York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is expanding the Medical Examiner Service team, by the recruitment of a new Medical Examiner Officer (MEO). The post will be predominantly based at York Hospital but there may be an occasional requirement to work on the Scarborough site.
This role is part of the national implementation of the Medical Examiner Service in England and Wales, and we invite applications from anyone with degree level education or equivalent experience; and either with a professional clinical background or relevant experience in the bereavement or coroner service.
We particularly welcome eligible candidates who have already undertaken the Medical Examiner training modules, provided by the Royal College of Pathologists.
The post will involve:
• Strengthening safeguards for the public by providing robust, systematic and independent scrutiny of all deaths not referred directly to the Coroner.
• Improving the quality of death certification, providing advice based on a review of relevant health records.
• Avoiding unnecessary distress for the bereaved by answering questions about the care given or certified cause of death.
Please be advised that this vacancy may close prior to the closing date stated, due to the high level of applications it may attract. If you would like to apply, please submit your application promptly to avoid disappointment.
You will be a point of contact and source of advice for relatives of deceased patients, healthcare professionals and coroner and registration services. You will be responsible for ensuring internal and external qualitative, and quantitative key performance indicators are managed and achieved and work closely with the bereavement team, coronial and registrar services to provide the best experience for bereaved families.
Working under delegation from the Medical Examiner (ME), the MEO will support the end process of death certification within the Medical Examiner Service. This will require a combination of skills and clinical knowledge, compassion, sensitivity and a commitment to engage with bereaved families. The MEO will review patient records to gather information for the ME.
The post holder will provide administrative skills to support Medical Examiners in scrutinizing deaths, ensuring necessary paperwork is accurate and complete. The MEO will contact the next of kin to discuss the death, to enquire about any concerns they may have about care, and to explain the proposed wording of the Death Certificate. This requires excellent communication skills.
There will additionally be a point of contact and source of advice for healthcare professionals from elsewhere in the organisation and, where appropriate, Coroners' and Registration services.
Our benefits
We offer a range of benefits to support our staff including:
• Access to the NHS Pension Scheme, providing generous benefits upon retirement, as well as a lump sum and pension for dependants
• 27 days holiday rising to 33 days (depending on NHS Trust service)
• A variety of different types of paid and unpaid leave covering emergency and planned leave
• Confidential advice and support on personal, work, family and relationship issues, 24/7, from our Employee Assistance Programme
• NHS Car Lease scheme and Cycle to Work scheme
• An extensive range of learning and development opportunities
• Discounts on restaurants, getaways, shopping, motoring, cinema and finance from a range of providers
For further information on the fantastic range of benefits we offer please visit the Trust's dedicated Staff Benefits pages.
A full description of the role is available in the attachment: job description.
Working for the Trust
Across our organisation, people are guided by values that were co-developed with staff: we are kind; we are open; and we pursue excellence.
Our values play into our ambition to develop a more diverse workforce, truly representative of our communities. We welcome applications from everyone, while working with our Staff Networks - including our Race Equality, LGBTQ+, Disability and Carers Networks - to increase the number of applications we receive from different backgrounds. If there is anything we can do to make our application process more accessible to you, please contact: yhs-tr.recruitment@nhs.net.
As part of seeking to become more inclusive, we will consider requests for flexible working from the start of your employment. It may not be suitable for every role, but we will try and be supportive where we can. We would encourage you to speak to the recruiting manager named within this advert to discuss any requirements you may have.
Armed Forces Friendly Employer
We are holders of the Gold Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, which is helping actively promote SaBRE - Supporting Britain’s Reservists and Employers. This means that we have made a statement of intent to support all Defence personnel, including with applications for employment.
This advert closes on Monday 24 Mar 2025
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Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident .