Litigation Legal Counsel|NQ-3 PQE|London|Full Time|Mat Cover 12 Months| Salary DOE
We are one of the UK's leading independent hospital groups and the largest in terms of revenue. From our 38 hospitals and 50 clinics, medical centres and consulting rooms across England, Wales, and Scotland, we provide diagnostics, inpatient, day case and outpatient care in areas including orthopaedics, gynaecology, cardiology, neurology, oncology, and general surgery. We also operate a network of private GPs and provide occupational health services to over 700 corporate clients. We are the principal independent provider by volume of knee and hip operations in the United Kingdom.
The group was founded with the acquisition and re-branding of 25 Bupa hospitals in 2007. Since then, Spire Healthcare has made significant capital investments in its estate and continues to deliver successful and award-winning clinical outcomes and high levels of patient satisfaction. Spire is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 250. We were the first private hospital provider to publish outcomes data on our website and we have received awards for our clinical quality and high levels of patient satisfaction.
Spire Healthcare is committed to the highest quality of patient care. Working in partnership with over 8,760 experienced consultants, we delivered tailored, personalised care to approximately 926,500 inpatients, outpatients, and day case patients in 2022.
Patients, consultants, and general practitioners trust Spire Healthcare to deliver the high-quality care they expect from a leading private healthcare provider.
We are looking for a qualified litigation solicitor, ideally with some clinical negligence experience, however, applications are welcome from those with other litigation backgrounds looking to make the move into clinical negligence work. If joining at NQ level, it is preferable that you have completed seats in litigation and are familiar with the CPR. We work very closely with a number of leading external law firms for both advisory and litigation work.
Key Responsibilities:
* Managing litigation claims, low risk inquest, complex complaints, and serious incident investigations.
* Reviewing reports from external counsel in respect of litigation claims and inquests, advising hospitals in respect of the same and providing instructions to counsel in response.
* Assisting hospitals and external counsel with disclosure exercises and obtaining of factual/witness evidence.
* Handling insurer claim notifications and supporting insurance renewal.
* Advising individual hospitals and the wider group about learning arising from claims and working with teams across the business to develop actions to address that learning.
* Liaising with internal and external communications advisors, as required, in respect of public relations considerations or media coverage which may impact upon the group, particularly that arising from ongoing litigation.
* Consulting on internal governance processes, policies, and investigations.
* Providing general advisory support, particularly in the context of healthcare, and supporting the DP Team with Data Protection and Freedom of Information queries.
* Supporting staff and, where appropriate, representing Spire at range of tribunal and court hearings.
* Drafting reports to the Group Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
* Managing and developing Spire's claims data.
* Developing and maintaining precedent documentation and policies.
* Providing legal training to Hospitals / Head Office.
* Supporting other senior members of the legal team as necessary on wider projects.
Key Requirements:
* Strong academic background (a 2:1 degree or equivalent).
* Experience as a litigation solicitor in private practice or a supervised in-house role.
* Demonstrable drafting skills.
* A proactive, self-motivated, and reliable, with a 'can do' attitude and ability to take initiative.
* Ability to build rapport easily as well as effective relationships.
* Innovative mindset with a keen desire to take on new projects.
Benefits:
We offer employed colleagues a competitive salary as well as a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:
* 35 days annual leave inclusive of bank holidays
* Employer and employee contributory pension with flexible retirement options
* 'Spire for you' reward platform - discount and cashback for over 1000 retailers
* Free wellness screening
* Private medical insurance
* Life assurance
Spire Healthcare is committed to creating an environment that will attract, retain, and motivate its people. We are an equal opportunities employer, committed to the health and wellbeing of all our colleagues and consultants.
We firmly believe that it is our people that make the business successful, and everyone should have the opportunity to work in a motivated team, free from discrimination on any grounds. We, therefore, are keen to receive and review applications from all candidates of under-represented groups who feel they offer the requisite skills.
For us, it's more than just treating patients; it's about looking after people.