Consultant Psychiatrist & Medical Director – North East PICU & Acute Services

Consultant Psychiatrist & Medical Director – North East PICU & Acute Services

Job Title: Consultant Psychiatrist & Medical Director
Service & location: Cygnet Hospital Hexham, Northumberland
Professionally accountable to: Regional Medical Director
Managerially responsible to: Hospital Manager

We are seeking an experienced full‑time Consultant Psychiatrist who will provide senior medical cover on Franklin ward, our 10‑bed female PICU service. The post holder will be the Responsible Clinician and will oversee and maintain the care of all ward inpatients, audit medical services and ensure quality in accordance with GMC standards and other relevant guidelines.

Apart from being the Responsible Clinician at Franklin ward, you will also act as Medical Director for our PICU and Acute services based in the North East of England. This full‑time position includes 0.2 WTE as Medical Director and 0.8 WTE as Consultant Psychiatrist.

• Ensure optimal clinical outcomes for the people in our care
• Lead on all aspects of clinical practice & serve as an example of operational excellence
• Provide leadership for medical staff on both professional and managerial issues whilst monitoring their performance
• Supervision of all consultants and ensuring consultants supervise SDs and ASs
• Provide expert knowledge & support within the service & to the wider team
• Ensure quality & compliance with internal & external standards & regulations
• Work with colleagues to provide integrated, whole person treatment & care
• Coach, mentor & train colleagues
• Ensure regular communication and meetings with medical staff
• Assist in recruitment and retention of medical staff to provide a high quality clinical service
• Ensure that medical staff are involved in hospital clinical governance
• Work in conjunction with hospital managers to lead on the successful implementation of CQC outcomes for 4, 7 and 9
• Chair medical advisory committee meetings and attend Cygnet Medical Directors meetings
• Liaise with Responsible Officer and Regional Medical Director in respect of concerns about fitness to practice issues for medical staff

• Lead on the provision of high quality care to the service users admitted to Franklin Ward
• Act as a positive role model, maintaining and demonstrating a positive attitude towards patients, their families, visitors and other staff
• Take overall responsibility for patient treatment plans in conjunction with the multi‑disciplinary team
• Assess referrals & undertake mental state examinations of service users
• Undertake appropriate investigations, diagnosis & treatment
• Conduct ward rounds, patient reviews & clinical audits
• Lead the implementation of risk assessment, risk management & embed clinical governance within the service
• Supervise reports for Mental Health Act tribunals & managers’ hearings & attend hearings
• Liaise with the Ministry of Justice for transfer of patients and approval of leave as required
• Maintain patient records accurately
• Ensure and maintain regular communications with the Site Medical Director and Hospital Manager
• Communicate effectively through regular contact with patients, relatives, staff, directors, and any other concerned bodies; maintaining appropriate reports
• Attend and contribute to academic meetings and adhere to the professional standards for CPD as set out by the GMC, the Department of Health and the Royal College of Psychiatrists
• Contribute to telephone on‑call rota as per [insert frequency]

• Salary up to £175,000 per year
• Generous annual leave entitlement that increases with length of service
• 5 days study leave, study budget and in‑house CPD/peer group programme
• Company‑paid Life Assurance scheme covering 3× salary
• Contributory pension scheme
• Research opportunities to publish in The Cygnet Journal and join the Cygnet Research & Development Group
• Teaching opportunities including medical students, the Cygnet CESR programme and Cygnet MRCPsych programme
• Opportunity to lead and participate in QI & Audit initiatives
• Company‑funded Cash plan allowing claims up to £1,000 per annum for benefits such as free physiotherapy, osteopaths, optical, dental, consultations, scans…