Skip to main content
Please wait, loading

Job summary

Main area
Liaison Psychiatry
Grade
NHS Medical & Dental: Specialty Doctor
Contract
Permanent: 0.8 WTE substantive with 0.2 WTE for 18 month contract
Hours
Part time - 8 sessions per week (Plus 2 Sessions for the Approved Premises for 18 months)
Job ref
363-MRBED7464926
Employer
East London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Bedford General Hospital
Town
Bedford
Salary
£61,542 - £99,216 per annum, pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/10/2025 23:59

Employer heading

East London NHS Foundation Trust logo

Specialty Doctor in Liaison Psychiatry and Approved Premises

NHS Medical & Dental: Specialty Doctor

ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Job overview

The liaison psychiatry service has been in place since August 2014. It receives around 200 referrals per month, consisting of both new patients and those that have an existing diagnosis of mental illness and are already known to mental health services.

There is an opportunity to work one day a week at Pankhurst House, which is an Approved Premises (AP) in Bedford for women. Approved Premises are premises approved under Section 13 of the Offender Management Act 2007 and provide intensive supervision for those who present a high or very high risk of serious harm. 

 

Main duties of the job

The Specialty Doctor will work closely with the consultant psychiatrists of the team and will be responsible for the assessment and management of mental health problems on a routine and emergency basis. 

The post holder will support the liaison service in multidisciplinary assessment, treatment and management of patients with mental disorders a. The post holder will liaise with the other relevant organisations e.g. the Acute Hospital ensuring a seamless service. 

The specialty doctor would be expected to attend handovers at 0900 each day. These handovers usually last no more than 30 minutes. During the handover, the consultants and shift coordinator allocate the workload according to clinical and service need.

The AP takes women being released from prisons across the country with the majority coming from HMP Peterborough. Women may be at the AP for between 12 weeks and 12 months depending on their type of offence. The majority of patients would be from out of area, and many have complex needs and require support from secondary mental health services.

There is support from a Band 6 nurse and admin support from Bedford community mental health team.

These 2 sessions are funding as a 2 year pilot. It is hoped that the post will continue to receive funding, but we would be looking for applicants to provide cover for the remaining 18 months in the first instance.

Working for our organisation

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will:

·                     Work within a multidisciplinary setting offering psychiatric medical input in the assessment, treatment and care management of patients, carrying out all general duties including mental state examinations.

·                    Provide up to date, effective, safe medical care for patients in order to promote their recovery, and promote their insight with a view to relapse prevention.

·                     Offer advice and support to other members of the team in issues related to his/her competence and expertise. 

·                    Work as a leading member of the multidisciplinary team, linking closely with statutory and non-statutory services as required.

·                     Adhere to the Trust Clinical Leadership Model with senior clinicians’ delivery of care within the principle of holistic care.

·                     Adhere to all service conditions and local policies.

·                     Keep good records, communicate results of assessments to colleagues and write appropriate reports.

·                     Provide psychoeducation to patients, in conjunction with psychology, OT and pharmacy colleagues.

·                     Section 12 Approval is desirable, able to carry out Mental Health Act assessments and make recommendations under the Mental Health Act.

·                     Have a complete working knowledge of the Mental Health Act, and regularly liaise with the Mental Health Act Office to ensure that patients are treated lawfully.

·                     Participate in Quality Improvement initiatives and take an active role in service development.

·                     Participate in audit activities as part of maintaining and improving standards.

·                     Participate and in team away days.

·                     Receive regular supervision from the Consultant.

·                     Keep up to date with CPD requirements and own professional development.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Registered with GMC
Desirable criteria
  • Section 12(2) MHA
  • MRCPsych exams
  • Higher degree e.g. MD/ PhD

Knowledge and experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of clinical work in adult psychiatry or old age psychiatry for at least 3 years
  • Good knowledge and experience of the application of the MHA
  • Robust experience of working with severe and enduring mental illness and risk assessment, management

Organisational skills/ abilities

Essential criteria
  • Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team
  • Ability to manage complex workloads and support others to do that
  • Consultation skills to services, teams and individuals
  • Commitment to working in an MDT setting
  • Commitment to working with service users on service development

Clinical skills

Essential criteria
  • Clear, effective communication style
  • Ability to work in multi-disciplinary team and provide leadership for the team
  • A balanced approach to risk management, based on warm therapeutic interactions with service users
  • Flexibility and ability to work under pressure
  • Ability and commitment to work with carers and families
  • Ability to adjust therapeutic approaches according to service users’ cultural needs

Teaching

Essential criteria
  • Experience of teaching medical undergraduates and postgraduates
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of teaching non-medical staff

Audit/ QI experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of an audit
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of a QI project
  • Experience of research

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Capital Nurse, LondonCommitted to being an Inclusive EmployerApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveHSJ Best places to workArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Mindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerCare quality commission - OutstandingStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Elena Baker-Glenn
Job title
Clinical director for crisis pathway and perinatl
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07734455685
Apply online nowAlert me to similar vacancies