Job summary
- Main area
- Learning Disability
- Grade
- NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 10 sessions per week
- Job ref
- 350-MED7337811
- Employer
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Hartley Hospital
- Town
- Southport
- Salary
- £105,504 - £139,882 per annum, plus 10% R&R (non contractual) and on call supplement
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 09/08/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Consultant Psychiatrist in Learning Disability
NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant
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Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust celebrates diversity and promotes equal opportunities; we are committed to challenging and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination and advancing and promoting equality of opportunity in the provision of services and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
We take positive action to support disadvantaged groups and also particularly encourage applications from ethnically diverse, disabled and LGBTQIA+ people that are under-represented in our workforce. Furthermore we welcome applications from reservists and ex-armed forces personnel as we recognise the benefits of the values, skills, training and experience that they bring to their work with us. We encourage all applicants to share their equality information with us.
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Job overview
We’re delighted to offer an exciting Consultant post within the Community Learning Disability Team in Southport and North Sefton.
This is a fantastic opportunity for either a newly qualified or experienced Consultant who’s looking to join a well-established, supportive multidisciplinary team. You’ll be part of a service that values collaboration, innovation, and continuous development.
At Mersey Care, we’re proud of our partnership with the University of Liverpool, which has led to the creation of the Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre - a brilliant platform for Consultants with an interest in research and academic development.
Beyond the role itself, Merseyside and the North West offer an exceptional quality of life. Whether you're into the outdoors, arts, or family-friendly activities, there’s something for everyone:
- Easy access to the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, and North Wales
- Beautiful local beaches and scenic spots right on your doorstep
- A vibrant cultural scene with art galleries, concert venues, and sporting events
- Excellent schools and a strong sense of community
If you're looking for a role that combines professional growth with a fantastic lifestyle, we’d love to hear from you.
Main duties of the job
- Consultant psychiatrist will have responsibility for their caseload and inpatients.
- To supervise and support team members who carry out assessments of patients referred to the team. To carry out comprehensive psychiatric assessments and provide medical interventions for patients.
- Supporting staff to manage psychiatric emergencies.
- To conduct patient reviews and lead Multidisciplinary reviews, birth planning meetings, CPA reviews, discharge planning meetings and multi-professional meetings
- To be the responsible clinician for the purposes of the Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007) and carry out duties in accordance with the code of practice.
- To carry out comprehensive Risk Assessments and participate in Trust’s risk management processes such as Health Risk Assessment and Management Meetings (H-RAMM) and Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangement (MAPPA) Meetings if required.
- To provide medical leadership to the team.
- Maintain high level of effective communication with other parts of the Mental health service across the Trust, across maternity services and primary care.
- Liaison with families / carers
- Liaison with aspects of the Criminal Justice System regarding patients, where necessary.
- Liaising with other stakeholders and interested parties.
Working for our organisation
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.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post holder will have responsibility for patients in North Sefton and Southport.
There is no inpatient responsibilities. This is a vacant post currently filled with locum Consultant.
Team is based at Hartley Hospital.
Current Caseload is approximately 200 patients.
Other consultants within the LD service include Dr Durairaj who is Consultant in LD for the community for Liverpool, Dr Harpin, Consultant in LD for Sefton Community (LTFT), Dr Gladstone, Consultant community Warrrington, and Dr Dinnahalli, Consultant for Knowsley.
The post holder’s medical secretary will be based at the Hartley Hospital.
Resident doctors will also support the post holder in seeing patients in the community. Cover for the post holder when on annual leave will be from other LD doctors in MCFT. Residents may be shared between South and North Sefton.
The community has averaged approximately 200 referrals per year to the wider service.. The post holder will typically have 4 clinics a week and one MDT per week.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- MB BS or equivalent medical qualification
- MRCPsych or MRCPsych equivalent
Desirable criteria
- Qualification or higher degree in medical education, clinical research or management
- On LD Specialist register with RCPsych or within 6 months
Eligibility
Essential criteria
- Fully registered with the GMC with a licence to practise at the time of appointment
- Included on the GMC Specialist Register OR within six months
- Approved clinician status OR able to achieve within 3 months of appointment
- Approved under S12 OR able to achieve with 3 months of appointment
Desirable criteria
- In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice
Transport
Essential criteria
- Holds and will use valid UK driving licence OR provides evidence of proposed alternative
- Non-drivers due to disability will be supported via access to work scheme
Clinical Skills, Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
- Excellent knowledge in specialty Learning Disability 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 criteria
- Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service
Academic Skills and Lifelong Learning
Essential criteria
- Able to deliver undergraduate or postgraduate teaching and training
- Ability to work Constructively and to lead a multidisciplinary team
- Participated in continuous professional development
- Participated in research or service evaluation
- Able to use and appraise clinical evidence
- Has actively participated in clinical audit
Desirable criteria
- 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
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Zoe Bentley
- Job title
- Medical Workforce Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
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