Job summary
- Main area
- Adult Psychiatry
- Grade
- NHS Medical & Dental: Specialty Doctor
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 10 sessions per week
- Job ref
- 364-EPUT711
- Employer
- Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Mental Health Assessment Unit
- Town
- Basildon
- Salary
- £61,542 - £99,216 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 21/09/2025 08:00
Employer heading

Specialty Doctor in Adult Inpatient
NHS Medical & Dental: Specialty Doctor
Our Trust cares for more than 100,000 patients at any one time across our community health, mental health and learning disability services across Essex and parts of Bedfordshire and Suffolk.
We want you to be part of our journey of transformation, where our patients and their families are at the heart of everything we do and to achieve our vision to be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care.
You’ll be part of a Trust where you will be supported to be your authentic self and be the best you can be, where we will help you to grow, develop and thrive.
The Trust is recognised by the University of Essex and is a top provider of apprenticeships for people looking to be an assistant practitioner, senior health care support worker (CAP). Our trailblazing CAP apprenticeship won a national HSJ Award.
We are also recognised as a Veteran Aware Trust and holder of gold accreditation from the Ministry of Defence Employment Recognition Scheme. Our services are highlighted as an exemplar of good practice, producing the best care for more than 3.500 armed forces veterans in the past seven years.
We have been shortlisted and won national awards. We are an inclusive organisation and Level 3 Disability Confident Leader Trust.
We are constantly innovating and looking for new ways to deliver care, such as using technology to enhance patient care and working with partners to launch new services such as the Basildon Mental Health Urgent Care Department, virtual hospitals and falls response cars.
Join us and you’ll do the best work of your life – and make a difference to other people’s lives. What we do together, matters.
Job overview
Would you like to be part of leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care? Why not join Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust for the opportunity to flourish and excel in your career and be part of our dedicated medical team.
EPUT is looking to appoint a passionate and enthusiastic Specialty Doctor who will provide consistent, high quality Medical input support to Mental Health Assessment Unit, based in Basildon.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be expected to work independently and provide clinical leadership to the team, through good multi-professional working. The post holder will have shared responsibility for the clinical care of those patients admitted to the inpatient service and will be expected to work closely with the consultant and ward manager to ensure the provision of an effective service to the patients. The Mental health Assessment Unit (MHAU), currently based on Grangewater ward, admits up to 15 patients, of male and female gender. The admission ward is for a short stay of up to 7 days for an initial assessment of needs and redirecting the patient for further admission to a treating ward, home treatment, community services or other discharge options. Most patients are informal (admitted on a voluntary basis), although some patients may be detained during their stay on MHAU. The post will be part of the trust’s inpatient and urgent care services providing secondary care services to working age adult population.
You should be eligible for full registration with the GMC at time of appointment and hold Section 12 (2) approval under the Mental Health Act 1983. You will also need to provide evidence of achievement of ST1/CT1 competences in psychiatry at time of application and likelihood of achieving CT2 competences in psychiatry by the start date of the post.
Working for our organisation
Our Vision
“To be the leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health and community care”.
Our Purpose
“We care for people every day. What we do together, matters”.
Our Values
We Care
We Learn
We Empower
Our strategic objectives
We will deliver safe, high quality integrated care services.
We will enable each other to be the best that we can.
We will work together with our partners to make our services better.
We will help our communities to thrive.
If you share that vision and want to make a difference to the people that use our services, then please contact us to find out more.
EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Open, Compassionate and Empowering. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;
- Season Ticket Loan
- NHS discounts for staff
- Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
- Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
- The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
- Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. Observe the Trust’s agreed policies and procedures.
2. Provide, with consultant colleagues, a service in the specialty for the Trust with responsibility for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness, and the proper functioning of the department.
3. Honour out-of-hours responsibilities, including rota commitments where contracted.
4. Provide agreed cover for colleague’s periods of leave.
5. Participate in audit and continuing medical education.
6. Contribute to the training of junior medical staff and medical students.
7. Be involved in research and teaching where appropriate.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- MBBS or equivalent medical qualification
Desirable criteria
- Eligible for full registration with the GMC at time of appointment. and Section 12 (2) approval under the Mental Health Act 1983.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Clinical judgement: experience in making clinical decisions and managing risk. Knows when to seek help, able to prioritise clinical need.
- Relevant specialty clinical knowledge: capacity to apply sound clinical knowledge relevant to the job and specialty
- Practical skills: shows aptitude for practical skills, required in the job.
- Proven ability to work effectively in different clinical settings required in the job
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working within Adult Psychiatry
Experience
Essential criteria
- Evidence of achievement of Foundation competencies by time of appointment in line with GMC standards in Good Medical
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of achievement of Foundation competencies by time of appointment in line with GMC standards in Good Medical Practice
Eligibility
Essential criteria
- Eligible for full registration with the GMC at time of appointment and Section 12 (2) approval under the Mental Health Act 1983.
- Eligibility to work in the UK.
Transport
Desirable criteria
- Holds and will use valid UK driving licence OR provides evidence of proposed alternative.
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Gaurish Gaunekar
- Job title
- Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01268 243551
- Additional information
For further information about this vacancy, please contact Dr Gaurish Gaunekar on 01268 243551.
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