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Job summary

Main area
Medical Examiner Service
Grade
Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Required to support with occasional extended hours service roster (weekends, daytime))
Job ref
391-NMUH-7430078
Employer
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Cross site
Town
London
Salary
£56,276 - £63,176 Per Annum Including HCAS
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
19/09/2025 23:59
Interview date
02/10/2025

Employer heading

NHS

Lead Medical Examiner Officer

Band 7

Our trust has over 17,000 staff serving 2 million patients every year. It comprises Barnet Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Free Hospital, North Middlesex University Hospital and more than 30 services in the community.  This larger scale organisation provides an unprecedented opportunity for us to continue our pioneering work, particularly in finding ways to deliver even better care to our patients.

Our mission is to deliver world class care and expertise in our clinical services, underpinned by world class teaching and research and we will continue to measure our progress against our five governing objectives: excellent outcomes, excellent patient and staff experience, excellent value for taxpayers’ money, being safe and meeting our external duties, and building a strong organisation.

Everyone is welcome at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME, gender equality, staff carers and people with disabilities and lived experiences to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

Click here to view our video Welcome to the Royal Free


 

Job overview

Are you looking for a new challenge in a friendly, collaborative service, who aim to deliver a professional and compassionate service? If so, we are keen to hear from you.

We are seeking a Lead Medical Examiner Officer (MEO) role who will be responsible for leading a small team of MEO's, working closely with our team of Medical Examiners (ME) and sharing innovative practice in data management, collating mortality reports and linking in with our NHS England Regional ME / MEO. 

You will be supported by the Group Head of Bereavement, Mortuary and ME Services as you coordinate day to day office services, including rosters and line management of the team.

Main duties of the job

This national statutory service led by NHS England ensures accuracy of certification of the cause of death and to improve involvement of bereaved people in the process. The aim is to scrutinise all deaths within acute hospitals and local communities. We are committed to maintaining and developing a responsive and fluid service, adaptable to the needs of our trust, our communities, and our workforce.

The Medical Examiner system contributes to and enhances governance, accuracy and the service to grieving friends and families, working closely with the Trust Bereavement Service.

Working for our organisation

We are seeking a full time senior Medical Examiner's Officer to be based cross sites for the Royal Free Group. This is alongside our Bereavement and Mortuary teams, where we work closely together in supporting bereaved people. The post holder is included in senior staff forums within these three services and has access to Royal Free personal and professional development opportunities. 

The role is full time: 37.5 hours a week, including occasional hours rostered at weekends and public holidays according to service need.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

The principal functions of the LMEO include leadership and oversight for:

·         Leadership and support for strategic direction of the management of the MEOs and support to Medical Examiners (MEs) across the RFHNHSFT

·         Maintain the National Model across the RFHNHSFT

·         Unification and accountability for mandated quarterly report to the Regional ME office

·         Oversight and assurance reports for services provided

  • Responsible to the Lead Medical Examiner for financial performance relating to delegated budgets and operational performance of the service

·         Facilitation and catalyst for innovation and new services e.g., community services and the extended hours service

·         Oversight for provision of the services to the bereaved with explanation, transparency and early opportunity to ask questions or raise concerns and to liaise with the Bereavement officers.

·         Oversight for accuracy and quality in all aspects of the medical certification of the cause of death.

·         Oversight and robust process in place to ensure appropriate referral to the Coroner.

·         Safeguard the public through consistent scrutiny of all non-coronal deaths.

·         Support clinical governance in learning and improvement.

·         Contribute to 7 day a week extended ME service delivery

 

Key Working Relationships

·         Lead Medical Examiner and direct reports

·         Trust Medical Examiners

·         Bereavement officers

·         Hospital doctors and consultants

·         Chaplaincy

·         Mortuary staff

·         Service managers

·         Group Head of Bereavement, Mortuary and Medical Examiner Service

·         Nurses

·         Business Intelligence Unit

·         Clinical Governance Leads

·         Quality Improvement Team

·         Clinical Effectiveness and Patient Experience staff

·         Administration staff within the NHS

·         HM Coroner and their officers in two jurisdictions

·         Spiritual/Faith community leads

·         Local Authorities and Public Health Departments (e.g., Registrar’s office)

·         GPs and practice staff

·         Bereaved relatives, carers and executors/solicitors.

·         Funeral directors

·         Crematoria Managers

·         Regional ME and Regional MEO

·         National Medical Examiner

·         Clinical Outcomes & Effectiveness Team members, Senior Project managers working with Divisions and Learning from Death and End of Life specialists

 

Person specification

Education & professional Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust Values
Desirable criteria
  • Completed e-learning MEO core training modules prior to starting in the post.
  • Educated to Masters level/equivalent practical experience at an advanced level
  • Experience of patient safety/patient experience/risk management/medical examiner system

Experience

Essential criteria
  • The ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including the recently bereaved.
  • Experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations
  • Leadership experience of working in a healthcare or related setting with multidisciplinary teams and of working across organisational boundaries
  • Ability to rapidly assimilate a range of complex (often clinical) information and make informed judgements
  • Ability to compile large amounts of data in formats that allow for analysis and conclusions.
Desirable criteria
  • Introducing new ways of working
  • Project management
  • Budget management experience including monitoring expenditure and identifying savings
  • Experience and familiarity with business planning and preparation of business cases.
  • Experience of working in a healthcare setting with multi - disciplinary teams across organisational boundaries
  • General knowledge of clinical/medical terminology.
  • Knowledge of the special requirements of various faith groups and respect for equality and diversity of issues around formalities following a death
  • Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2009 reference to the medical examiner system. Full understanding of the medical examiner service operational remit incorporated within Bereavement Services.
  • Knowledge of the Notification of Deaths Regulation 2019 – legal requirements and conditions for referral of a death to His Majesty's Coroner
  • Knowledge or experience of the Medical Certificate Cause of Death Regulations 202 4 and the Medical Examiners (England) Regulations 2024

Personal Qualities and attributes

Essential criteria
  • Proactive and self -motivated
  • Approachable and supportive to all levels of staff and bereaved families in a non - judgemental and discreet manner.
  • Compassionate and kind with a drive to service and have a positive impact on others
  • Professional appearance, manner and awareness of impact of own behaviour on others.
  • Ability to maintain a calm manner in a range of challenging and emotive circumstances.
  • Proactive and self -motivated with the ability to deputise for Lead Medical Examiner often at short notice.

Skills and aptitudes

Essential criteria
  • Able to make logical operation/service level decisions based on the current situation
  • A commitment to life -long learning and undertaking personal development opportunities.
  • Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism with all stakeholders.
  • Ability to lead a multi -site team and to organise fluctuating workload around competing priorities.
  • To have skills/qualifications in day -to -day operational/processmanage ment of a customer -facing service where users may have unpredictable and emotionally charged needs
  • Experience of delivering training to a range of stakeholders.
  • Experience in management of meetings.
  • Experience of implementing change and innovation.
  • Previous experience of leading and managing a team.
  • Competent in the use of IT software systems and handling sensitive personal identifiable data

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Nursing TimesApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleDisability confident employerTimewise PartnerCare Quality Commission - Requires improvementEnei MemberArmed Forces Covenant

Applicant requirements

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.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Michelle Humphrey
Job title
Group Head of Bereavement, Mortuary and ME Service
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07773582466
Additional information

Rebecca Gillibrand

Lead Medical Examiner

[email protected]

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