Deputy Lead Medical Examiners’ Officer | Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
| Posting date: | 29 April 2024 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £35,392 - £42,618 per annum |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 29 May 2024 |
| Location: | Liverpool, L7 8YE |
| Company: | Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 6231355/287-LCL-37-24 |
Summary
We have an exciting opportunity within the Medical Examiner Department as a Deputy Lead Medical Examiner Officer. We are looking for a full time Deputy Lead Medical Examiner Officer.
You will deputise for the Lead Medical Examiner Officer in their absence providing support and day to day management & leadership of the Medical Examiner Service.
You will assist the Lead Medical Examiner Officer in ensuring internal and external qualitative and quantitative key performance indicators are managed and achieved.
This is a challenging role which combines some clinical knowledge, skilled communication in sensitive areas (including with bereaved families) and IT skills in developing and maintaining the medical examiner database both locally and nationally.
The posts are cross-site positions between Royal Liverpool and Aintree sites.
To work with Medical Examiners to support them in their responsibility for overseeing the death certification process for all deceased patients at the Trust and in the community.
To establish the circumstances of individual patient deaths by performing a preliminary review of medical records to identify clinical and circumstantial information, sourcing additional details where required, for scrutiny by the Medical Examiner.
Work with the Medical Examiners to ensure proper and proportionate scrutiny of medical records.
To assist in highlighting cases for assessment by the Structured Judgement Review team (SJR), Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP), Clinical Governance teams and the Learning Disability Review Teams (LeDeR). To refer patients to the relevant Coroner for further investigation as instructed by the Medical Examiner.
To participate in meetings with relatives alongside the Medical Examiners and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
To support the Lead Medical Examiner Officer in the development of protocols, guidelines, and policy as appropriate.
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was created on 1 October 2019 following the merger of two adult acute Trusts, Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust.
The merger provides an opportunity to reconfigure services in a way that provides the best healthcare services to the city and improves the quality of care and health outcomes that patients experience.
The Trust runs Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool University Dental Hospital and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
It serves a core population of around 630,000 people across Merseyside as well as providing a range of highly specialist services to a catchment area of more than two million people in the North West region and beyond.
To hear more about our achievements click herehttps://www.liverpoolft.nhs.uk/media/13089/1606-annual-report-booklet_final.pdf
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Main Tasks and Responsibilities
To work with Medical Examiners to support them in their responsibility for overseeing the death certification process for all deceased patients at the Trust and in the community.
To establish the circumstances of individual patient deaths by performing a preliminary review of medical records to identify clinical and circumstantial information, sourcing additional details where required, for scrutiny by the Medical Examiner.
Work with the Medical Examiners to ensure proper and proportionate scrutiny of medical records.
Discuss the findings of the Medical Examiners on medical cause of death with the qualified attending practitioners.
To work closely with the Bereavement Team to act as an intermediary between the bereaved and clinicians to establish and resolve any concerns relating to a patient’s death.
Discuss the content of the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) with relatives of the deceased and in all cases, collect additional information. This may include the need to communicate sensitive information and offer explanations.
To assist in highlighting cases for assessment by the Structured Judgement Review team (SJR), Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP), Clinical Governance teams and the Learning Disability Review Teams (LeDeR).
To refer patients to the relevant Coroner for further investigation as instructed by the Medical Examiner.
To maintain an awareness 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.
To offer support and pastoral care to families and colleagues and in collaboration with the Bereavement Office, facilitate effective communication between families and health care professionals.
To assist relatives in identifying appropriate information and additional / further advice and support e.g., Patient Advice Liaison Service contacts, Bereavement Office information.
To participate in meetings with relatives alongside the Medical Examiners and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
To establish clear and effective channels for communicating and co-operating with all departments, wards, and relevant professionals.
To support the Lead Medical Examiner Officer in the development of protocols, guidelines, and policy as appropriate.
To manage own workload ensuring timescales are adhered to.
To continually monitor ones performance in the provision of care; ensuring professional standards are always met.
Communication & Relationship Skills
To communicate and build effective working relationships with the following stakeholders:
Internal
• Lead Medical Examiner
• Medical Examiners
• Lead Medical Examiner Officer
• Medical Examiner Officers
• Doctors
• Nurses
• Trust mortality teams
• Clinical Governance Leads
• Infection Control Team
• Mortuary Staff
• Bereavement team
• Service Managers
External
• HM Coroner and Officers
• Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages
• Spiritual/Faith Community Leads
• Registrars of births and deaths
• Community Providers including GPs and other doctors, practice staff, hospices, Residential and Nursing Homes, Mental Health Services etc
• Bereaved relatives, carers, and executors/solicitors.
• Funeral Directors
• Regional Medical Examiner Leads
• National Medical Examiner Leads
The post holder will be expected to provide specialised advice to bereaved families and signpost to external agencies as appropriate. The post holder must have the ability to demonstrate empathy and always remain professional.
The postholder will be required to work closely with the Bereavement Team to ensure a consistent approach in supporting bereaved families.
Planning & Organisational Skills
To ensure all information is prepared ready for Medical Examiners and to co-ordinate activities with other teams and colleagues to ensure death certification processes run smoothly
To assist the Lead Medical Examiner Officer with the deployment of strategic service developments
Communication & Analytical skills
To maintain an awareness 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.
Responsibility for Policy/Service Development
To maintain confidentiality when accessing patient records and discussion patient cases with Medical Examiners, governance, and the coroner.
Assists the Lead MEO in delivering a comprehensive learning from death educational program, ensuring dissemination of education to a wide range of clinical and non-clinical stakeholders across both the acute and non-acute sector as appropriate.
Responsibility for Financial & Physical Resources
The postholder will have responsibility for raising requisitions on the Trust procurement system for stationery and equipment orders.
Responsibility for Human Resources
To deputise for the Lead Medical Examiner Officer
To supervise and provide advice for less experienced staff
To work within the Trust HR policies and procedures
In the absence of the Lead Medical Examiner Officer, to develop and maintain Medical Examiner Officer rotas to ensure coverage for the ME service ross all sites where appropriate.
To contribute to data collation which inform key performance indicators dashboard to monitor performance and quality standards
To provide surveillance data for the Lead Medical Examiner as required.
To attend internal / external meetings as required
Responsibility for Information Resources
This advert closes on Monday 13 May 2024