Job Description

We are seeking a Solicitor with significant Healthcare Law experience to play a pivotal role in delivering the diverse and dynamic Legal Services required to support one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts. King's has a unique profile of local services and focused tertiary specialties together with an international reputation for its work in liver disease and transplantation, neurosciences, fetal medicine, cardiac and blood cell cancer.



This post represents an excellent opportunity for a professional with a passion for high quality (and occasionally high profile) medico-legal work. The post holder will be highly skilled in providing professional management of Trust inquest, advisory and court matters, as well as assisting with supervision of complex claims and involvement in legal matters of particular national and international importance. Ideally, you will have excellent healthcare law firm or in-house NHS legal experience with confidence and competence in inquests, claims and Court of Protection work.



This is an exciting role, which requires ambition, teamwork and motivation. You will need confidence and expertise, as well as being very responsive and able to deal with highly complex and sensitive information. This is also an exciting time to join the team and to shape the delivery of Legal Services in a complex and thriving Trust.

The successful candidates will need:

To provide professional management of the Trust's claims and inquests. To represent the Trust at inquests and advise on healthcare legal matters. To manage more complex inquests and Court of Protection matters with panel firm support as required. To oversee and train junior staff and supervise and audit files in respect of healthcare matters. Promote learning across a number of internal stakeholders, in order to learn from inquests and facilitate a better patient/family experience to avoid unnecessary claims litigation and/or damage to the Trust's reputation. To provide training to staff in relation to legal processes including claims, inquests, mental capacity, consent and the deprivation of liberty. To be a qualified solicitor or barrister or have equivalent significant experience working in healthcare law, including conducting inquests, advocacy and assisting/handling Court of Protection and advisory matters. To work with professional leads across the Trust to enable the Trust to demonstrate its compliance with national policies and standards, including those set by the Coroner's Court and CQC. To support the Trust in improving quality and value of services, by learning from inquests and claims and liaising with colleagues to ensure relevant information is passed to NHS Resolution if an associated claim arises out of a healthcare matter.

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c1.7 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and around 15,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King's College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in Bromley.



Our values at King's, are that we're a kind, respectful team;



Kind. We show compassion and understanding and bring a positive attitude to our work



Respectful. We promote equality, are inclusive and honest, speaking up when needed



Team. We support each other, communicate openly, and are reassuringly professional



The trust-wide strategy Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (EDI) at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we can take Team King's to another level.



1. Administration Responsibilities



Perform duties typically expected of an in-house NHS Trust Healthcare Lawyer / Legal Services Manager.

Manage inquests and claims within the Trust, including:

Advocacy at hearings

Liaison with Department Leads for additional external expertise when needed.



Take day-to-day responsibility for managing healthcare legal work within the department.

Collaborate with Department Leads to ensure professional management of claims and inquests.

Oversee and supervise junior staff on healthcare matters as directed by Department Leads.

Manage court applications and Court of Protection matters, with external expertise when necessary and approved.

Assist with advisory and other legal work as directed.

Identify and report any immediate concerns about staff activities to Department Leads, including actions for retraining or ensuring patient safety.

Arrange and attend meetings and Court hearings involving lawyers and Trust staff, providing information and support.

Support Trust staff at all levels in preparing statements and giving evidence in Court.

Arrange and provide training, education, and seminars on healthcare law for Trust staff, including senior leadership.

Prepare or assist in the preparation of reports and briefs as directed by Department Leads.



2. Leadership



Promote and implement best practices in managing claims and inquests.

Ensure timely investigation and representation at inquests as required.

Assist in supervising and training junior staff in healthcare legal matters.

Support Department Leads in motivating and developing junior staff, promoting ethical and professional standards within a multidisciplinary network.

Help identify remedial actions to prevent recurrence of adverse events.



3. Operational Performance



Make representations to the Coroner when necessary, especially if the Trust is an Interested Party or is criticized.

Present information to staff and external organizations, influencing the conduct of inquests.

Handle contentious issues to reach resolution.

Work constructively with internal and external stakeholders on sensitive issues.

Provide support to staff affected by legal investigations or distressing event reviews.

Build and maintain key relationships and networks both internally and externally.

Liaise proactively with clinical staff, Patient Safety, Risk, Complaints, and Communications teams to ensure early issue identification.

Act as an ambassador for the Trust, promoting its reputation and minimizing reputational damage.

Develop positive relationships with external advisers and partners.

Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, able to communicate effectively in hostile or emotive situations and take appropriate action.



4. Research and Development



Horizon scan for developments in healthcare law and best practices.

Report findings and recommendations to Department Leads.



5. Policy and Process



Analyse and interpret complex information and make actionable recommendations.

Challenge and verify multiple information sources from senior Trust members for consistency and rationality.

Interpret regulations and guidance for the Trust's benefit when dealing with healthcare matters.