GP Medical Examiner (Bank:) - Bank - Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

GP Medical Examiner (Bank:) - Bank - Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – Milton Keynes, South East

Interview date: Thursday 14th of November

We are looking to recruit to our Medical Examiner Service and require cover for Monday afternoons.

A vacancy has arisen in our supportive, experienced and dynamic team. The Medical Examiners are from a range of clinical backgrounds, and applications are invited from any 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 system-wide learning and improvement.

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.

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
• 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.

The responsibilities of the Medical Examiner include:

• 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.