Mortuary and Bereavement Administrator

Job overview

Guys and St Thomas' are looking for Administrators to join our Mortuary and Bereavement service in the heart of Central London.  Based on the River Thames, the hospitals could not be in a better location to enjoy the city and are within walking distance of all that London has to offer. GSTT has a reputation for being an employer of choice with a dynamic working environment and great opportunities for professional growth.

Please note due to high response rate we sometimes close adverts early and we advise you apply as early as possible.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be based within the Mortuary or the Bereavement Centre and provide a vital support role to the Mortuary team, the Bereavement Centre team (including our Medical Examiner service) Consultant Pathologists and various internal and external stakeholders.

To be the right person for this post you will thrive on working in a fast paced environment, enjoy the challenge of adapting to changing priorities and be a natural team player.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Key Relationships

Mortuary Assistant, Anatomical Pathology Technologists, Medical Examiners and their officers, Service Manager, Consultants, Junior Doctors, Nurses, Medical and Nursing Students, Biomedical scientists and various external stakeholders; Funeral Directors, Coroner’s Officers, Police Officers.

• To organise the office work area

• To establish and maintain high standards of work within the office area.

• To ensure that records are kept up to date and stored safely to ensure compliance with good working practices for the standards of the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) codes of practice.

• To organise the daily case list in consultation with the APT staff.

• To liaise with and book appointments for funeral directors and/or family to collect deceased patients from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Mortuaries.

• To manage appointment diaries

• To book viewings as required and liaise with relevant stakeholders to ensure adequate attendance by qualified staff.

• To maintain professional links with external statutory offices concerned with the administration of death by communicating in an effective and professional manner.

• To book groups attending the Mortuary for lectures in consultation with APT staff.

• To provide secretarial assistance to the department and management team.

• To organise patient transfers when required

• To ensure the provision of effective telephone answering service for department.

• To issue official documentation from the department under the direction of APT’s.

• To maintain professional competency and dexterity in precision based physical tasks, e.g. keyboard skills and maintain the levels of concentration required maintaining a quality service.

• Support the completion of Medical Cause of Death Certificates (MCCD) for bereaved families and or friends in a compassionate and professional manner.
• To support the bereaved through the processes that are required to be followed once a person has died, in particular the role of the Medical Examiner, ensuring that they understand these procedures and are capable of performing these tasks or ensuring they receive support and or help with the process.
• To take minutes at meetings as required
• To identify and participate in audits within the department

• To adhere to all departmental standard operating procedures, policies and health and safety regulations.

• To keep the workplace and work areas clean and tidy

• To control access to the Mortuary within working hours.

• Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical and Laboratory Informatics

• To arrange for the safe collection and transportation of human tissue and samples and to maintain accurate records of dispatch and receipt

• To take case referrals from external service users in liaison with the APTs.

• To obtain relevant clinical information as required for cases including collection from departments if required.

• To enter data onto the Mortuary and Bereavement Eden system correctly and with care

• To review patient records in the case of hospital deaths and ascertain the most appropriate clinicians to discuss the case with the Medical Examiner Office.

• To make contact with ward staff and/or primary care clinicians to facilitate timely discussion with the Medical Examiner and completion of necessary paperwork.

• To ensure that GP death notifications are completed and sent securely to the relevant practice in a timely fashion.
• To receive patient’s property and ensure that it is accurately identified, registered, and labelled prior to storage.

Procurement

• To assist the APTs in requisitioning and maintaining adequate supplies of office and Mortuary consumables

• To assist with liaison and emergency call out of engineers and companies related to Mortuary equipment.

• To maintain adequate levels of up to date printed stores

Quality

• To establish and maintain high standards of work in the office and to ensure effective liaison between the Mortuary and all it’s stakeholders.

• To be aware of the requirements of data protection

• To attend departmental meetings as required

• To adhere to all regulations as set out by the HTA

• To maintain professional links with external statutory offices concerned with the administration of death by communicating in an effective and professional manner.

• To communicate with all members of staff including clinicians and other health professionals, using appropriate terminology and media whilst promoting effective teamwork.