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Medical Examiner

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Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

2mo ago

  • Job
    Full-time
    Senior Level
  • Legal
    Healthcare
  • Portsmouth

AI generated summary

  • You must ensure compliance with death certification processes, communicate sensitively with families, maintain records, support training, and collaborate with colleagues while respecting all individuals.
  • You will ensure compliance in death certifications, discuss causes with next of kin, maintain records, support junior doctors, and collaborate with colleagues while providing medical advice to coroners.

Requirements

  • To ensure compliance with the legal and procedural requirements associated with the current and proposed reformed processes of certification, investigation by coroners and registration of deaths.
  • To scrutinise the certified causes of death offered by attending doctors in a way that is proportionate, consistent, and compliant with the proposed national protocol.
  • To discuss and explain the cause of death with next of kin/informants in a transparent, tactful, and sympathetic manner. It is anticipated that such discussions will be predominately conducted through telephone conversations where barriers to understanding information may exist.
  • To ensure that all users of the ME system are treated with respect and are not discriminated against on the grounds of sex, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability.
  • To maintain comprehensive records of all deaths scrutinised and undertake analysis to provide information to the National Medical Examiners office.
  • To participate in relevant clinical governance activities relating to death certification including audits, mortality review processes and investigations regarding formal complaints about patient care.
  • To support the training of junior doctors in their understanding of death certification and promote good practice in accurate completion of MCCDs.
  • To work with medical examiner officers (MEOs), delegating duties as appropriate.
  • To engage with lead ME and lead MEO for the region.
  • To adopt a collaborative working relationship with other MEs by sharing experiences and expertise to support peer learning and set uniform standards of service delivery.
  • The timetabling of the duties will be discussed after appointment with the successful candidate, the Lead Medical Examiner, and their CD to reflect in their job plan.
  • Support those doctors who call for medical advice on suspected natural causes of death before they prepare an MCCD and provide general medical advice to the coroner.
  • Work with the any other local medical examiner(s) in LA/LHB or elsewhere to arrange reciprocal cover for holidays and other periods of absence and also to ensure that there is no potential conflict of interest between the medical examiner and the death being scrutinised.

Responsibilities

  • To ensure compliance with the legal and procedural requirements associated with the current and proposed reformed processes of certification, investigation by coroners and registration of deaths.
  • To scrutinise the certified causes of death offered by attending doctors in a way that is proportionate, consistent, and compliant with the proposed national protocol.
  • To discuss and explain the cause of death with next of kin/informants in a transparent, tactful, and sympathetic manner. It is anticipated that such discussions will be predominately conducted through telephone conversations where barriers to understanding information may exist.
  • To ensure that all users of the ME system are treated with respect and are not discriminated against on the grounds of sex, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability.
  • To maintain comprehensive records of all deaths scrutinised and undertake analysis to provide information to the National Medical Examiners office.
  • To participate in relevant clinical governance activities relating to death certification including audits, mortality review processes and investigations regarding formal complaints about patient care.
  • To support the training of junior doctors in their understanding of death certification and promote good practice in accurate completion of MCCDs.
  • To work with medical examiner officers (MEOs), delegating duties as appropriate.
  • To engage with lead ME and lead MEO for the region.
  • To adopt a collaborative working relationship with other MEs by sharing experiences and expertise to support peer learning and set uniform standards of service delivery.
  • The timetabling of the duties will be discussed after appointment with the successful candidate, the Lead Medical Examiner, and their CD to reflect in their job plan.
  • Support those doctors who call for medical advice on suspected natural causes of death before they prepare an MCCD and provide general medical advice to the coroner.
  • Work with the any other local medical examiner(s) in LA/LHB or elsewhere to arrange reciprocal cover for holidays and other periods of absence and also to ensure that there is no potential conflict of interest between the medical examiner and the death being scrutinised.

FAQs

What are the main responsibilities of a Medical Examiner?

The main responsibilities include ensuring compliance with legal requirements, scrutinising causes of death, discussing findings with next of kin, maintaining records, participating in clinical governance activities, supporting junior doctors, and collaborating with other medical examiners.

How do Medical Examiners communicate with next of kin?

Medical Examiners predominantly conduct discussions with next of kin or informants through telephone conversations, providing clear and sympathetic explanations of the cause of death.

Are there any requirements for non-discrimination in the Medical Examiner system?

Yes, all users of the Medical Examiner system must be treated with respect and without discrimination based on sex, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, or disability.

What type of training is provided to junior doctors?

Training provided to junior doctors focuses on understanding death certification and promoting good practices in accurate completion of Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs).

How do Medical Examiners work with Medical Examiner Officers (MEOs)?

Medical Examiners collaborate with Medical Examiner Officers by delegating duties as appropriate and ensuring effective teamwork in the death certification process.

How do Medical Examiners handle holidays and absences?

Medical Examiners work with other local medical examiners to arrange reciprocal cover for holidays and other periods of absence to ensure continuous service delivery.

What kind of support does a Medical Examiner provide to doctors before they complete an MCCD?

Medical Examiners provide medical advice to doctors regarding suspected natural causes of death before they prepare an MCCD and offer general medical guidance to coroners.

Will the duties and scheduling of a Medical Examiner be flexible?

Yes, the timetabling of duties will be discussed with the successful candidate after their appointment, allowing for flexibility in their job plan.

Is there a focus on clinical governance in the role of a Medical Examiner?

Yes, Medical Examiners participate in clinical governance activities related to death certification, including audits and mortality review processes.

How does the role of a Medical Examiner promote uniform standards?

Medical Examiners engage in collaborative relationships with other MEs to share experiences and expertise, thereby supporting peer learning and fostering uniform standards of service delivery.

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Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

We are #ProudToBePHU and provide expert, compassionate care for all across Portsmouth, south east Hampshire beyond.

Science & Healthcare
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5001-10,000
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1904
Founded Year

Mission & Purpose

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust is one of the largest acute hospital trusts in the country, treating over half a million patients each year. The Trust is the second largest employer in Portsmouth. We provide comprehensive secondary care and specialist services to a local population of 675,000 people across South East Hampshire. We also offer some speciality services to a wider catchment of around two million people. Our population is characterised by its diversity – the rural and the urban, areas of wealth juxtaposed with real pockets of deprivation, and gaps in life expectancy. Most of our services are provided at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham, but we also offer a range of outpatient and diagnostic facilities closer to patients’ homes in community hospital sites and at local treatment centres throughout South East Hampshire, including St Mary's Treatment Centre, Gosport War Memorial Hospital and Petersfield Community Hospital.