Job summary
- Main area
- Clinical Coding
- Grade
- Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 360-IE-10168-A
- Employer
- West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Watford General Hospital
- Town
- Watford
- Salary
- £31,469 - £38,308 pa inc. HCA
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 10/07/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Band 5 - Senior Clinical Coder, Clinical Coding Department
Band 5
Job overview
The Clinical Coding Department at WHTH is undergoing a complete transformation to be more responsive to the changing demands of the organisation, especially, with the Trust adopting Electronic Patient Records (EPR) recently.
There is a requirement for high quality data collection and reporting with implementation of EPR to accurately reflect clinical activity and outcomes. This in turn will ensure that our services are set up to support our patient case mix enabling us to provide the right care for our patients.
As part of this transformation, we are looking to recruit self-motivated coders, competent in accurately coding multiple complex specialities who understand the need for high quality coded data to support healthcare planning, reimbursement, management of services, statistical analysis, and research.
Applications are welcome from aspiring coders with a proven track record of consistently achieving their key performance objectives and producing high quality work to tight deadlines who are ready for new challenges.
This is a full-time position (37.5 hours) based at Watford General Hospital, with opportunity for hybrid working and flexibility with working times to support our employees with a healthy work-life balance.
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Please note - we are unable to obtain a Certificate of Sponsorship (Work Permit) for this role.
Main duties of the job
Reporting to the Clinical Coding Team Lead, you will be responsible for ensuring accurate, timely, complete, and consistent clinical coding is carried out within strict timescales, using ICD-10 and OPCS-4 classifications, and adhering to the national coding standards and local clinical coding policies of the Trust. You will be required to collect, collate, and code clinical information, occasionally highly complex in nature, covering a wide range of specialities. This may involve coding highly sensitive and emotionally distressing patient medical records.
(*Please refer to the job description and person specification documents for more details on the responsibilities and requirements for this role.)
Working for our organisation
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Ensuring accurate, timely, complete, and consistent clinical coding is carried out within strict timescales, using ICD-10 and OPCS-4 classifications, and adhering to the national coding standards and local clinical coding policies of the Trust.
Collect, collate, and code clinical information, highly complex in nature, covering a wide range of specialities. This may involve coding highly sensitive and emotionally distressing patient medical records.
Maintaining own productivity by ensuring high quality work is done by required timescales.
Liaise with their line manager where necessary to confirm appropriate diagnosis and procedure codes where national guidance is unclear.
Regularly liaise with and update the managers and senior colleagues regarding deficiencies and ambiguity in clinical documentation to facilitate discussions with the clinical teams and other departments to improve the clinical documentation provided for coding purposes.
Raise data quality issues (e.g., inaccurate admission and discharge dates) to the Coding Operations Lead and the Coding Team Lead for resolution
attend and participate in team meetings to ensure knowledge and learning points are received and communicated.
Person specification
Education and qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to degree level in human sciences or other human sciences related academic qualification or equivalent specialist occupational experience.
- Successful completion of the NHS Classifications Services Foundation Workshop.
- Clinical Coding Standards Refresher Course within the last 3 years
Desirable criteria
- National Accredited Clinical Coder Qualification (ACC).
- European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL).
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Excellent knowledge in the application of the rules and conventions of ICD-10 and OPCS-4
- Excellent knowledge of national coding standards and conventions and their relationship to the Healthcare Resource Groups.
- Excellent knowledge of medical terminology, and anatomy and physiology.
- Knowledge of clinical systems like SUNQUEST ICE, ICRIS etc.
- Knowledge of Hospital Patient Administration System (PAS) and Medicode encoder system.
- Knowledge of Microsoft applications e.g., excel, word etc. and keyboard typing skills
- Knowledge of maintaining safety whilst using equipment.
- Knowledge of the importance of confidentiality, Data Protection Act and Caldicott principles
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of medical records processes.
- Knowledge of the information governance processes and data flows.
- Knowledge of commissioning requirements including NTPS and HRGs.
- Knowledge of SNOMED CT.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant experience working as a clinical coder in an acute Trust with in-depth knowledge in coding a wide range of specialities
- Experience producing high quality work consistently, thereby, achieving personal and departmental objectives and goals.
- Experience working with multidisciplinary teams within a health care environment.
- Experience in following policies and guidelines
Desirable criteria
- Experience working with multidisciplinary teams within a health care environment.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Philip Powell
- Job title
- Clinical Coding Operational Supervisor
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01923217552
If you have problems applying, contact
- Address
-
Watford General Hospital
Vicarage Road
Watford
Hertfordshire
WD18 0HB
- Telephone
- 01442 365234
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