Any NHS clinical coders about?

[StathamsSopranino]

Wondering if I can pick some clinical coders brains...

I've been offered an interview for a trainee clinical coder position and understand I would have to complete various training courses and eventually pass the exam to get accredited.

My main question is - are the training courses that I'd have to do likely to be close by, ie, commutable? Or would it require significant travel and staying overnight somewhere?

One of the required course is the Clinical Coding Standards course which I understand is a 25 day course! Would this be all in one go or broken down into several days here and there?

Obviously I'll ask these questions at interview but curious to know beforehand so I can go in prepared and not get caught out if they suddenly say I'd be required to go away on a course for 25 days at the opposite end of the country!

Thanks in advance for any insights.

I started as a trainee clinical coder last summer. The standards course was about 22 days broke up into I think 4 modules of roughly 5 days with a gap of a few days back in the office in between.

I trained about 1.5 hrs away but I know some colleagues have trained in the hospital or a very local one, guess I was just unlucky. I was offered overnight but started with another colleague so we took turns in driving.

The course was difficult, fast paced and didn't make a lot of sense and I had no clinical background to draw on but a year on it's going well and I'm glad I did it! Plus contracting pays big bucks if you ever qualify!

That's exactly the kind of info I was hoping to get!
I was wondering how it all worked and how the course would be broken down etc so your reply is really helpful - thanks so much!

I've just got a job as a clinical coder. I haven't actually started yet but I've been told my training course will begin in January (I start the job in September). For me the course will be 2 days a week at a different hospital to where I will be working. It's a 10 Minute drive from my house compared to the hour long commute I'll have for the hospital I'm based at. So for me there is less travel for the course. So it sounds like it may depend on the trust and what's available in your area.

I was told during the interview that I would need to spend some time travelling during my first 2 years training though. But I don't know where or when yet.
Good luck with the interview op

@deelishiS0 I attended a presentation where a few people mentioned good pay for contracting work. But I didn't like to ask more info at the time.
Is it something you can do along side your normal job? Definitely didn't take the role for the money and was just keen to work in the NHS (and wanted to avoid front line clinical work) so coding seemed like a nice role for me but the option to earn extra money in a few years is appealing. I've Googled but can't find much information. Do you know much about contracting? Is it something that I can do to supplement my earnings after qualifying? Do many of the coders you work with do contracting work? Thanks

Definitely. Three colleagues I know contract, all qualified acc. One earns £1200 extra a month for a 15 hr week she does from home for a private hospital. Another works weekends contracting for £240 per day. Both work full-time as coders for NHS. It's brilliant and I am only just starting so another year from sitting my exam I would think, can't wait to see what will happen. Just need to qualify.

Also totally agree with you about front line working. You get not grief at all like that. It's great working behind the scenes.

I'm a Clinical Coder in the North West. Like previous posters have said, the standards course is delivered in blocks of 3/4 days a week with the odd break back in the office. Our training is delivered in the city centre and trainees from surrounding hospitals attend so its a good way to meet new coders. Most hospitals in the area are only within 20 - 30 mins of the centre so not too much travelling although there were some people who had to travel further if they worked in a more remote area with no training near them.

With regards to contracting, my colleagues and I do weekend work alongside my NHS role and it pays £230 a day so its a nice way to top up your earnings. Having said that, weekend work is hard to come by in some areas and can be irregular.