Claims OfficerNHS

Job summary

An opportunity has arisen for a motivated candidate to join the legal services team at Bedfordshire Hospitals as Claims Officer. The successful candidate will assist the Head of Legal Services their own portfolio of legal claims. The post holder may also be required to provide general legal advice and training to staff on legal issues.

The Legal Services team works closely with the Risk & Safety team, who carry out patient safety Incident and high level investigations. The Claims Officer will work closely with this team to ensure that lessons from adverse events are learned and improvement actions implemented.

We are looking for a suitably qualified candidate with experience of and an interest in the legal aspects of delivering healthcare. Someone who is confident and competent at providing advice and support to their clinical colleagues.

Someone who is passionate about learning from adverse events in order to implement change and embed learning. Someone who is a team player, a good communicator, organised and reliable.

Main duties of the job

The post holder is responsible for (this includes and is not limited to):

Assisting the Head of Legal Services and Legal Assistant in the conduct of all legal claims. This is a key part of the role.

Assisting the Head of Legal Services in the conduct of personal injury claims made against the Trust.

Supporting the Head of Legal Services in the:

Provision of a high level and prompt legal advice service; and supporting the Head of Legal Services in management of clinical negligence claims.

Facilitating the functions of the Legal Department and providing advice on matters related to Data Protection, Freedom of Information, Safeguarding and general day to day legal advice that may arise.

Providing administrative and clerical support in respect of legal matters as needed

Linking complaints with incidents and claims on the risk management system.

To support the department in sharing the learning throughout the organisation through regular reporting.

To support the Department Manager in the preparation of reports and papers for the Board (Clinical Quality Operational Board) and all other stakeholders as needed.

Attending Risk and Governance Meetings to share the triangulation of data obtained from Claims, incidents and complaints

Job description

The post holder is responsible for (this includes and is not limited to):

Assisting the Head of Legal Services and Legal Assistant in the conduct of all legal claims, including undertaking preliminary investigations. This is a key part of the role.

Assisting the Head of Legal Services in the conduct of personal injury claims made against the Trust.

Supporting the Head of Legal Services in the:

Provision of a high level and prompt legal advice service; and

Supporting the Head of Legal Services in management of clinical negligence claims.

Facilitating the functions of the Legal Department and providing advice on matters related to Data Protection, Freedom of Information, Safeguarding and general day to day legal advice that may arise.

Providing administrative and clerical support in respect of legal matters as needed

Linking complaints with incidents and claims on the Inphase risk management system.

To support the department in sharing the learning throughout the organisation through regular reporting.

To support the Department Manager in the preparation of reports and papers for the Board (Clinical Quality Operational Board) and all other stakeholders as needed.

Attending Risk and Governance Meetings to share the triangulation of data obtained from Claims, Incidents and Inquests.

The post holder will be expected to work closely with staff at all levels of the organisation. The post holder will be required to work independently, under supervision and as part of a team.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job