Job summary
As a Specialty Psychiatry Doctor working for Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust you will be responsible for ensuring that our service users' needs are met through the delivery of high quality care.
As a member of the outpatient multi-disciplinary team at Hartley Hospital, you will work in a state of the art mental health facility, providing clinical care to older adults who require specialist mental healthcare. You will work closely with a wide range of clinical and professional disciplines in order to deliver holistic care by completing assessments for cognitive impairment and the full range of functional mental disorders. This will provide a wide range of clinical experience to help the post holder to develop their clinical knowledge with a view to possibly taking up a Higher Training post in Older Adults subsequently.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be responsiblefor tasks generated from ward round reviews of inpatients on Dunes ward as well as for assessing, managing and, if necessary, carrying out onward referrals and obtaining medical advice from hospitals for any physical health issues which arise in the inpatients and involves taking a full psychiatric history and collateral history, carrying out physical examination of all systems, obtaining blood samples for laboratory testing and ECG.
The post holder will also be required to prescribe any medications patients are admitted on. They will be supervised by the Consultant Psychiatrist on Dunes ward and will attend all ward rounds and MDT discussions, working closely with the wider MDT on the ward.
For one day of the week, there will be a responsibility of completing new assessments of service users referred in to the Older Adults community service based at the Hartley Hospital with queries over cognitive impairment. They will conduct diagnostic clinics in which diagnoses are explained and management options discussed.
This will occur under the supervision of Consultant Old Age Psychiatrists based within the service. In addition the post holder will support the team in ensuring that service users' prescriptions are accurate and updated as well as providing clinical advice. The post holder will be based with the Older Adults service at Hartley Hospital for three days of the week.
About us
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Dunes ward is a 20 bedded primarily functional older adult complex care ward at the Hartley Hospital in Southport. It caters to functional inpatients from the Southport and Formby areas primarily but also can accept admissions from Liverpool and other areas of the Trust to include Knowsley, St Helens, Warrington and Halton. While the ward is intended for functional patients over the age of 70, several younger adult patients under the age of 70 are admitted to the ward as well.
Hartley Hospital was officially opened by Princess Anne in July 2021. It is a £21 million pound state of the art mental health facility and was named after the local jam-making family and philanthropist Christiana Hartley. It replaces the Boothroyd Unit and Hesketh Centre which previously provided mental health services in the Southport area. The hospital consists of 44 en-suite bedrooms and features inner garden courtyards, a caf, two gyms, a family visiting room and multi-faith area. Hartley Hospital takes a lot of features from Mersey Cares award-winning Clock View Hospital situated in the Walton area of Liverpool.
Dunes ward requires a specialty doctor to work within the multidisciplinary team in an enthusiastic and collaborative manner in order to provide a high quality service for older adult inpatients who require mental and physical health care.
Hartley Hospital accommodates inpatient services for General Adult mental health services in the form of Pine ward which is a 20 bedded mixed adult acute ward. Community mental health teams for both General Adult and Older Adult services are based upstairs in Hartley Hospital. Irwell ward is a 20 bedded functional older adult ward based at Clock View Hospital in Walton, North Liverpool. Fern ward is a 17 bedded dementia ward based in Leigh Moss Hospital, Liverpool.
There are also well established and fully staffed community mental health teams for older adults in the Trust across the division. Memory Services are also well established. In addition there are well resourced general hospital liaison services for older adults and adults within three acute Hospital Trusts, namely the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Aintree University Hospital and Southport District Hospital. There are a range of other mental health services provided by Mersey Care including a 2 hour Urgent Community Response service, Armed Forces Community Services, CMAGIC (Cheshire & Merseyside Adult Gender Identity Collaborative), Criminal Justice Liaison & Diversion Service, Drug & Alcohol Services including the Hope Centre which offers inpatient detoxification programs, Learning Disabilities Services, Maternal Mental Health Services including a Specialist Perinatal Service, Mental Health Triage Car Services, a Psychotherapy & Personality Disorder Hub, Student Mental Health Services and The Life Rooms. There are Neuropsychiatry and Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation Services based at the Walton Centre on the Aintree University Hospital site.
Foundation Trainees are posted on Dunes ward (1 x F1, 1 x F2 doctor) and are available to complete daily tasks and reviews for the inpatients as well as the postholder.
Inpatient Old Age Psychiatrists:
Dunes Ward, Hartley Hospital, Southport Dr Sarada Kodali
Irwell Ward, Clock View, Walton, Liverpool Dr Sumanth Kumar
Fern Ward, Leigh Moss Hospital, Liverpool Dr Anna Richman
There have been an average of 7.1 new admissions per month over the past eight months in 2024, with an average of 2 per month being for patients under the age of 70. The minimum number of admissions during this time was four and the maximum was 9. During the same period there has been an average of 6.75 discharges per month with the minimum number being 2 and the maximum being 11. Bed occupancy of the ward is usually full (all 20 beds occupied). Over the past six months the average length of stay of patients on Dunes ward is 60 days and the number of discharges from the ward in the same period is 53. In the past six months there have been three patients identified as being delayed discharges, totalling 81 days of delay.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Dunes ward is a 20 bedded primarily functional older adult complex care ward at the Hartley Hospital in Southport. It caters to functional inpatients from the Southport and Formby areas primarily but also can accept admissions from Liverpool and other areas of the Trust to include Knowsley, St Helens, Warrington and Halton. While the ward is intended for functional patients over the age of 70, several younger adult patients under the age of 70 are admitted to the ward as well.
Hartley Hospital was officially opened by Princess Anne in July 2021. It is a £21 million pound state of the art mental health facility and was named after the local jam-making family and philanthropist Christiana Hartley. It replaces the Boothroyd Unit and Hesketh Centre which previously provided mental health services in the Southport area. The hospital consists of 44 en-suite bedrooms and features inner garden courtyards, a caf, two gyms, a family visiting room and multi-faith area. Hartley Hospital takes a lot of features from Mersey Cares award-winning Clock View Hospital situated in the Walton area of Liverpool.
Dunes ward requires a specialty doctor to work within the multidisciplinary team in an enthusiastic and collaborative manner in order to provide a high quality service for older adult inpatients who require mental and physical health care.
Hartley Hospital accommodates inpatient services for General Adult mental health services in the form of Pine ward which is a 20 bedded mixed adult acute ward. Community mental health teams for both General Adult and Older Adult services are based upstairs in Hartley Hospital. Irwell ward is a 20 bedded functional older adult ward based at Clock View Hospital in Walton, North Liverpool. Fern ward is a 17 bedded dementia ward based in Leigh Moss Hospital, Liverpool.
There are also well established and fully staffed community mental health teams for older adults in the Trust across the division. Memory Services are also well established. In addition there are well resourced general hospital liaison services for older adults and adults within three acute Hospital Trusts, namely the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Aintree University Hospital and Southport District Hospital. There are a range of other mental health services provided by Mersey Care including a 2 hour Urgent Community Response service, Armed Forces Community Services, CMAGIC (Cheshire & Merseyside Adult Gender Identity Collaborative), Criminal Justice Liaison & Diversion Service, Drug & Alcohol Services including the Hope Centre which offers inpatient detoxification programs, Learning Disabilities Services, Maternal Mental Health Services including a Specialist Perinatal Service, Mental Health Triage Car Services, a Psychotherapy & Personality Disorder Hub, Student Mental Health Services and The Life Rooms. There are Neuropsychiatry and Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation Services based at the Walton Centre on the Aintree University Hospital site.
Foundation Trainees are posted on Dunes ward (1 x F1, 1 x F2 doctor) and are available to complete daily tasks and reviews for the inpatients as well as the postholder.
Inpatient Old Age Psychiatrists:
Dunes Ward, Hartley Hospital, Southport Dr Sarada Kodali
Irwell Ward, Clock View, Walton, Liverpool Dr Sumanth Kumar
Fern Ward, Leigh Moss Hospital, Liverpool Dr Anna Richman
There have been an average of 7.1 new admissions per month over the past eight months in 2024, with an average of 2 per month being for patients under the age of 70. The minimum number of admissions during this time was four and the maximum was 9. During the same period there has been an average of 6.75 discharges per month with the minimum number being 2 and the maximum being 11. Bed occupancy of the ward is usually full (all 20 beds occupied). Over the past six months the average length of stay of patients on Dunes ward is 60 days and the number of discharges from the ward in the same period is 53. In the past six months there have been three patients identified as being delayed discharges, totalling 81 days of delay.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- MB BS or equivalent medical qualification
Desirable
- MRCPsych or equivalent, MRCGP or equivalent, DGM
Eligibility
Essential
- Fully registered with the GMC with a licence to practise at the time of appointment
- In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice
Desirable
Clinical Skills, Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Excellent knowledge in specialty
- Minimum 4 years post registration training, 2 of which should be in recognised training programme in psychiatry
- Excellent clinical skills using bio-psycho-social perspective and wide medical knowledge
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
- 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
Desirable
- Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service
Academic Skills & Lifelong Learning
Essential
- Able to deliver undergraduate teaching and training
- Ability to work in and lead team
- Demonstrate commitment to shared leadership & collaborative working to deliver improvement
- Participated in continuous professional development
- Participated in research or service evaluation
- Able to use and appraise clinical evidence
- Has actively participated in clinical audit and quality improvement programmes
Desirable
- Able to plan and deliver undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and training relevant to this post
- Reflected on purpose of CPD undertaken
- Experienced in clinical research and / or service evaluation
- Evidence of achievement in education, research, audit and service improvement: awards, prizes, presentations and publications
- Has led clinical audits leading to service change or improved outcomes to patients
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- MB BS or equivalent medical qualification
Desirable
- MRCPsych or equivalent, MRCGP or equivalent, DGM
Eligibility
Essential
- Fully registered with the GMC with a licence to practise at the time of appointment
- In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice
Desirable
Clinical Skills, Knowledge & Experience
Essential
- Excellent knowledge in specialty
- Minimum 4 years post registration training, 2 of which should be in recognised training programme in psychiatry
- Excellent clinical skills using bio-psycho-social perspective and wide medical knowledge
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
- 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
Desirable
- Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service
Academic Skills & Lifelong Learning
Essential
- Able to deliver undergraduate teaching and training
- Ability to work in and lead team
- Demonstrate commitment to shared leadership & collaborative working to deliver improvement
- Participated in continuous professional development
- Participated in research or service evaluation
- Able to use and appraise clinical evidence
- Has actively participated in clinical audit and quality improvement programmes
Desirable
- Able to plan and deliver undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and training relevant to this post
- Reflected on purpose of CPD undertaken
- Experienced in clinical research and / or service evaluation
- Evidence of achievement in education, research, audit and service improvement: awards, prizes, presentations and publications
- Has led clinical audits leading to service change or improved outcomes to patients
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
