Trainee Clinical Coder

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen in the Clinical Coding department at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. We are looking to recruit two Trainee Clinical Coders - one based at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, one based at Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath.

We are looking for committed and enthusiastic individuals to collect, collate, analyse, and translate complex medical patient care records into diagnostic and procedural codes. Full training will be provided. The trainee period will last until successfully completing the Clinical Coding Refresher Course, within this time you will be required to assist with collection of casenotes and locate uncoded episodes to allow the department to meet its monthly deadlines.

You will be working within a friendly and supportive team working who strive for continuous improvement.

Main duties of the job

You will analyse medical and interventional terminology and translate it into nationally and internationally recognised alpha-numeric codes. You will code accurately and in a timely manner in order to meet Trust deadlines and manage your own daily workload and participate in training to maintain and increase these skills

You will analyse reports to locate and obtain missing or uncoded spells throughout the Trust.

Join us at UHSussex, every day is different, you can be the change, better never stops

At UHSussex we’re proud to be at the heart of the NHS. As one of the UK’s largest acute Trusts, we’re a leading example of the excellence, the ambition and the values that have embodied the NHS for over 70 years.

**Improving lives**: We are a vibrant and inclusive organisation, with hardworking, talented and dedicated individuals, who work together towards a common goal, to always put our Patient First. Our mission is summed up by our ‘where better never stops’ motto and no matter the role at UHSussex, you will play a part in driving us forwards and in improving the lives of patients across Sussex. We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our wellbeing programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.

**Build a career with us**: As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do

Communication
- To communicate effectively at all levels within the trust
- To build relationships with clinical staff

Service Delivery and Improvement
- The ability to analyse medical (diagnostic and procedural) terminology as it is written by the clinician and translate it into alpha-numeric codes that are nationally and internationally recognised.
- Using judgement as to when it is appropriate to follow clinical advice, ensuring that national standards are adhered to and that we are not up-coding to benefit the trust.
- The ability to analyse exception reports and use judgement to locate missing casenotes throughout the trust.
- The planning and organisation of own day-to-day workload.
- Adjusting plans when organisational or national deadlines change

Learning and Development
- Attend mandatory training updates as required.
- Undertake training as necessary in line with the development of the post and as agreed with the line manager as part of the personal development process.
- Achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.
- Identify own learning needs and jointly plan training requirements with your line manager
- Participate in the Trust’s appraisal process to discuss how your role will help deliver the best possible care to our patients and help to deliver any changes in service.

This job description is an outline of the role and responsibilities. From time to time due to the needs of the service, we may ask you to flexibly undertake other duties that are consistent with your role and banding, including project work, internal job rotation and absence cover.

The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the department and the organisation.