Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist – Acute Hospital Liaison Service(UK Visa Sponsorship)

Job Description

The Opportunity

This is a rare chance to join one of the largest and most established acute hospital liaison mental health services in the North East. The Durham and Darlington Liaison Service provides round-the-clock psychiatric support across two busy acute hospitals, working closely with medical and surgical teams to ensure older people receive timely, compassionate, and expert mental health care.

The service operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, meeting national response standards of:

• 1 hour for Emergency Department referrals
• 24 hours for ward referrals

This consultant role focuses on patients whose needs are best met by Old Age Psychiatry expertise, primarily adults aged 65+, while remaining flexible to support younger patients with complex presentations such as early-onset dementia or severe frailty.

How the Service Works

The Liaison Service delivers a single, integrated model across:

• Adult Mental Health
• Mental Health Services for Older People

Referrals come through one streamlined access point, ensuring rapid triage and allocation to clinicians with the most appropriate skills. The service is delivered at an Enhanced level, offering comprehensive assessment, treatment, follow-up, and leadership within the acute hospital environment.

Your Role and Responsibilities

As Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist, you will play a central role in shaping high-quality mental health care within the acute hospital setting.

Your responsibilities will include:

Providing specialist psychiatric assessment and treatment for older adults admitted to acute hospital wards or attending the Emergency Department

• Offering follow-up clinics for patients previously assessed in ED
• Advising on complex capacity, consent, and risk management issues
• Supporting acute hospital staff to identify and manage mental health needs effectively
• Leading short-term community follow-up for patients recovering from delirium after discharge, with a small defined caseload
• Acting as Responsible Clinician for patients detained under the Mental Health Act within the acute trust
• Participating in Mental Health Act assessments on site
• Working closely with community and inpatient mental health services to ensure safe discharge and continuity of care
• Contributing to service planning and development alongside operational and clinical leaders
• Supporting the Treat as One agenda, promoting equal standards of care for mental and physical health conditions
• You will also provide teaching and training to acute hospital colleagues, helping to strengthen mental health knowledge and confidence across the wider system.

About the Trust

TEWV is one of the UK’s largest specialist mental health and learning disability trusts, serving around 2 million people across the North East and North Yorkshire. With over 6,700 staff and services delivered from approximately 100 sites, the Trust is nationally recognised for its commitment to quality, innovation, and staff wellbeing.

Psychiatrists are vital to our services. Through the TEWV Charter for the Medical Workforce, we actively support:

• Flexible working
• Career development
• Leadership opportunities
• Workforce wellbeing and sustainability

We are proud to be recognised in the Health Service Journal’s Best Places to Work and to take a proactive approach to talent management and professional growth.

What We’re Looking For

Essential Qualifications & Registration

• MBBS or equivalent medical qualification
• Full GMC registration with licence to practise
• MRCPsych
• Inclusion on the GMC Specialist Register for Old Age Psychiatry (or within 6 months)
• Approved Clinician status (or ability to achieve within 3 months)
• Section 12 approval (or ability to achieve within 3 months)

Clinical Expertise

• Advanced knowledge and skills in Old Age Psychiatry
• Confident use of a bio-psycho-social model
• Strong decision-making in complex and uncertain situations
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Thorough understanding of the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act

Leadership, Teaching & Development

• Ability to lead and influence within a multidisciplinary team
• Active engagement in CPD, audit, and service evaluation
• Experience delivering undergraduate or postgraduate teaching
• Commitment to quality improvement and service innovation
• Experience in Liaison Psychiatry and additional qualifications in education, research, or management are welcomed.

Safeguarding, Right to Work & Sponsorship

This role requires an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975.

Applications are welcome from candidates who require Skilled Worker visa sponsorship, subject to UK Visas and Immigration requirements.

Relevant UK government guidance:

• Skilled Worker visa information
• Criminal record checks for overseas applicants
• General Medical Council (GMC)
• Mental Health Act guidance
• NHS Careers – Psychiatry
• Applicants must hold current UK professional registration at the point of appointment.

Why Join This Service?

• Work within a large, respected, and well-resourced liaison service
• Make a tangible difference to older people’s care in acute hospitals
• Strong multidisciplinary collaboration and clinical leadership support
• Clear commitment to consultant wellbeing and flexible working
• Opportunities to shape service development at system level