Job summary
Senior Medical Examiner Officer: Band 6
We are seeking a Senior Medical Examiner Officer who has completed and consolidated their Medical Examiner Officer Royal College of Pathologists Training and is now able to step into a leadership role, managing a small team of Medical Examiner Officers on two hospital sites at Lewisham Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, the role is a cross-site role.
You will need to have good communication skills, be able to work as part of a team and be able to represent the Medical Examiner Service.
Previous applicants need not apply.
Main duties of the job
As the senior Medical Examiner Officer you will be responsible for the day to day office management, leading a small team of Medical Examiner Officers, working closely with the Lead Medical Examiner and Medical Examiners who work within the service.
With effect from April 2024, the Medical Examiner Service will be statutory requiring all deaths at the Trust and local community to be scrutinised before a death certificate to be issues or coroners referral made.
Key stakeholders you will liaise with are: Next of Kin, Trust Staff / Medical Staff, Registrars in our local boroughs and the Regional Medical Examiner and Regional Medical Examiner Officer for London.
About us
Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:
- Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
- Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
- Improving the experience of staff with disability
- Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
- Making equalities mainstream
Job description
Job responsibilities
Planning and allocating the work for the Medical Examiners and Medical Examiner Officers on a daily basis
Collating figures for the weekly and monthly returns ensuring all key performance indicators are met
Working closely with the Lead ME and Head of Bereavement
Job description
Job responsibilities
Planning and allocating the work for the Medical Examiners and Medical Examiner Officers on a daily basis
Collating figures for the weekly and monthly returns ensuring all key performance indicators are met
Working closely with the Lead ME and Head of Bereavement
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to Bachelor's degree level or equivalent working knowledge in related field; or evidence of study/equivalent practical experience at an advanced level; this might include nursing and/or other clinical experience.
- A commitment to life-long learning and undertaking personal development opportunities.
- The ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including the recently bereaved.
- Completed e-learning MEO core training modules prior to starting in the post
- Formal MEO training provided by the Royal College of Pathologists
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations.
- Experience of working in a healthcare setting with multi-disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries.
- Understanding of medical terminology that enables informed discussions about causes/circumstances of death with bereaved families, clinicians, coroner and registration service staff.
Desirable
- Experience of facilitating groups Leadership and influencing change
Knowledge
Essential
- Specialist knowledge of various faith groups' funeral wishes/practices to enable respectful compliance with tight and specific timescales and procedures.
- Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2009 reference to the ME system. Full understanding of the ME system operational remit.
- Knowledge and understanding of the statutory process around death certification legal frameworks and how the ME system aligns with other related organisations and NHS initiatives.
Desirable
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Ability to lead and work as part of a team and organise fluctuating workload around competing priorities.
- Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism with all stakeholders.
- Highly evolved empathetic and self-awareness skills to deal with bereaved families who may have barriers to understanding.
- Ability to work in a highly pressurised, unpredictable environment where bereavement care is central to the service delivery.
- Proactive and self-motivated.
- Approachable and supportive to all levels of staff and bereaved families in a non-judgmental and discreet manner.
- Professional appearance, manner and awareness of impact of own behaviour on others.
- Ability to maintain a calm manner in a range of challenging and emotive circumstances.
- Competent in the use of IT software systems and handling sensitive personal identifiable data.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to Bachelor's degree level or equivalent working knowledge in related field; or evidence of study/equivalent practical experience at an advanced level; this might include nursing and/or other clinical experience.
- A commitment to life-long learning and undertaking personal development opportunities.
- The ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including the recently bereaved.
- Completed e-learning MEO core training modules prior to starting in the post
- Formal MEO training provided by the Royal College of Pathologists
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations.
- Experience of working in a healthcare setting with multi-disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries.
- Understanding of medical terminology that enables informed discussions about causes/circumstances of death with bereaved families, clinicians, coroner and registration service staff.
Desirable
- Experience of facilitating groups Leadership and influencing change
Knowledge
Essential
- Specialist knowledge of various faith groups' funeral wishes/practices to enable respectful compliance with tight and specific timescales and procedures.
- Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2009 reference to the ME system. Full understanding of the ME system operational remit.
- Knowledge and understanding of the statutory process around death certification legal frameworks and how the ME system aligns with other related organisations and NHS initiatives.
Desirable
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Ability to lead and work as part of a team and organise fluctuating workload around competing priorities.
- Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism with all stakeholders.
- Highly evolved empathetic and self-awareness skills to deal with bereaved families who may have barriers to understanding.
- Ability to work in a highly pressurised, unpredictable environment where bereavement care is central to the service delivery.
- Proactive and self-motivated.
- Approachable and supportive to all levels of staff and bereaved families in a non-judgmental and discreet manner.
- Professional appearance, manner and awareness of impact of own behaviour on others.
- Ability to maintain a calm manner in a range of challenging and emotive circumstances.
- Competent in the use of IT software systems and handling sensitive personal identifiable data.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
