Lead Medical Examiner

Interviews for this role will take place on Monday 10th August 2026 in Trust Headquarters at Darlington Memorial Hospital.

This is a 1PA per week Trust Wide role.

We are seeking an experienced and compassionate medical professional to lead our Medical Examiner Service. This is a pivotal role in ensuring the quality, transparency, and sensitivity of death certification processes across the Trust.

You will provide clinical leadership to a team of Medical Examiners, ensuring that all deaths not referred to the Coroner are scrutinised appropriately. The role also involves supporting bereaved families, improving patient safety, and contributing to learning from deaths., The Lead Medical Examiner will provide clinical leadership to ensure compliance with the legal and procedural requirements associated with the current processes of certification, investigation (HM Coroner) and registration of deaths within the local authority. The post holder will work collaboratively with the Medical Examiners by sharing experiences and expertise to support peer learning and standardise processes for service delivery. The post holder will work closely with all relevant stakeholders across County Durham and Darlington.

The main duties of the role are;

Lead and manage the Medical Examiner Service across the Trust

Ensure consistent and high-quality scrutiny of deaths in line with national guidance

Provide expert advice on cause of death and certification processes

Liaise with bereaved families to explain the cause of death and address concerns

Oversee recruitment, training, and professional development of Medical Examiners

Collaborate with the Coroners Office, Bereavement Services, and clinical governance teams

Ensure compliance with statutory requirements and NHS England standards

If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager.

You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks.

We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented.

Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents.

Over reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of success.

For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.

£113,565 to £150,569 a year YC72 Pay Scale per annum pro rata