Medical Examiner

at  Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Medical Examiner posts have been created by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in response to observations made in the Third Report of the Shipman Inquiry. The introduction of the medical examiner system will promote robust, transparent and independent scrutiny of death certification processes.
The Medical Examiner is to act as an independent reviewer of patient deaths, to ensure referrals to the coroner are appropriate, to review the Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs) and liaise with the doctor or senior team members as appropriate and liaise with the bereaved relatives to explain the cause of death and take note of any concerns.
There is already a well-established Medical Examiner Service based at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust which is comprised of part-time Medical Examiners and Medical Examiner Officers (providing administrative and managerial support).
The advertised positions are replacement posts for Medical Examiners currently on the weekly rota at MFT (part-time, 1-2 PAs). Successful candidates would be expected to work approximately 8 to 9 weeks a year on this rota, providing one 4 hour session for each working day during a Mon-Fri week (1PA). There would also be a requirement to provide Medical Examiner cover on occasional weekends/bank holidays; this will be a rare activity (approx. 2-3 times per year) and will be morning only.
Medical examiners (MEs) are experienced doctors who will verify clinical information on Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs) and ensure that appropriate referrals are made to the coroner for further investigation. A practicing medical practitioner who has been on the General Medical Council register for a minimum of five years post registration can apply to be a Medical Examiner. It is recommended that Medical Examiners are either consultant grade hospital doctors from a range of disciplines or experienced GPs. MEs will take a consistent approach to the formulation of MCCD content. It is expected that ME sessions will be undertaken on one of the MFT sites and work supported by the Chief ME and Medical Examiner Officers.
MEs must have up-to-date knowledge of medical conditions and treatments and be able to exercise judgement about when to seek specialist advice.
MEs must have detailed knowledge of the relevant legislation and processes which apply to:
The determination of whether a death is natural or unnatural
Deaths that must be reported to the coroner
Deaths abroad where bodies are returned to England and Wales for disposal
Safety and Quality – Clinical Governance
MEs will facilitate routine analysis of MCCD information to identify trends, patterns and unusual features of deaths.
MFT is England’s largest NHS Trust with a turnover of £2.6bn & is on a different scale than most other NHS Trusts. We’re creating an exceptional integrated health & social care system for the 1 million patients who rely on our services every year.
Bringing together 10 hospitals & community services from across Manchester, Trafford & beyond, we champion collaborative working & transformation, encouraging our 28,000 workforce to pursue their most ambitious goals. We set standards that other Trusts seek to emulate so you’ll benefit from a scale of opportunity that is nothing short of extraordinary.
We’ve also created a digitally enabled organisation to improve clinical quality, patient & staff experience, operational effectiveness & driving research and innovation through the introduction of Hive; our brand-new Electronic Patient Record system which we’ve launched in September 2022.
We’re proud to be a major academic Research Centre & Education provider, providing you with a robust infrastructure to encourage and facilitate high-quality research programmes. What’s more, we’re excited to be embarking on our new Green Plan which will set out how MFT continues to play its part in making healthcare more sustainable.
At MFT, we create and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, provide equal opportunities for career development that are fair, open and transparent, protecting your health and wellbeing and shaping the future of our organisation together.
To find out more about the key responsibilities and the specific skills and experience you’ll need, take a look at the Job Description & Person Specification attachments under the ‘Supporting Documents’ heading. So that you’re even more equipped to make an informed decision to apply to us, you’ll need to take time to read the ‘ Candidate Essentials Guide’ that sits with the Job Description and Person Specification. This document provides you with details about the Trust, our benefits and outlines how ‘we care for you as you care for others’. Most importantly, it also contains critical information you’ll need to be aware of before you submit an application form.
COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst COVID-19 vaccination is not currently a condition of employment, we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated. If you are unvaccinated, there is helpful advice and information available by searching on the ‘NHS England’ website where you can also find out more about how to access the vaccination.
Diversity Matters
MFT is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity and eliminating any form of unlawful discrimination across our workforce, ensuring our people are truly representative of the communities we serve. All individuals regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation are encouraged to apply for this post. As an inclusive employer, we are here to support you. If you have any special requirements to help you with your application, email our team at resourcing@mft.nhs.uk .
We’re looking forward to hearing from you

Please refer the Job description for details