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Job summary

Main area
Medical Examiners Office
Grade
Band 5
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
287-DTC-41-25
Employer
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Liverpool Clinical Laboratories
Town
Liverpool
Salary
£31,049 - £37,796 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
19/10/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust logo

Medical Examiner’s Officer

Band 5

Job overview

We have an exciting opportunity to be part of the Medical Examiner service. We are recruiting Medical Examiner Officers to join the Trust. 

You will assist the Lead Medical Examiner Officer in ensuring internal and external qualitative and quantitative key performance indicators are managed and achieved.

You will be a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals, HM Coroner and registration services.

This is a challenging role which combines some clinical knowledge, skilled communication in sensitive areas and IT skills.

Successful applicants are expected to undertake the mandatory Royal College of Pathologists’ Medical Examiner e-learning modules and face to face training. 

The posts are cross-site positions between Royal Liverpool & Aintree sites.

Main duties of the job

Main duties of the job

To act as an intermediary between the bereaved and clinicians to establish and resolve any concerns relating to a patient’s death.  Work with medical examiners to aid them in their responsibility for overseeing the death certification process for all deceased patients.

To establish the circumstances of individual patient deaths by performing a preliminary review of medical records.

 

To refer patients to HM Coroner for further investigation on approval by the Medical Examiner.

 

Maintain an awareness of the diverse needs of users of the Medical Examiner system to ensure equality to any particular group defined by sex, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability.

Educated to Bachelor’s degree level, or evidence of study/equivalent practical experience at an advanced level; this might include nursing or other clinical experience..

To have an understanding of medical terminology.

Working for our organisation

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients.

UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond. 

For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.

Aintree University Hospital is the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside and hosts a number of regional services including an award-winning stroke facility. Broadgreen Hospital is home to elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services, together with specialist patient rehabilitation. Liverpool Women’s Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK’s largest single site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.

 For roles at Liverpool Women’s, visit their careers page.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See Job Description for further details;

Knowledge of the statutory process around death certification legal frameworks and how the medical examiner system aligns with other related organisations and NHS initiatives.

The ability to work in a highly pressurised, unpredictable environment where bereavement care is central to the service delivery.

Specialist knowledge of various faith groups’ funeral wishes/practices to enable respectful compliance with tight and specific timescales and procedures.

Computer literate to use multiple IT software for recording personal identifiable data and producing statistical information for the National Medical Examiner’s office and Public Health surveillance.

Be able to juggle conflicting demands, prioritise tasks and deal with queries as they arise.

Identify relatives’ concerns and escalate them appropriately.

Full compliance with secure handling of patient identifiable data is essential.

Contribute to and review departmental policies and procedures to reflect best practice in the delivery of a medical examiner system.

 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Educated to degree level or equivalent working knowledge within a related field
  • Completed e-learning Medical Examiner Officer core training modules prior to commencing in post
  • Completed face to face Medical Examiner Officer training modules within 3 months of commencing in post

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of working with people in sensitive and emotional situations.
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of working in a healthcare setting with multi-disciplinary teams
  • Experience of working across organisational boundaries

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • To have an understanding of medical terminology that enables informed discussions about causes/circumstances of death with bereaved families, clinicians, coroner and registration staff
  • Knowledge of the Coroner & Justice Act 2009 reference to the medical examiner system. Full understanding of the medical examiner system operational remit when incorporated within Bereavement Services and as a X standalone service.
Desirable criteria
  • Knowledge of the special requirements of various faith groups and respect for equality and diversity of issues around formalities following a death.
  • Understanding of quality management systems
  • Understanding of the requirements of Human Tissue Authority and the Human Tissue Act 2004

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Evidence of excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • The ability to work as part of a team and organise fluctuating workloads around competing priorities
  • The ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, including the recently bereaved.
  • Highly evolved empathetic and self awareness skills to deal with bereaved families who may have barriers to understanding information due to their grief or disability
  • The ability to work in a highly pressured, unpredictable environment where bereavement care is central to the service delivery
  • Good IT skills. Use of various IT software systems and handling of personable identifiable data

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Fair Employment Charter Status - Aspiring LevelNHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardTrust IDVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleInvestors in PeopleArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Carer confident logo, the employers for carers confident schemeDisability confident committedStep into health

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
Kellie O'Hara
Job title
Lead Medical Examiners' Office
Email address
Kellie.O'[email protected]
Telephone number
0151 706 3803
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