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Job summary

Main area
Community Eating Disorders
Grade
NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
10 sessions per week
Job ref
363-MRBED7272012-A
Employer
East London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Mountbatten House
Town
Dunstable
Salary
£109,725 - £145,478 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
30/10/2025 23:59

Employer heading

East London NHS Foundation Trust logo

Consultant Psychiatrist - Community Eating Disorders

NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant

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

East London NHS Foundation Trust runs a specialist Community Eating Disorders Service (CEDS) providing specialist assessment and treatment to people referred with severe and complex eating disorders. We have a stepped care partnership with local charity ‘Caroline’ who are commissioned to provide for mild to moderate eating disorders. 

The team works in close conjunction with primary care and secondary mental health services and manages approximately 200-300 referrals per year with an ongoing caseload of circa 70, with average of 30 at high risk. The EDS consists of a multi-disciplinary community team comprising psychology, psychiatry, mental and physical health nursing, GP with special interest, Occupational Therapists and dietetics colleagues.

The current team delivers evidence-based treatments within a recovery model of care. We work using a motivational approach with patients to empower them in taking ownership of their recovery. To promote recovery positive risk taking and effective risk management are essential.

Closing date: 30th October 2025

Interview date (AAC panel): 18th November 2025 (Pending Shortlisting)

Main duties of the job

Provide consultant leadership and support the continued development of the Eating Disorder services.

Ensure that service users consistently receive high-quality services that adhere to the best practice guidelines and achieve high professional standards.

Provide a key role as the senior specialist clinician within the team and  support the wider work of the multi-disciplinary team. 

Provide a comprehensive assessment of complex referrals requiring psychiatric review. This includes medical and psychiatric assessment, including eating disorder and non-eating disorder psychopathology.

Provide consultations as part of the MEED pathway with colleagues from acute hospitals.

Lead in the monitoring and treatment of the physical complications of eating disorders in collaboration with other health professionals.

Supervise the team in charge of the medical monitoring and management of High-risk patients monitored in House (checking bloods when needed, taking appropriate actions).

Provide clinical advice and guidance to primary care physicians to manage patients in the least restrictive environment.

Work with the Team manager to ensure KPI and national targets are met.

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 Team currently consists of:

  • Consultant Psychiatrist (This post)
  • GPSI
  • Consultant Psychologist & Team Lead
  • Clinical Psychologist
  • Principal Psychologist
  • Operational Manager
  • Therapist / Nurse Practitioner
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Dietitians
  • Eating Disorder Practitioners / Nurse / Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Clinical Support Workers
  • Admin Team

 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Fully registered with the General Medical Council
  • Eligible for inclusion in the GMC Specialist Register (or Specialist Registrar within 6 months of gaining CCT at time of interview).
  • Membership or Fellowship of the Royal College of Psychiatrists or equivalent qualification (in accordance with Royal College of Psychiatrists guidelines)
  • Eligible for Section 12 Approval (Mental Health Act)/ Approved Clinician or willing to apply for such approval once in post
Desirable criteria
  • A higher degree such as MD or PhD

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of clinical work in Adult Psychiatry (with at least one year experience in eating disorder services) at SpR, SASG or consultant level within the last 3 years
  • Excellent working knowledge and experience of the application of the Mental Health Act
  • Appreciation and understanding of ethnic minority issues and a commitment to developing culturally sensitive practices
  • Understanding of social factors relevant to psychiatry
  • Robust experience of working with severe and enduring mental illness and risk assessment, management
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of service development and introducing new services in mental health
  • Experience of working at consultant level in a community environment

Organisation Skills / Abilities

Essential criteria
  • Leadership skills
  • Ability to work as a part of multidisciplinary, multi-model team
  • Ability to manage complex workloads and support others to do that
  • Consultation skills to services, teams and individuals
  • Commitment to working in multidisciplinary setting
  • Commitment to working with service users on service development
Desirable criteria
  • Formal leadership and management training
  • Experience of team /service leadership
  • Experience of organisational development work
  • Project management ability

Clinical Skills and Supervision

Essential criteria
  • Ability to work in multi-disciplinary team and provide leadership for the team
  • Self-motivating and innovative
  • Expertise in risk assessment
  • Confident in therapeutic risk taking
  • Commitment to clinical governance
Desirable criteria
  • Experience in supervising trainee doctors and SAS doctors

Teaching

Essential criteria
  • Experience in teaching junior staff
  • Good teaching and communication skills
  • Experience of teaching medical undergraduates and postgraduates
  • Experience of teaching non-medical mental health professionals
Desirable criteria
  • Medical education qualification

Research and Audit

Essential criteria
  • Experience of research work, or be able to interpret research findings and apply them to clinical practice
  • Audit experience
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of grant-funded project work
  • Publications in peer-reviewed journals in relevant academic fields

Other Requirments

Essential criteria
  • UK Driving Licence
Desirable criteria
  • Car Owner

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
Dr Baljit Upadhyay
Job title
Deputy Clinical Director
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07411 966834
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