Specialty Doctor in Adult Mental Health – Liaison(UK Visa Sponsorship)

Job Description

About the Role

We are seeking a committed and clinically confident Specialty Doctor to join our Adult Mental Health Liaison team based at Darlington Memorial Hospital. This post offers the opportunity to work at the interface of physical and mental healthcare within a busy acute hospital setting.

The Durham and Darlington Liaison Service is among the largest in the North East and Cumbria, supporting acute hospital services delivered by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. While the service covers patients of all ages, it is operationally aligned with Adult Mental Health Urgent Care pathways.

Your primary base will be Darlington Memorial Hospital (433 beds), a district general hospital delivering comprehensive emergency, medical, and surgical services. The wider acute network includes University Hospital of North Durham, Bishop Auckland General Hospital, Sedgefield Community Hospital, Richardson Community Hospital and Weardale Community Hospital.

Key Responsibilities

You will work collaboratively within the liaison psychiatry team, providing specialist assessment and management for adults presenting with mental health needs within the acute hospital.

Your duties will include:

• Conducting psychiatric assessments for patients admitted to medical and surgical wards.
• Providing follow-up clinics for patients previously assessed in the Emergency Department.
• Contributing to treatment planning and discharge coordination for patients with co-morbid physical and mental health conditions.
• Supporting ward-based teams through advice, risk assessment, and capacity evaluations.
• Delivering approximately 15 face-to-face clinical contacts per week (including scheduled follow-ups).
• Participating in an average of two Mental Health Act (MHA) assessments per week.
• Prioritising MHA assessments for your own patients during working hours.
• Contributing to teaching and training of acute hospital staff.
• Providing cross-cover for the Consultant Liaison Old Age Psychiatrist when required.

Consultant supervision and specialist input are available, and additional advice for older adults can be sought from local Old Age Psychiatry consultants when needed.

Professional Requirements

Essential Qualifications & Registration

• MBBS (or equivalent medical degree).
• Full registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) with licence to practise.
• Minimum four years’ postgraduate experience, including at least two years in core psychiatry training (UK or international equivalent).
• Section 12 approval under the Mental Health Act (or ability to obtain within six months).

Desirable

• MRCPsych (or equivalent postgraduate qualification).

Skills & Experience

Clinical

• Strong grounding in general adult psychiatry.
• Ability to practise using a bio-psycho-social framework.
• Competence managing complexity and clinical uncertainty.
• Familiarity with UK mental health legislation, particularly the Mental Health Act.

Teaching & Development

• Experience delivering undergraduate or postgraduate teaching.
• Evidence of engagement in continuing professional development (CPD).
• Participation in annual appraisal and commitment to revalidation.

Quality & Governance

• Active involvement in clinical audit.
• Interest in research, service development, or quality improvement methodologies.

About the Trust

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest mental health and learning disability providers in England, serving approximately two million people across County Durham, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York, and Selby.

With over 6,700 staff working across 100+ sites and an annual income of £320m, the Trust has been recognised in the Health Service Journal’s Best 100 Places to Work. The organisation is committed to staff wellbeing, career development, and medical workforce support through its Medical Directorate and Talent Management framework.

Psychiatrists are central to multidisciplinary care delivery within the Trust, and collaborative working is strongly embedded in service culture.

Sponsorship & Pre-Employment Checks

• Skilled Worker visa sponsorship applications are welcome and will be considered in line with Home Office requirements.
• The post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
• Overseas applicants must provide criminal record certification where applicable.

Further guidance can be found at:

• General Medical Council registration
• Mental Health Act 1983 (legislation)
• Disclosure and Barring Service
• Skilled Worker visa guidance
• Criminal record checks for overseas applicants

Why Join This Team?

This is an excellent opportunity for a Specialty Doctor who enjoys acute liaison psychiatry and values multidisciplinary collaboration. You will gain experience managing psychiatric complexity within a general hospital environment while contributing to education, service improvement, and urgent care pathways.