Consultant in General Adult Psychiatry

Consultant in General Adult Psychiatry

Subspecialty / Service: Inpatients and Crisis Response Home Treatment Team

Location: County Londonderry

Remuneration: £110,681 to £145,517 per annum (pro-rata, based on a standard 10 PA commitment)

Directorate: Adult Mental Health & Disability

Tenure: Permanent / Whole-Time Equivalent (Applications for flexible / part-time working welcomed)

Special Financial Incentive: 20% Recruitment and Retention Premium (RRP) applied to basic starting salary for eligible applicants joining HSCNI (subject to a 2-year commitment)

Role Overview

An opportunity has arisen to appoint a Consultant Psychiatrist in General Adult Psychiatry to provide senior clinical leadership across acute inpatient care and the Crisis Response Home Treatment Team based in County Londonderry .

This replacement post carries shared clinical responsibility for a modern 30-bed acute inpatient facility (incorporating male and female admission wards and integrated Psychiatric Intensive Care provision) alongside dedicated Crisis Response Home Treatment services. The post-holder will primarily serve working-age adults (aged 18–64) within a defined local catchment area, working within a recovery-oriented, multidisciplinary framework.

The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in the ongoing reform, modernisation, and development of mental health services across the region, while benefiting from established peer networks, clinical governance frameworks, and academic links with Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University.

Key Clinical Duties & Responsibilities

• Inpatient & Crisis Care: Provide continuous clinical leadership, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment for patients admitted to acute inpatient beds, intensive care beds, and those receiving acute home treatment via the Crisis Response team.

• Multidisciplinary Team Leadership: Work collaboratively with ward managers, crisis practitioners, community mental health teams, and Allied Health Professionals to deliver holistic, evidence-based care plans.

• Caseload Management: Maintain clear, shared clinical pathways with community mental health and recovery services, ensuring seamless transitions of care between community and acute crisis settings.

• On-Call Commitment: Participate in the senior out-of-hours consultant psychiatry rota on an agreed frequency (currently operating on a 1:10 basis attracting a 3% availability supplement in the northern sector), providing emergency cover across adult psychiatry, old age, intellectual disability, and addictions.

• Supervision & Teaching: Provide clinical supervision and workplace-based training to junior medical staff (including specialty trainees, GP trainees, and Foundation doctors) in conjunction with NIMDTA, and contribute to undergraduate medical education.

• Governance & Audit: Actively engage in clinical audit, service evaluation, quality improvement initiatives, and statutory clinical governance activities.

Proposed Job Plan (10 Programmed Activities)

A formal job plan will be finalised in partnership with the Clinical Director, typically based on 10 Programmed Activities per week (8.25 Direct Clinical Care and 1.75 Supporting Professional Activities, with a core minimum of 1.5 SPAs).

• Direct Clinical Care (DCC): 8.25 PAs (including morning handovers, multidisciplinary ward reviews, crisis assessments, discharge planning, and patient administration)

• Supporting Professional Activities (SPA): 1.75 PAs (allocated for academic meetings, peer review, clinical audit, revalidation/CPD, teaching, and service management)

• On-Call & Prospective Cover: Additional allowances agreed for unpredictable on-call activity and prospective colleague cross-cover.

Personnel Specification

Essential Criteria

• GMC Registration: Full registration with the General Medical Council (GMC, London) and a current Licence to Practise.

• Specialist Register: Inclusion on the GMC Specialist Register for General Adult Psychiatry (or eligible via CCT within 6 months of interview, or Portfolio Pathway / CESR application submitted and accepted by the GMC).

• Post-Registration Experience: A minimum of 7 years post-registration medical experience, including at least 5 years in psychiatry and 3 years in Higher Professional Training (or equivalent).

• Mental Health Legislation: Must hold or be eligible and apply for Part 2 approval status under regional mental health legislation as soon as practically possible.

• Clinical Competence: Comprehensive knowledge of psychopharmacology, psychological treatment modalities, modern concepts in general adult psychiatry, and inpatient/crisis intervention strategies.

• Leadership & Governance: Understanding of clinical governance, clinical audit principles, revalidation, and demonstrated skills in conflict resolution and multidisciplinary teamwork.

• Mobility: Hold a full valid driving licence for use in the UK with access to a car upon appointment (or an approved alternative form of transport for applicants with a qualifying disability).

Desirable Criteria

• Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (MRCPsych) or equivalent postgraduate qualification.

• Formal qualification or established experience in healthcare management or leadership.

• Demonstrable involvement in clinical research, peer-reviewed publications, or medical education and staff training.

• Experience in community-based treatment of complex mental illness.

Benefits & Support

• Recruitment & Retention Premium (RRP): A 20% lump-sum incentive applied to the basic starting salary for eligible appointees joining HSCNI from outside the region (fixed over a 2-year qualifying period).

• Peer & Wellbeing Support: Weekly peer review and dedicated senior doctor meetings, access to comprehensive occupational health, and active staff wellbeing programmes.

• Facilities & IT: Dedicated office space with desktop computing/netbook, dedicated secretarial support, and full access to regional multidisciplinary medical libraries and online health databases (HONNI).

• Leave & Pension: Comprehensive annual leave package with statutory holidays, supported study leave allowances, and access to the Health and Social Care Pension Scheme.