Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical duties

·   The post holder will provide medical input for Old Age (OA) Mental Health Liaison Team. The post holder will be available to support and supervise other staff in the assessment and formulation of service users’ difficulties. They will be directly involved with the assessment of people referred with complex difficulties or prominent risk issues. The post-holder will communicate with clinical staff providing physical treatment of the Patient. 

·   The post holder will include assessment of urgent referrals from the inpatient wards and accident and emergency department. Medical support is provided for more complex cases and those requiring the specific skills of a consultant psychiatrist This will include leading on the training of other hospital staff and interacting with other medical professionals throughout the hospital.

·   Demonstrate an understanding of the interface between physical illness and mental illness; undertake diagnosis and formulation of management plans in complex cases; advise medical teams on appropriate integrated care and assess and manage risk (e.g. suicide risk, violence/aggression, absconding) relating to psychiatric conditions in general hospital settings.

·   Provide advice on prescribing to medical teams on psychotropic medication; provide expertise, and fulfill a statutory role, in managing medico-legal issues in the general hospital, including application of mental health and mental capacity legislation; understand the medical issues in assessing patients with medically unexplained symptoms and understand the medical issues in mental health patients associated with long-term conditions such as dementia or delirium.

·   Collaboration with medical colleagues to ensure availability for emergency liaison assessments through the daytime (9am to 5pm) within the locality and also to provide cross-cover during periods of annual/study leave.

·   Assessment and management of patients under the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act.

Training duties

·     Participation in the training of other disciplines..

·     Taking part in continuing medical education within statutory limits. 

2.         Clinical governance and quality assurance

·     Expected contribution to clinical governance and responsibility for setting and monitoring standards.

·     Participation in clinical audit and other local assurance processes.

·     Participation in service/team evaluation and the planning of future service developments.

Quality improvement

·     Empowers the team to resolve local issues on a daily basis using the tools and method of quality improvement without staff having to seek permission.

·     Promotes awareness and understanding of quality improvement, and shares learning and successes from quality improvement work.

General duties

·     To undertake the administrative duties associated with the care of patients.

·     To record clinical activity accurately and comprehensively, and submit this promptly to the Information Department.

·     To participate in annual appraisal.

·     To attend in the academic programme of the Trust, including lectures and seminars as part of the internal CPD programme.

·     To maintain professional registration with the General Medical Council, Mental Health Act Section 12(2) approval, and to abide by professional codes of conduct.

·     To participate annually in a job plan review with the clinical manager, which will include consultation with a relevant manager in order to ensure that the post is developed to take into account changes in service configuration and delivery associated with modernisation.

·     To work with local managers and professional colleagues in ensuring the efficient running of services, and share with colleagues in the medical contribution to management.

·     To comply with the Trust’s agreed policies and  procedures.

3.         External duties, roles and responsibilities

The Trust would support the post holder in actively engaging in National and local organisations

Other duties

From time to time it may be necessary for the post holder to carry out such other duties as may be assigned, with agreement, by the Trust. It is expected that the post holder will not unreasonably withhold agreement to any reasonable proposed changes that the Trust might make.