is expected to work 42 session per annum and flexibility is welcomed during periods of high acuity and busy holiday periods.

Successful candidates will be expected to complete both the mandatory Medical Examiner e-learning modules online before starting the role, and to attend a face-to-face/On-line RCPath Medical Examiner training session within the first three months in post (dependent on course availability). The Lead ME has responsibility to oversee and ensure compliance.

Main duties of the job

• To be responsible for the scrutiny of the case notes of all deceased patients that are not taken for investigation by HM Coroner. This includes patients who die in both primary and secondary care settings. •    To liaise with clinical teams to agree the cause of death that will be entered on the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD).
• To (where required) discuss the final cause of death with the nominated next-of-kin in a transparent, sympathetic and tactful manner, and escalate any concerns that are raised.  •    Work closely with the Medical Examiner Officers (MEOs) in highlighting any concerns about clinical care, feeding into existing governance/Learning from Deaths processes as necessary. •    To ensure appropriate referrals are made to HM Coroner, acting as a medical resource for the Coroner where required.  •    To support the training of resident doctors in the completion of MCCDs and provide feedback on the accuracy of certification locally.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information about this post please read the detailed job description for the Medical Examiner post attached