Trainee / Clinical Coders / Senior Clinical Coders

Job overview

We are looking to recruit into our Clinical Coding team across the Norfolk & Waveney University Hospitals Group. There is a natural pay band progression through milestones of training pathway. Full support and training is provided by departmental senior team.

There are a variety of roles available to strengthen and expand our current coding team at an exciting time as the Group has been formed following the coming together of Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals, James Paget University Hospitals and Queen Elizabeth Hospital. In addition, the Trust is embarking on a journey to become a digital hospital by working towards achieving a fully electronic patient record.

Main duties of the job

Working Approach

The department offers a flexible approach to varied working patterns both onsite and working from home; remote coding can be considered. You will be supported to ensure coding skills are developed or maintained in line with the departments Training and Audit programme delivered by our in-house NHS Classifications Service Approved Trainer and Auditors. Whilst the employee will be NNUH (due to the Group model) – candidates may also express a preference to work physically at the other sites or indeed apply for hybrid working.

We live by our PRIDE Values of People Focused, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Excellence and want to recruit the best people who share these values and can demonstrate these values in their work. If you share our values, would like to be part of our team, and are committed to achieving accurate and timely data then please apply.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Senior Clinical Coder (B5)

Ideally, the Group is looking for motivated and enthusiastic Accredited Clinical Coders (holding the National Clinical Coding Qualification); who are compliant with mandatory requirements of attending and meeting objectives of Standards Refresher Course within last 3 years and are experienced in coding across a wide range of specialties in or for an acute hospital setting. The post holder will have excellent communication and organisational skills; and be able to work efficiently as in individual and/or as part of a team. Also required is a flexible style of working so can adapt to the changing needs of the office, be self-disciplined, professional, and positive, and recognise own part to play in achievement of departmental targets and goals. These candidates will be eligible for the Band 5 senior role.

Expectations for our senior band 5 coders:

• To extract clinical information from discharged, transferred and RIP patients case notes, discharge letters and clinical systems translating this accurately into nationally recognised diagnostic (ICD) and procedural (OPCS) codes against all inpatient Consultant Episodes (CE’s) using 3M’s Medicode encoder system
• To ensure all FCE’s are completed and data input by monthly Performance Management (Trust) deadlines, thus assisting the team in reflecting patient care through accurate clinical coded data
• To participate in departmental audit programme through both:a.    Having own work audited to ensure expertise maintained in all areasb.    By data validating specific coding issues
• To raise coding or data issues with the management team and work to resolve
• To have output monitored to ensure full contribution to departmental workload
• To both participate in and support the departmental training programme:a.    By attending internal training programmesb.    Through mentoring and sharing of knowledge with peers and more junior coders
• To ensure adherence to policies and procedures established for Clinical Coding
• Be part of the digital journey – help shape the clinical coding requirements of the future

Clinical Coding Officer (B4) and Trainee Clinical Coding Officer (B3)

In addition to this, the Group is also offering both band 3 and band 4 roles for both trainees and partially qualified candidates.  The required criterion for each role is included in the table below. If you are unsure, please contact us to see where you can fit in our expanding team!

For the band 3 and 4 roles, we are seeking applicants with a background, as well as an interest and enthusiasm, in anatomy and physiology, are logical and have a willingness to learn and absorb complex information. Although not essential ideally you will understand pressures and demands of working in an acute Trust, have experience of using multiple and wide-ranging Trust data collection systems and recognise the importance of accurate data input and attention to detail.

Expectations for band 3 and 4 trainee or part qualified candidates:

• Attend and pass a formal classroom-based Clinical Coding Standards course (in-house)
• Initially under supervision, extract and code all inpatient episodes to national rules and conventions
• Assist the coding team in completing the coding of patient activity to set monthly deadlines
• Participate in quality assurance of own work and ensure full contribution to departmental workload
• Raise coding and/or data issues to mentor team
• Ensure maintenance and development of coding skills
• Assist the team in reflecting patient care through accurate clinically coded data