Job summary
- Main area
- Psychiatry
- Grade
- Consultant Psychiatrist in Forensic Psychiatry
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 40 hours per week (10 PA per week plus on-call)
- Job ref
- 380-MED-26-040
- Employer
- Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Poppy House
- Town
- Maidstone
- Salary
- £113,565 - £150,569 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 01/11/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 23/11/2026
Employer heading
Consultant Psychiatrist in Perinatal Psychiatry
Consultant Psychiatrist in Forensic Psychiatry
We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We offer a range of ongoing benefits to our valued workforce. From an active health and wellbeing programme to regular recognition events, we work hard to provide varied benefits that make a difference to your work-life balance.
Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you.
Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.
Job overview
Are you passionate about improving outcomes for women, babies and families during the perinatal period? Are you looking for a Consultant role that combines clinical excellence, leadership, teaching and service development within an award-winning specialist service?
We are seeking an enthusiastic Consultant Psychiatrist in Perinatal Mental Health to join our friendly, supportive and highly regarded Perinatal Mental Health Community Service (PMHCS) at Kent and Medway Mental Health Trust (KMMH).
This substantive 10 PA post is based within the West Kent Perinatal Team, with responsibility for women across West Kent and Ashford. You will join an experienced multidisciplinary team alongside an established Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist and work closely with specialist nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists, nursery nurses, peer support workers, social workers and a specialist perinatal pharmacist.
The role offers a rewarding mix of direct clinical care, leadership and innovation. You will provide specialist assessment and treatment for women experiencing moderate to severe perinatal mental illness, offer expert advice on prescribing in pregnancy and breastfeeding, manage a compact caseload and contribute to the continued development of a Royal College of Psychiatrists Quality Network accredited service.
We offer flexible and hybrid working through community clinics, home visits and virtual appointments.
Main duties of the job
- Provide expert psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, risk assessment and treatment for women experiencing moderate to severe mental illness during pregnancy and up to two years postnatally.
- Deliver specialist advice on the safe and effective use of psychotropic medication during pre-conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding to patients, maternity services, primary care and mental health colleagues.
- Work as a senior clinical leader within the multidisciplinary team, providing consultation, guidance, supervision and support to medical and non-medical colleagues.
- Collaborate closely with maternity, obstetric, health visiting, primary care, social care and safeguarding services to ensure high-quality, integrated care for women, infants and families.
- Contribute to the strategic development, quality improvement, clinical governance, teaching and research activities of the Perinatal Mental Health Community Service and the wider Trust.
- Participate in the Consultant on-call rota (currently 1:30, non-resident), provide Responsible Clinician duties where required, and support the delivery of safe, responsive and recovery-focused mental health care across Kent and Medway.
Working for our organisation
We are Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway and are rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Our teams support children, young people and adults with a wide range of mental health needs. We also provide specialist services, including all-age eating disorder services and neurodevelopmental assessments for children and young people, such as autism and ADHD.
Because we work across the whole county and across hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the people we serve.
Our vision is simple: we are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It’s why we’re passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. Everything we do is guided by our values: caring, inclusive, curious and confident.
Join us if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that’s working well together.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For detailed information regarding the role, please refer to the attached job description and person specification. The job description will provide you with the main duties and responsibilities of the role. The person specifications will detail the qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience required for the role.
Part time or job-share applications are welcome.
Our Benefits
Here are just some of our Benefits:
- A Recruitment Bonus of £15,000*
- Financial support for relocation of up to £8,000*
- Easy access to inhouse research team and academic opportunity through Kent’s own Medical school
- Generous annual leave and study leave entitlement and access to the fantastic NHS pension scheme
- Holiday of a Lifetime Scheme – Bank your annual leave to save up for that all important extended break
- Flexible working - just ask and we will try to help
- Excellent Learning and Development opportunities - We offer doctors at all grades the chance to engage in leadership, educational, research, quality improvement development and seek growth opportunities tailored to their areas of interest
- Free access to an independent counselling service
- Blue Light Card - A discount service for the NHS, with thousands of amazing discounts
- Car lease scheme
- A variety of staff network forums which empower, support and encourage network members and allies, to reflect KMPT values and promote equality and diversity.
*If you would like further information, or to know the full terms of the Recruitment Bonus and/or Relocation Allowance, then please contact our Medical Staffing Team: [email protected]
Person specification
Training, Qualifications and Registration
Essential criteria
- MB BS or equivalent medical qualification
- Fully registered with the GMC with a licence to practise.
- On the GMC Specialist Register OR within six months.
- Approved Clinician status OR able to achieve within 3 months of appointment
- Approved under S12 OR able to achieve with 3 months of appointment
Desirable criteria
- Qualification or higher degree in medical education, clinical research or management.
- MRCPsych
- Additional clinical qualifications
- In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice
Clinical Skills, Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
- Excellent knowledge in specialty
- Excellent clinical skills using bio-psycho-social perspective and wide medical knowledge
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
- Able to manage clinical complexity and uncertainty
- Makes decisions based on evidence and experience including the contribution of others
- Able to meet duties under MHA and MCA
Desirable criteria
- Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service
Transport
Essential criteria
- Holds and will use valid UK driving licence OR provides evidence of proposed alternative.
Academic Skills and Lifelong Learning
Essential criteria
- Able to deliver undergraduate or postgraduate teaching and training
- Ability to work in and lead team
- Demonstrate commitment to shared leadership & collaborative working to deliver improvement.
- Participated in continuous professional development
- Participated in research or service evaluation.
- Able to use and appraise clinical evidence.
- Has actively participated in clinical audit and quality improvement programmes
Desirable criteria
- Able to plan and deliver undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and training relevant to this post
- Reflected on purpose of CPD undertaken
- Experienced in clinical research and / or service evaluation.
- Evidence of achievement in education, research, audit and service improvement: awards, prizes, presentations and publications.
- Has led clinical audits leading to service change or improved outcomes to patients
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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 Karan Singh
- Job title
- Head of Psychiatry
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01622 723100
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