Consultant Psychiatrist in Mental Health Liaison

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Consultant Psychiatrist in Mental Health Liaison

The closing date is 21 September 2025

THE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THIS POST IS PENDING ROYAL COLLEGE APPROVAL

Would you like to be part of leading health and wellbeing service in the provision of mental health, community and inpatient care? Why not join Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust for the opportunity to flourish and excel in your career and be part of our dedicated medical team.

EPUT is looking to appoint an enthusiastic and passionate Consultant Psychiatrist to join and lead on the Mental Health Liaison Team in North East Essex. This is a well-established service, with the vacancy arising as the result of career progression. The post providing Mental health consultation and liaison advice to wards and A&E departments in Colchester General Hospital.

Main duties of the job

The Mental Health Liaison Team provides comprehensive psychiatric assessment and management for patients of all ages presenting to the general hospital with coexisting mental health difficulties. This includes urgent and emergency presentations to the Emergency Department (ED), as well as referrals from medical and surgical inpatient wards at Colchester General Hospital. The team supports timely assessment, treatment planning, and safe discharge, with a strong emphasis on integrated working with acute hospital colleagues. This team works 24 hours and 7 days of the week.

The Liaison Team works closely with Home Treatment Teams, Crisis Response Services, and community teams across Colchester and Tendring to provide coordinated and person-centred care.

The trust is actively supportive of newly qualified consultants continuing professional development seeking to deepen and broaden their skills. As well as making a clinical difference, we believe that your development is key so you will be supported to enable you to pursue educational and research interests which go hand in hand to provide a high quality of care and safety to our patients. We have excellent links with the medical school at ARU and other educational establishments where we have shared appointments in teaching and research.

You must have full GMC registration and be on the Specialist Register, with an appropriate CCT or equivalent or be within six months of obtaining your CCT on the date of the AAC.

About us

Essex has something for everyone, amazing scenery, great schools, adventurous outdoor activities, fantastic restaurants and a colourful history so why not contact us to discover why so many of our staff love living and working here.

EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;

• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
• Day One Flexible Employer

Job responsibilities

1. Observe the Trusts agreed policies and procedures.
2. Provide, with consultant colleagues, a service in the specialty for the Trust with responsibility for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness, and the proper functioning of the department.
3. Honour out-of-hours responsibilities, including rota commitments where contracted.
4. Provide agreed cover for consultant colleagues periods of leave.
5. Provide professional supervision of junior medical staff.
6. Participate in audit and continuing medical education.
7. Contribute to the training of junior medical staff and medical students, and devote time to this activity on a regular basis.
8. Be involved in research and teaching where appropriate.
9. Undertake managerial, including budgetary, responsibility where appropriate.

Person Specification Qualifications

• MB BS or equivalent medical qualification
• Registration with the General Medical Council and on the Specialist Register.
• Meets Royal College of Psychiatrists criteria for appointment to the post of Consultant.
• Section 12 Approval and Approved Clinician Status.
• Qualification or higher degree in medical education, clinical research or management.
• On the Specialist Register with qualifications General Adult CCT with experience in Liaison Psychiatry.
• Postgraduate degree in psychiatry MRC Psych or equivalent.
• Additional clinical qualifications.
• Fully registered with the GMC with a licence to practice at the time of appointment.
• Included on the GMC Specialist Register OR within six months.
• Approved clinician status.
• Approved under Section 12.
• In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice.

Clinical skills, knowledge and experience

• Able to manage clinical complexity and uncertainty.
• Makes decisions based on evidence and experience including the contribution of others
• Able to meet duties under MHA and MCA.
• Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service.
• Utilises a quality improvement approach to think systemically about complex problems, develop potential change ideas and test these in practice using a systematic QI methodology.

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.

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust