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An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Consultant Psychiatrist to join an Adult Inpatient Service in the South East. This post offers an opportunity to provide clinical leadership in a well-established acute inpatient ward, delivering high-quality, patient-centred care within a multidisciplinary framework.

The successful candidate will demonstrate at least 1 year of NHS experience, strong leadership capability, and a commitment to evidence-based psychiatric practice and service development.

Main Duties of the Role

Clinical Responsibilities

• Hold overall clinical responsibility for patients admitted to the adult inpatient ward.
• Act as a Responsible Clinician, fulfilling duties under the Mental Health Act (MHA) and Mental Capacity Act (MCA), including attending Tribunals and Managers' Hearings.
• Provide timely psychiatric assessment, diagnosis, and management of acute and complex mental health presentations.
• Lead ward rounds and multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings to ensure coordinated care planning and safe discharge pathways.
• Work collaboratively with community teams, crisis/home treatment teams, liaison psychiatry, and primary care to ensure smooth patient transitions.
• Attend and contribute to Mental Health Act assessments when required.

Leadership & Service Development

• Provide clinical leadership to the inpatient MDT, promoting recovery-oriented and evidence-based practice.
• Support and guide improvements in patient flow, quality, and safety within the ward.
• Contribute to strategic service development and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with clinical governance frameworks, risk management, and infection control policies.

Supervision & Teaching

• Provide supervision and mentorship to junior doctors, speciality doctors, and trainees.
• Contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes.
• Support appraisal and professional development processes within the team.

Governance, Audit & Research

• Actively participate in clinical audit, quality improvement programmes, and service evaluations.
• Contribute to data collection, benchmarking, and implementation of service improvements.
• Engage in CPD and maintain revalidation requirements in line with GMC standards.

Requirements

Essential Criteria

• MBBS (or equivalent medical qualification).
• Full GMC registration with a licence to practise.
• Inclusion on the GMC Specialist Register (or within six months of obtaining CCT at the time of interview).
• Section 12 Approval under the Mental Health Act.
• Approved Clinician status.
• Meets Royal College of Psychiatrists' criteria for appointment as Consultant.
• At least 1 year of NHS experience.
• Ability to manage clinical complexity and uncertainty.
• Ability to make evidence-based decisions, incorporating multidisciplinary input.
• Competence in fulfilling duties under the Mental Health Act (MHA) and Mental Capacity Act (MCA).
• Strong leadership, communication, and multidisciplinary team-working skills.
• Commitment to clinical governance, audit, and continuous professional development (CPD).

Desirable Criteria

• MRCPsych (or equivalent postgraduate qualification in Psychiatry).
• Higher degree (e.g., MSc, MD, PhD) in medical education, research, or management.
• Inclusion on the Specialist Register with a qualification in General Adult Psychiatry.
• Additional clinical qualifications relevant to the post.
• Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience within the NHS or comparable services.
• Experience applying Quality Improvement (QI) methodology to service development.
• Evidence of a postgraduate degree in Psychiatry (if not already specified).
• In good standing with the GMC with respect to warnings or conditions on practice.