Medical Examiner: Sponsorship Available

Job summary

We are looking for a maximum of 3 Medical examiners to work 1 session per week.

Medical examiners (MEs) are appropriately trained doctors who will verify clinical information on Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs) and ensure that the right referrals are made to the coroner for further investigation. A practising 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 consultant grade doctors from a range of disciplines, including GP principals (who will be employed as specialty doctors. Specialty Doctors and Specialist doctors with appropriate skills will also be considered.

MEs will take a consistent approach to the formulation of MCCD content, which must be clinically accurate and reflect any discussions with the next of kin/informant. MEs must not have been involved in the care of the deceased patients for deaths they scrutinise.

To engage with lead ME and lead MEO for the region.

Main duties of the job

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 discuss and explain the cause of death with next of kin/informants in a transparent, tactful and sympathetic manner. It is anticipated that such discussions will be predominately conducted through telephone conversations where barriers to understanding information may exist.

To ensure that all users of the ME system are treated with respect and are not discriminated against on the grounds of age, sex, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability.

To maintain comprehensive records of all deaths scrutinised and undertake analysis to provide information to the National Medical Examiner’s office.

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.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Medical practitioner registered and licensed to practise in the UK by the GMC on the specialist register

Desirable

• On the GMC specialist register for a minimum of 5 years

Experience

Essential

• A commitment to life-long learning and undertaking personal development opportunities
• MEs should have up-to-date knowledge of causes of death and an understanding of the legal frameworks associated with death certification processes
• Ability to identify and disseminate examples of good practice amongst relevant colleagues.
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently within own team and also closely with people in other disciplines

Desirable

• Experience in local governance / patient safety roles

skills & Knowledge

Essential

• Proactive and self-motivated with a flexible working approach
• Ability to work as part of a team and organise a fluctuating workload around competing priorities and numerous interruptions.
• Knowledge of local and national clinical governance systems and an understanding of how the ME can work collaboratively to improve patient safety by identifying sub-optimal clinical and organisational performance.
• Strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the ability to communicate in difficult and emotional situations with empathy and professionalism.

Closing Date: 8 October 2026