Locum Consultant Psychiatrist | South and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Overview

Spring ward is a 15‑bed, female medium secure ward based in River House on the Bethlem Royal Hospital site. It is part of the female secure pathway within the SLP (South London Partnership). The service provides care for female service users over 18, with a variety of mental disorders, who pose a significant risk of violence. It caters for both acute and rehabilitation needs and includes a seclusion room.

Spring ward is the only female forensic inpatient ward in River House.

• Chair weekly ward rounds, CPAs, and HCR‑20 risk formulation meetings.
• Prepare reports and attend Manager’s hearings and Mental Health Review Tribunals.
• Prepare reports and applications to the Ministry of Justice for leave requests, transfer requests, and summaries of patient progress.
• Participate and contribute to service audit and evaluation, engaging in research activities in line with the aims of the Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science Department of the IoPPN.
• Attend Reflective Group Practice once per fortnight.
• Negotiate annual leave and cross‑cover arrangements with other forensic consultant colleagues, communicating promptly to the multidisciplinary team leader and senior clinical nurse.

Spring ward interfaces with other female secure NHS wards across South London, medium and low secure units run by the private sector, inpatient general acute services, psychiatric intensive care units (PICUs), forensic and general adult community mental health teams, prisons and high secure hospitals.

The ward is staffed by a full multidisciplinary team, including a consultant psychiatrist (0.8 FTE), a part‑time specialty doctor (6 PAs), a forensic senior trainee (ST), the ward manager, two deputy team leaders, nursing team, occupational therapist, psychologist and pharmacy support, and a full‑time administrator. The unit is also supported by the Bethlem Hospital float doctor as required in hours and the on‑call doctor out of hours.

Relational security is the main focus for violence reduction. HCR‑20 risk assessments are completed by the team every six months. The team benefits from regular psychology, nursing, and medical student input. The length of stay is highly variable, with an average of 18 months.

The Trust is committed to improving the work experience of all employees under ‘Making SLaM a Great Place to Work’. Different streams of work are being developed to address various aspects of this, as well as work to improve the consultant experience led by the Medical Director and open to interested consultants. This work includes making an explicit offer to Start Well Consultants and considering the needs of consultants long‑term with professional development opportunities and flexibility in how they work while prioritising the needs of the patients under our care.

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