Consultant Psychiatrist - MHSOP
Posted 3 hours 52 minutes ago by NHS
The closing date is 19 March 2026
Consultant Psychiatrist - MHSOPWe serve an over 65 population of over 250,000. The service provides assessment and treatment of organic and functional mental illness for the population over 65 years old, although younger patients who are appropriate for the service are also accepted.
Durham & Tees Valley MHSOP consists of 9 community mental health teams, 3 inpatient wards for patients with functional illnesses, 3 inpatient wards for patients requiring organic assessment and treatment, and dedicated crisis, intensive community liaison, and care home liaison teams.
Working relationships between the teams are close, with regular input by community staff during inpatient stays. Crisis services provide weekend and out of hours cover. The community mental health teams provide a full service during the working week and a limited service at weekends.
The Durham & Darlington MHSOP also operates a full liaison psychiatry service to our local acute trust. The liaison team works with adults of all ages, with separate old age psychiatry input from a dedicated consultant psychiatrist and advanced nurse practitioners.
The community teams provide mental health assessments for people with memory problems or other mental health problems requiring secondary care intervention in the locality.
Main Duties of the JobThe Clinical PAs are 7.5 PA across the week, working with the Derwentside and Chester le Street Community Mental Health Team.
This post provides consultant leadership to the community team, working closely with other consultant colleagues in County Durham CMHTs, and the consultants and teams at inpatient MHSOP services.
Post holder is expected to prioritise Mental Health Act Assessments for patients during working hours and be a qualified DOLS Mental Health Assessor for any patients on their personal caseload.
Post holder must have Approved Clinician, Section 12 and DOLS Mental Health Assessor status, with support to attain if not already held.
Familiarity with legislation affecting care of older people with mental illness is required. The Trust supports development of a special interest, negotiable at employment or annual job plan review. Post holder will work with Locality Manager, General Manager, Lead Psychiatrist and Associate Clinical Director to plan and develop the service per the Service Business Plan.
There are 2.5 supporting PAs with active encouragement to use these for specific activities.
About UsWe are one of the largest specialist mental health and learning disabilities trusts in the country, with an annual income of £320 million and a workforce of some 6,700 staff operating from around 100 sites in Durham, Teesside, North Yorkshire and York. We provide inpatient and community services to 2m people living in County Durham, Tees Valley, Scarborough, Whitby, Ryedale, Harrogate, Hambleton and Richmondshire, and additional specialist services to other parts of Northern England.
We are a multi award winning trust and are included in the Health Service Journal's Best 100 Places to Work. We support staff development and embed talent management within the Trust.
Psychiatrists are essential contributors to the majority of our mental health teams. Service users expect collaborative relationships with dedicated psychiatrists. The Medical Directorate and Development Team are striving to improve recruitment and retention, focusing on the TEWV Charter for the Medical Workforce.
The Trust welcomes a conversation about flexible working.
Job ResponsibilitiesPlease see attached job description for further information. Note: post approved by The Royal College.
Person Specification Clinical Knowledge & Skills- Excellent knowledge in specialty
- Excellent clinical skills using bio psycho social perspective and wide medical knowledge
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
- Ability to manage clinical complexity and uncertainty
- Decision making based on evidence and experience including contribution of others
- Ability to meet duties under MHA and MCA
- Wide range of specialist and sub specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service
- Ability to deliver undergraduate or postgraduate teaching and training
- Participation in continuous professional development
- Participation in research or service evaluation
- Ability to use and appraise clinical evidence
- Active participation in clinical audit
- Ability to plan and deliver teaching and training relevant to this post
- Reflection on purpose of CPD undertaken
- Experience in clinical research and/or service evaluation
- Evidence of achievement in education, research, audit and service improvement: awards, prizes, presentations, publications
- Leadership of clinical audits leading to service change
- Reflection on own performance and behaviour, seeking and acting on feedback
- Ability to influence and persuade to improve services
- Ability to take on leadership role in multidisciplinary team
- Knowledge of structure and management of NHS and Trust
- Commitment to quality through knowledge of quality improvement and lean thinking methodology or ability to achieve within one year
- Ability to adapt to and lead service change
- Ability to take on a leadership role outside multidisciplinary team
- Understanding of NHS & wider health economy and its implications for the work of Trust
- Training to standard equivalent to level 2 in TEWV Trust Quality improvement system
- MBBS or equivalent medical qualification
- Qualification or higher degree in medical education, clinical research or management
- Fully registered with GMC with licence to practise at appointment
- Included on GMC Specialist Register for Old Age Psychiatry, or within six months
- Approved clinician status, or able to achieve within 3 months
- Approved under S12, or able to achieve within 3 months
- In good standing with GMC, no warnings or conditions on practice
- Describe clinical experience relevant to this job role
- Experience in Liaison Psychiatry
- Other applicable experience
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.