Medical Examiner Officer inBournemouth inBournemouth PUBLISHED
FRI 25 OCT 2024
The University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Medical Examiner Officer to join the East Dorset Medical Examiner Service in Bournemouth. This role involves supporting Medical Examiners in the independent review of circumstances and causes of death not investigated by the Coroner, ensuring compassionate communication and transparency. The Medical Examiner Officer will serve as a primary contact for bereaved families and facilitate interactions with healthcare professionals and coroner services, helping to address concerns related to patient deaths.
Candidates should ideally have familiarity with death certification processes, along with experience in bereavement care, as the role requires sensitive handling of emotionally charged situations. Attention to detail, strong administrative and communication skills are crucial for success, as the Officer will conduct preliminary reviews of medical records, identify cases for further scrutiny, and ensure adherence to health and safety policies. This position presents an opportunity to make a meaningful impact by supporting bereaved families and safeguarding the integrity of the death certification process.
Candidates should ideally have familiarity with death certification processes, along with experience in bereavement care, as the role requires sensitive handling of emotionally charged situations. Attention to detail, strong administrative and communication skills are crucial for success, as the Officer will conduct preliminary reviews of medical records, identify cases for further scrutiny, and ensure adherence to health and safety policies. This position presents an opportunity to make a meaningful impact by supporting bereaved families and safeguarding the integrity of the death certification process.
TheEast Dorset Medical Examiner Service,hosted by UHD, is part of a vital national initiative introduced by NHS England. Our service provides independent scrutiny of all deaths not investigated by the Coroner, ensuring transparency, accuracy, and compassion in examining the circumstances and causes of death, both in-hospital and in the local community.
We are looking for a Medical Examiner Officer to join our friendly, collaborative team, delivering a professional and compassionate service. They will help the Medical Examiner to review the circumstances and causes of the death and will work closely, yet independently from other services involved in patient care.
It is a challenging role combining some medical terminology/ clinical knowledge and skilled communication. Ideally the applicant will be familiar with coroner, medical examiner and death certification processes.
Experience of bereavement care would be beneficial as Medical Examiner Officers are required to interact sensitively with the bereaved, handling emotive and challenging situations. The post holder must exhibit exceptional attention to detail, strong administrative capabilities, and effective communication skills when interacting with all stakeholders.
This role offers an opportunity to make a meaningful difference by providing vital support to bereaved families and helping to maintain the integrity of the death certification process.
Base Location: Bournemouth and Poole Hospital
Interview Date: TBC
- To support Medical Examiners in their role in scrutinising the circumstances and causes of death.
- To be a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals, coroner and registration services.
- To act as an intermediary between the bereaved and clinicians to establish and resolve any concerns relating to a patient's death.
- To 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 identify clinical and circumstantial information, sourcing additional details where required, for scrutiny by the Medical Examiner.
- To assist in highlighting cases for referral using the governance reporting systems in the Acute Trust, as well as referral using the clinical governance processes for deaths in the community (GP practices), community hospitals, hospices and private health care in East Dorset.
- To highlight patients for referral to the coroner for further investigation.
- To ensure the application and observation of all health and safety, security and confidentiality policies are adhered to by all medical examiner office services staff.
About us
- To expand our team of Medical Examiner Officers (MEO) to support the Medical Examiners (ME) in their role in scrutinising the circumstances and cause of death.
- To be a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals, coroner and registration services.
- The Medical Examiner Officer will be part of an existing team acting as experts in death certification and scrutiny of non-coronial referrals.
- There is significant emotional effort associated with dealing with bereaved families.
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The National Health Service (NHS) is a cornerstone of healthcare in the United Kingdom, established in 1948 with the simple yet profound principle of providing healthcare to all citizens, free at the point of use. This revolutionary system aimed to ensure that access to medical services would not depend on an individual’s financial situation, a concept that has since become fundamental to British societal values. Learn more...
Useful skills for a Medical Examiner Officer:
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To work as a Medical Examiner Officer (MEO) in the UK, you need a combination of educational qualifications, relevant skills, and personal attributes. Here are the key skills and qualifications required for the role:
Educational Qualifications
1. Medical Background: A healthcare-related degree such as medicine, nursing, or biomedical science. Some positions may require a medical degree.
2. Postgraduate Training: Completion of relevant postgraduate training or qualifications can be beneficial. This may include training in pathology, forensic medicine, or public health.
Essential Skills
1. Medical Knowledge: Strong understanding of medical terminology, human anatomy, and disease processes.
2. Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills for interacting with families, healthcare professionals, and legal entities.
3. Analytical Skills: Ability to analyze medical records and documentation, assess causes of death, and draw conclusions based on evidence.
4. Attention to Detail: High level of accuracy and attention to detail when documenting findings and preparing reports.
5. Emotional Resilience: Ability to deal with sensitive situations and provide support to grieving families while maintaining professionalism.
6. Organizational Skills: Strong organizational abilities to manage multiple cases and prioritize tasks effectively.
7. Interpersonal Skills: Building rapport with families, medical staff, and other stakeholders in a compassionate manner.
8. Technical Skills: Proficiency in using electronic health record systems and other relevant technology.
Additional Qualities
1. Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to think critically and approach complex situations logically.
2. Teamwork: Capability to work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
3. Ethical Judgment: Strong sense of ethics and professionalism, particularly when handling sensitive and confidential information.
4. Compliance and Regulatory Awareness: Understanding of legal and regulatory requirements related to death certification and investigation processes.
Experience
- Relevant Experience: Experience in a clinical or healthcare setting, or in roles involving medical assessments, is often preferred.
- Internships/Training: Participation in internships, training courses, or shadowing programs related to forensic medicine can be advantageous.
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