Accredited Clinical Coder

Would you like to join our Clinical Coding team as an Accredited Clinical Coder? Read on to learn more about this rewarding role and submit your application.
The Clinical Coding service is a part of the Digital Division of the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group (UHN) and is responsible for extracting and codifying complex clinical information that describes a patient's diagnostic and procedural healthcare status within an episode of care in a timely manner.
The ability of the UHN Group to accurate record and codify its clinical activity is fundamental to understanding the quality of its clinical services. Our coded data is used by all parts of the Group's business to deliver trusted and high-quality services to patients.
Accredited Clinical Coders are a core component of the Clinical Coding service and have a crucial supporting role in the overall management of the Group as their output directly influences income through the NHS Payment Scheme.
As an Accredited Clinical Coder you will be responsible for codifying in a timely manner complex clinical activity according to all relevant National Clinical Coding Standards and Local Clinical Coding Policies.
You will be expected to evidence an expert grasp of National Clinical Coding Standards (evidenced by audit results, maintaining your professional Accredited Clinical Coder status and attending regular Clinical Coding Standards Refresher courses and other associated training).
You will assist the Clinical Coding Team Leads to support and mentor Associate Clinical Coders and to achieve the submission of codified data in a timely manner.
In July 2021 we formed the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group, bringing together the constituent organisations of Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust.
Our service is led by an open, transparent and dedicated leadership team who are striving to create a productive and supportive work environment which delivers a high quality codified output to accurately describe our patient's healthcare status and needs.
We support flexible working arrangements including remote working.
You will be well rewarded for your work with an 11.25% Recruitment and Retention premium paid monthly (subject to annual review).
You will be well supported to develop yourself professionally.
You will be supported to become comfortable with working to an Agile framework as a member of the Digital Division.
Your quality as a coder will be improved by a well-established Clinical Coding Quality Assurance function.
You will be able to input meaningfully to the direction of travel and cultural development of our growing team.
Main Duties

• Extract, analyse and codify complex clinical information describing a patient’s diagnostic and procedural healthcare status within an episode of care using ICD-10 and OPCS-4 classifications.
• Ensure codified data is of high quality and accurate i.e., in line with all relevant National Clinical Coding Standards and Local Clinical Coding Policies.
• Ensure codified data is entered into the Patient Administration System (PAS) in a timely manner i.e., within defined local and national timescales.
• Responsible for supporting the Clinical Coding Team Leader in the day to day planning, organisation and delivery of clinical coding, overseeing workload, as well as working with medical staff on issues of clinical coding in order to ensure accurate, complete and timely information
• Where required work with other disciplines of staff who are necessary to the successful completion of accurate clinical coding i.e., clinicians and Senior Managers, providing and receiving complex information using persuasive skills as required.
• Communicate complex coding rules to a range of staff involved in the coding process; medical, clinical and administrative staff, Senior Managers and external agencies, e.g. Coroner’s Office as appropriate.
• Work with Health Intelligence colleagues to ensure high standards of data quality of various data items e.g., consultant, speciality, date of admission is achieved as evidenced by quality metrics such as the Data Quality Maturity Index (DQMI).Understand and adhere to the department’s Clinical Coding

Policy/Procedure document.

• With the support of the Clinical Coding Team Lead mentor Associate Clinical Coders. Take day to day responsibility on training and mentoring of new team members, or less experienced team members, guiding, motivating as appropriate and overseeing workload.
• Work with the Clinical Coding Team Leads to support the organisation of the submission of codified data against defined local and national timescales.
• Work with the Clinical Coding Automation Lead to support validating and training clinical coding automation solutions.
• Validate missing patient information; contact clinicians and clerical staff as appropriate to locate clinical records and missing patient information.
• To be regularly involved in complex departmental internal audits, actively leading workload consistency and accuracy checks, as required by senior team members.
• Support the Group in transformation and cost-improvement programmes that involve coded data as a mechanism for financial gains by critically examining working practices within the department to identify cost improvements and effective measures and support senior colleagues in the team in developing and implementing action plans.