Forensic Medical Examiner - Doctor

Gloucestershire

£79,434.54 per annum plus expenses

Shifts: 2 days, 2 nights, 4 off - to meet 17 shifts per month

G4S Health Services has been one of the leading providers to all justice health environments since 2005. Working across Secure, Custody and Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) across the UK, we provide primary care and forensic healthcare to a wide range of patients.

We are recruiting for a Forensic Medical Examiner (Doctor) in the Gloucestershire area.

Benefits as a Forensic Medical Examiner:

• £79,434.54 per annum plus expenses 
• Company pension scheme with employer contributions
• G4S Life Assurance Scheme
• Access to Gympass - subsidised gym
• Free eye-tests/discounts for VDU users
• Subsidised healthcare plan
• Charity work- Match-IT and Payroll Giving
• Employee Assistance Programme Scheme (Confidential Counselling Services, 24/7 support specialising in health and medical topics )
• Refer A Friend Scheme
• Discounts on high street shops and brands including several leading high street brands, retailers and travel suppliers

Job Outline:

The Forensic Medical Examiner must ensure that all police calls are attended promptly at any time of the day or night according to shift. It shall be the Forensic Medical Examiner’s responsibility to make themselves available and able to attend to a call within the given time constraints.

For all examinations the Forensic Medical Examiner must accurately document findings. If required the Forensic Medical Examiner must produce these as a written report for the use of the courts or other agencies. Whenever called upon to do so by the Police, the Forensic Medical Examiner must attend at any Court (remunerated by the CPS) for the purpose of giving evidence.

Duties Following Induction:

• Assessment/Treatment of chronic and acute medical conditions and injuries including post-taser or PAVA, risk assessment
• Determination of fitness to be detained/released/charged/transferred/interviewed in custody
• Advise whether an independent person (Appropriate Adult) is required to ensure rights for the vulnerable or mentally disordered
• Comprehensive examination to assess a person’s ability to drive a motor vehicle, in general medical terms and related to alcohol and drug misuse
• Assessment of alcohol and drug intoxication and withdrawal and to retrieve blood samples under the Road Traffic Act / Blood samples from a patient in custody or hospital
• Undertake intimate body searches for drugs in hospital
• Documentation and interpretation of injuries
• Assess and treat personnel injured while on duty e.g. Police personnel including needle stick injuries
• Examine Victims and Assailants in alleged police assaults
• Take forensic samples
• Examination and forensic sampling of persons suspected of serious crime
• Pronounce life extinct at scene of death and undertake preliminary advisory role
• Undertake mental state examinations whether informal or under the Mental Health Act (if Section 12 Approved and dependent on county and contract terms)
• Examine alleged child victims of neglect or physical or sexual abuse (sexual abuse only where trained to do so)
• You may be required to carry out examinations suitable to your specific specialist skills
• Provide telephone support and advice to healthcare professionals and or any representative of a police force during shift

Management of sexual offence victims or complainants (where trained to do so):

• Documentation and interpretation of injuries
• Take forensic samples
• Examine adult complainants of serious sexual assault and the alleged perpetrators
• Examine alleged child victims of neglect or physical or sexual abuse

Responsibilities of a Forensic Medical Examiner:

• To carry out examinations in accordance with G4S Medical Services guidelines
• To work within the scope of your professional registration
• All police calls should be attended without delay
• Arrival times, assessment start and end time should be confirmed via the HCP line
• The FME must always remain to be seen as impartial, independent and without bias
• To be available for court attendance when requested
• To submit statements within 7 days of the request
• To treat the detained person as a patient and make clear that no evidence can be treated in ‘confidence’.
• You must complete any form of documentation whether written or electronic as required from time to time by the Police or G4S Forensic and Medical Services

Forensic Medical Examiner Duties:

• To work outside the scope of the National Health Service, in providing a service to police for G4S Health Support Services.
• FME must be in the county of work at the start of shift and remain in the county until the end of shift unless otherwise directed by the Call Centre.

Essential Skills and Knowledge:

• Full registration with the GMC with a license to practice
• Completed FY2 as a minimum
• A&E experience
• Psychiatry experience
• Good communication
• Medical Indemnity (minimum £10 million)
• Driving licence, plus access to own vehicle 
• Diligence and empathy

This role requires the ability to work with vulnerable people in a caring and compassionate way. A DBS check and relevant police/ prison clearance will be required to exclude any individuals with a history of behaviour which could be considered unacceptable (by G4S or the clients). Safety is of paramount importance and the post holder must ensure that safe systems of work are followed without compromise.    

Please note that this vacancy is subject to a minimum 5 year checkable employment and education history including criminal record vetting.

To apply for this role, you must be eligible to work in the UK.