Job summary
- Main area
- Bank
- Grade
- Bank:
- Contract
- Bank
- Hours
- Flexible working - 4 hours per week
- Job ref
- 430-GPME-Bank-B
- Employer
- Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Milton Keynes University Hospital
- Town
- Milton Keynes
- Salary
- £75 per hour
- Closing
- 09/02/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 26/02/2026
Employer heading
GP Medical Examiner
Bank:
At Milton Keynes University Hospital, you will be welcomed into a friendly and supportive environment where teamwork and respect are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to live our Trust values and behaviours every day, creating a culture where everyone feels heard and valued.
MKUH staff's Motivation and Involvement scores are among the highest in our peer group, showing that our people feel inspired and included in decision-making (Staff Survey, 2024).
Our benefits
We believe in recognising and rewarding the amazing contribution of our staff and that is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, work-life balance, and professional growth, including:
- Free on-site parking including EV charging
- Complimentary refreshments
- Flexible working arrangements
- Discounted gym membership
- Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Generous annual leave, with the option to bank holiday entitlement
- Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme
- On-site nursery (charges apply)
- A wide-ranging staff health and wellbeing programme including EAP
- VIVUP products to support your mental, physical, and financial Wellbeing
Job overview
Job title: GP Medical Examiner
Department: Corporate
Salary: £75 per hour
Hours: Up to 4 hrs p/w or 1 * 0.6PA
Interview date: 26th Feb 2026
We are looking to expand our Medical Examiner Service
We are a supportive, experienced and dynamic team from a range of clinical backgrounds, and we are now looking to recruit new medical practitioners to the team to deal with the our increasing workload. We have developed an excellent working relationship with our Superintendent Registrar, Coroner and Coroner’s Officers locally.
Applications are invited from any senior medically qualified practitioner who has been on the full GMC register for a minimum of five years.
As a new Medical Examiner, you will be supported by the team, and will shadow a current Medical Examiner for the first few weeks. Training is hosted by the Royal College of Pathologists, with peer support being provided in the new role by the existing medical examiners. This is a highly rewarding role that provides essential safeguards within the death certification process, provides support to the bereaved, supports correct referral to HM Coroner and supports the system-wide learning and improvement
You must have the right to live and work in the UK. If you require a visa to work, please note that we are currently unable to support sponsorship requests for this role.
Main duties of the job
Medical examiners (MEs) are appropriately trained doctors who will proportionately scrutinise deceased patients’ records against the Cause of Death offered by the certifying practitioner. They are responsible for ensuring that
- the Cause of Death is accurate, and meets the legal requirements for registration,
- there is no requirement for referral of the case to the Coroner for review
- any concerns about the death raised by any concerned party are reviewed and actioned accordingly
- that any concerns about the standard of care received by the deceased are escalated appropriately for investigation for system-wide learning
Medical Examiners are not allowed to scrutinise the death of any patient whose care they have been involved in.
Working for our organisation
You can expect a warm welcome at Milton Keynes University Hospital, our staff are friendly and welcoming. We listen to each other and work together to embed our Trusts values and behaviours. At MKUH we appreciate our staff and reward them with an outstanding benefits package including:
- Free on-site parking
- Free tea and coffee
- Great flexible working opportunities
- Discounted gym membership
- Lease car scheme
- Generous annual leave and pension scheme
- On site nursery (chargeable)
- Extensive staff health and well-being programme
Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital; we conduct research and teaching on site to improve the care of our patients. The hospital is undergoing significant investment, and we are proud to be rated good by the CQC. Visit our website to catch up on our latest news.
MKUH is committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and as such we offer a range of flexible working practices. We promote an inclusive workforce and encourage applications from applicants from all backgrounds.
We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.
MKUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of MKUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.
Detailed job description and main 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 ensure that any concerns about the death raised by any concerned party are reviewed and actioned accordingly.
- To ensure that any concerns about the standard of care received by the deceased are escalated appropriately for investigation for system wide learning.
- To discuss and explain the cause of death with next of kin/informants in a transparent, tactful and sympathetic manner.
- 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.
- 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 adopt a collaborative working relationship with other MEs by sharing experiences and expertise to support peer learning and set uniform standards of service delivery.
Person specification
Experience
Desirable criteria
- Previous experience of clinical governance processes and improvement projects and methodology
- A working knowledge of the clinical portal
Specific Requirements
Essential criteria
- Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations
Qualifications and Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Medical practitioner registered and licensed to practise in the UK by the GMC.
- Must have been on the full register for a minimum of five years
- Up-to-date knowledge of causes of death and an understanding of the legal frameworks associated with death certification processes
- Knowledge of the special requirements of various faith groups and respect for equality and diversity
- Knowledge of local and national clinical governance systems and an understanding of how the ME can work collaboratively to improve patient safety by identifying sub-optimal clinical and organisational performance
Desirable criteria
- Completion of the 26 Royal College of Pathologists Medical examiner core training modules
- Recognised relevant postgraduate medical qualification
Skills
Essential criteria
- IT skills including use of email and commonly used software
- Ability to manage sensitive information - based processes within tight timescales by ensuring a proportionate approach to tasks
- Ability to identify available data sources to support the detection and analysis of concerns and to recognise gaps in available knowledge
- Ability to work as part of a team and organise a fluctuating workload around competing priorities and numerous interruptions
- Have the resilience to manage own reaction to frequently distressing situations and support others within the team.
- Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism.
Personal and People Development
Essential criteria
- Ability to identify and disseminate examples of good practice amongst relevant colleagues.
- Ability to work effectively and efficiently within own team and also closely with people in other disciplines
- A commitment to life-long learning and undertaking personal development opportunities.
- Evidence of regular engagement with the appraisal process
- Commitment to attend a face-to-face training session within the first three months in post if not already completed when appointed.
- Proactive and self-motivated with a flexible working approach
- Support of colleagues for you to take on the ME role
- To sustain professional integrity and independence at all times, and possess an ability to identify potential conflicts of interest
Communication
Essential criteria
- Excellent communication skills across cultural and language barriers, and demonstrated experience of using translation services or applications to aid communication under difficult circumstances
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Jane Wale
- Job title
- Lead Medical Examiner
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01908995193
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