Job summary
- Main area
- THQ
- Grade
- Medical Examiner
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 2 sessions per week (1 or 2 sessions per week)
- Job ref
- 188-MT11025
- Employer
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Southampton General Hospital
- Town
- Southampton
- Salary
- £109,725 to £145,478
- Closing
- 20/10/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 05/11/2025
Employer heading
Medical Examiner
Medical Examiner
Job overview
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.
This is a permanent contract. Please see below for detailed job description of the role.
Main duties of the job
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us as Medical Examiner.
Medical Examiners are senior medical doctors from all specialties, both in hospital and community who are contracted for a number of sessions a week outside of their usual clinical duties to perform review and scrutiny of all non-coronial deaths. Access the Medical Examiner page through the Royal College of Pathologists for more information:
https://www.rcpath.org/profession/medical-examiners.html
The main duties will involve:
-Provide statutory review of all death for both hospital and community.
-Demonstrate independence
-Provide timely and compassionate service for people in their hardest times.
We are looking for someone who has/is:
-Experiences clinician with wide ranging clinical insight
-Excellent communication skills - verbal and written. Robust analytical skills.
-Understanding of grief
-Team worker to join a small team of medical examiners and officers, with multi professional contacts and interactions.
-you must have a valid GMC registration in the UK
Working for our organisation
As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care.
We support flexible working and will consider requests taking into account the needs of the service. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.
Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 20% lower than London and 14 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Medical examiners perform a scrutiny of the notes of all deceased patients, they discuss the proposed cause of death with the attending team, and they explain the cause of death to the bereaved families and ascertain if there are any family concerns. Medical Examiners can also help to identify whether a case requires referral to the Coroner's Office.
Medical examiners will be based within and employed by the Trust but will have an external reporting line via the re-gional ME. They will promote robust, transparent and independent scrutiny of the death certification process and en-sure that the correct referrals are made to the Coroner. They will work closely with the Coroners and Registrars of Deaths
The job will involve:
-Contribution to the improvement of the medical examiner service
-Statutory review of all deceased patients
-Identify good practice and escalation of findings that require further review
-Improve death certification
-Allow families to have a voice if they have any concerns.
For an overview of the position, please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification document. This includes a detailed breakdown of the key responsibilities, role expectations, and the qualifications we are looking for. It outlines the essential criteria for the role and is designed to support you in preparing your application by helping you evaluate how your skills, experience, and professional background align with the requirements of the role.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The successful candidate will be employed under the terms and conditions of service for Consultants (England) 2003.
Interviews will be held on: 5th November 2025
This vacancy closes on or before: 20th October 2025
Person specification
Qualifications, Training & Experience
Essential criteria
- Medical Practitioner with GMC registration with a licence to practise
- Medical examiners should have up-to-date knowledge of the cause of death and an understanding of the legal frameworks associated with death certification processes.
- Knowledge of the special requirements of various faith groups and respect for equality and diversity.
- 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.
- Ability to identify available data sources to support the detection and analysis of concerns and to recognise gaps in available knowledge
- Ability to identify and disseminate examples of good practice amongst relevant colleagues.
- Appropriate knowledge base, and ability to apply sound clinical judgement to problems
Aptitudes and skills
Essential criteria
- Evidence and ability to work effectively in multi-professional teams
- Evidence of willingness to participate in a multi-disciplinary team environment to provide an integrated service
- Understanding of equality and diversity and how this affects patients, visitors and staff
- Ability to integrate the care of a patient by many and various other clinical staff
- Ability to participate on on-call rota
- Willingness to work flexibly to deliver clinically effective and cost-effective healthcare
- Respect Diversity - Seeks to develop an understanding of different groups and individuals and ensures equitable and appropriate treatment for all
- Ability to manage high pressure situations e.g. clinical crisis
- Evidence of participation in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching
- Evidence and ability to communicate and liaise effectively with patients and colleagues (verbal and written communication skills in English).
Trust Values
Essential criteria
- Patients First
- Always Improving
- Working Together
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Harnish Patel
- Job title
- Lead medical Examiner (joint)
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 02381 203564
- Additional information
Alternative contacts:
Paul Wharton, Lead medical Examiner (joint) paul.wharton @uhs.nhs.uk
Heather Holmes, lead medical examiner officer [email protected] x 3564
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