Consultant in Community Older Persons Mental Health (OPMH) Psychiatry

Consultant in Community Older Persons Mental Health (OPMH) Psychiatry

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is seeking to appoint a Consultant Psychiatrist in Older Persons Mental Health to join the Community Mental Health Teams and support patients in the Taunton, Minehead and Exmoor area.

This is a permanent, full time (10 PA) position.

Working a 1 in 12 rota: operating 5pm to 9am on weekdays; and from 9am on Saturday morning to 9am on Monday morning.

This Consultant post falls under the Older Person's CMHTs and Dementia Assessment Service Teams based at the Barnfield Unit in Minehead and Foundation House in Taunton.

Main duties of the job

1. Provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental health needs of community patients in their community area.
2. Work closely with the community teams to provide effective multidisciplinary collaborative care.
3. Act as Responsible Clinician for community patients subject to a compulsory treatment order under the Mental Health Act; (CTOs).
4. Undertake MHA assessments as the Trust Section 12 doctor for patients in their care (including those detained under S136).
5. Provide Mental Capacity Act s49 reports for patients in their community area.
6. Provide visible and clear clinical leadership to the mental health service both locally and across the Trust.
7. Work collaboratively with inpatient staff to ensure smooth transition for patients admitted and discharged from the wards.
8. Join a peer group for CPD purposes: this can be a Trust group or other local peer group depending on the post holder's preference.
9. Identify areas for personal development, that will allow the post holder to improve the care they provide.
10. Undertake annual appraisal and job plan reviews.
11. Develop the services around them, in collaboration with management and other team members to continue to improve patient care.
12. Participate in the local arrangements for peer supervision with consultant colleagues, including case-based discussion.
13. Provide mutual cross cover for planned leave with the other medical staff.
14. Fulfil the duties agreed in the job plan.

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life.
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security.
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax.
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential.

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Job responsibilities

The Clinical Role

The West Somerset area covers 8 GP practices and equates to approximately 11000 patients over the age of 65 (CCG figures December 2017). The Taunton area relating to this post covers one large GP Practice (Bishops Lydeard) with a population of approx. 1000 patients over 65. There is also a much smaller group of patients under 65 years of age, with primary dementias who are also cared for by the older adults' community mental health team.

There is an emphasis on members of the CMHT seeing the majority of initial assessments with a daytime duty rota dealing with urgent referrals. This helps to minimise consultant emergency work and keeps their individual community caseload at a manageable size. The CMHT will seek advice from the post holder in order to guide management for the patient; this is achieved through formal team meetings, as well as ad hoc discussions with the team when required.

Staff from within the dementia assessment service currently see all initial referrals; these are discussed with the consultant and a decision is made as to who is best placed to see the patient for further assessment and treatment. We are encouraging colleagues in primary care to make memory assessments in less complex cases and the post holder will be expected to work with colleagues in primary care in order to advise and support these diagnoses.

The post holder will hold regular clinics in Minehead and Taunton, as well as undertaking domiciliary visits when required.

The community mental health teams are part of wider integrated teams. Each team is collocated with staff from district nursing and the integrated rehabilitation team (community OT and Physiotherapists). These links are very helpful when managing a patient from a holistic viewpoint. The links will also allow the post holder to work towards closer integration between physical and mental health care, as well as primary and secondary care. Being collocated with this team allows for a free flow of advice and ideas between the services.

Transfers from general adult services to older adults are made in discussion between the teams, and with the patient and their carer. Our aim is that the right treatment is delivered by the right people at all times.

OUT-OF-HOURS ON-CALL DUTIES:

There are no compulsory Out of Hours duties as part of this role.

The post holder can opt to join the senior out-of-hours on-call rota subject to availability. Duties include senior medical and RC cover for the inpatient wards and S12 MHA work both in Trust premises and in the community.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Medical Degree.
• Mental Health Act Approved Clinician / Section 12 approval -- or eligible and willing to apply for these.
• Entry on GMC Specialist Register or eligible for entry on Register within 6 months of interview via Specialist Training (CCT) or CESR.
• Accredited for the training of Higher trainees / junior doctors.
• Further professional qualifications such as MRCP/DGM.
• A Higher degree such as a Masters Degree.

Experience

• Significant experience of assessment and management of patients in Older People's community psychiatry.
• Ability to offer expert clinical care of patients.
• A particular understanding of the care and treatment of frail older adults in the community.
• A clear understanding of mental health and mental capacity legislation and the application of these areas of legislation as they relate to community care.
• 3 years supervised training in an appropriate ST4-6 equivalent training programme.
• Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service.
• Formal training or qualifications in leadership or organisational development.
• Experience of service development particularly related to old age psychiatric services.

Additional Criteria

• Please see job description for full details of person specification criteria.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.