Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Medical Examiner Service at University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) NHS Trust as a Medical Examiner, working 1 PA per week.

As part of our committed and high-performing team, you will play a vital role in delivering safe, compassionate and transparent scrutiny of patient deaths across Royal Stoke University Hospital, County Hospital in Stafford, and in the community. This position is central to supporting the Trust's legal, regulatory and quality-improvement responsibilities, ensuring accurate certification, appropriate referrals to HM Coroner, and meaningful engagement with bereaved families.

You will work alongside our experienced Medical Examiners and Medical Examiner Officers, contributing to a robust and patient-centred service. The role requires professionalism, strong clinical judgement, and the ability to communicate sensitively with families and colleagues.

If you are motivated to enhance the quality of care, improve learning from deaths and support families at an important moment, we would welcome your application to join our team.

Main duties of the job
Medical Examiner scrutiny includes reviewing and discussing proposed causes of death with attending practitioners and the bereaved, which involves carrying out a proportionate review of relevant medical records (electronic and paper). A further element of the scrutiny process is to identify potential leaning in line with the NHS Learning From Deaths framework. The job description and person specification attached are modelled from the Royal College of Pathologists in line with a national requirement to develop a method for reducing inaccuracies in death certificates and achieving greater confidence in Learning From Deaths.

We invite applications from suitably qualified clinicians who are naturally curious, data friendly and ready to lead the way in developing our understanding of the impact of the care we provide in both acute and non-acute settings. We will provide you with the support to do this through provision of resources to include an office base and administrative support for running the service.

About us
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust is one of the largest and most modern in the country. Based across two sites, Royal Stoke in Stoke-on-Trent and County Hospital in Stafford, we are proud to serve around three million people and we're highly regarded for our facilities, teaching and research. We are the specialist centre for major trauma for the North Midlands and North Wales.

All of our employees make a valuable contribution regardless of role here at UHNM and we are proud of our wide range of development packages aimed at ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their true potential.

UHNM create and encourage a culture of inclusion, providing equal opportunities for career development that are fair and transparent. We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive employer and foster a culture in which all staff feel valued and respected. In return we ask all of our employees to make a commitment to the values, co-created by or staff, patients and carers, and that unite us as a Trust.

At University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust we know that investing in, supporting and developing our staff has a direct impact on the quality of care that we deliver. Our employees are as important as our patients and the population that we serve.

Job responsibilities
A detailed job description and main responsibilities can be found attached within the supporting documents.

Before applying for this role, you should:

• Arrange to visit the Medical Examiner's Office to gain a better understanding of what's involved.
• Clarify that this role will be acceptable as part of your job plan, with your clinical head of service or GP lead.
• Be aware the post will be office-based alongside Medical Examiner and Medical Examiner Officer colleagues (no option for remote working).

Qualifications
Essential

• Medical Degree
• Specialist registration and full license to practice in the UK with the GMC

Clinical Experience & Training
Essential

• Minimum of five years experience as a medical practitioner
• Currently practising clinically
• Up to date knowledge of causes of death, together with death certification requirements and processes
• Broad medical knowledge to enable scrutiny of deaths and ability to recognise learning opportunities

Desirable

• Experience working as a Medical Examiner

Skills & Attributes
Essential

• Good communication, interpersonal and leadership skills
• Good attendance record
• Digitally competent with experience using Microsoft Office software and bespoke systems
• Awareness and respect for colleagues, patients and relatives' dignity, privacy, cultural and religious beliefs

Desirable

• Flexibility to work across hospital sites

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).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).