Consultant Psychiatrist DASS and CMHLS

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 02 February 2026

This is a newly created split role for an addiction psychiatrist with an interest in inpatient liaison.

The two roles in this split post provide:

• Addiction Psychiatry Consultant Leadership to the Drug and Alcohol Support Service (DASS) at Croydon University Hospital (6 PAs)
• Liaison Psychiatry Consultant cover to the Croydon Mental Health Liaison Services (CMHLS) working age team.

For the addictions part of the role the post holder will:

• Deliver high quality medical and psychiatric assessments for patients referred to DASS.
• Deliver evidence-based pharmacological and psychological treatments.
• Work with others to develop and work within robust governance systems appropriate for the DASS which will be run by CUH.
• Take part in developing and collecting clinical outcome and performance data.
• Provide clinical guidance and advice to other clinicians within DASS.
• Work closely with other Croydon University Hospital clinicians.
• To liaise with colleagues in other substance misuse agencies and primary care with regard to the management and transfer of patients.

For the general liaison part of the role the post holder will:

• Assess/review complex patients and agree joint management plans with medical and nursing staff within CMHLS and across other services in the general hospital.
• Attend general hospital and inter-agency multidisciplinary team meetings to contribute to clinical decisions and care plans e.g. for High Intensity Users of ED.
• Be available to advise/supervise MDT members with their assessments and caseloads.
• Contribute to the training and support of medical and nursing staff in the delivery of psychiatric aspects of patient care.
• Fulfil responsibilities as a Psychiatrist approved under Section 12 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

DASS (Drug and Alcohol Support Service) at Croydon University Hospital (CUH) has been developed over the past 5 years. The service is funded jointly by CHS and the local authority.

The key objectives of DASS are to provide:

• Specialist management of patients with substance misuse problems.
• Liaison with community substance misuse and other specialist services.
• Education and support for other healthcare workers in the hospital.

Our service also promotes and facilitates the implementation of substance misuse screening, relapse management, ambulatory detoxification and substance misuse outpatient clinics.

The post holder will contribute to the supervision of the FY1s, FY2s, CT3+ and GPST attached to the service. The post holder will be expected to teach medical students and take part in teaching across the Addictions Clinical Academic Group and CUH.

The postholder will develop good working relationships with the psychiatric liaison services in CUH.

The Croydon Mental Health Liaison Service (CMHLS) is one of five well-established Liaison Psychiatry services within SLAM. The Working Age Liaison Psychiatry saw about 3,700 patients in the Emergency Department and 570 patients on inpatient wards between January and December 2023. It works alongside the Old Age Liaison Psychiatry Team, DASS and CAMHS Crisis in-reach service.

Job description as attached to the application. This job is to provide clinical addictions leadership to DASS at CUH.

• Broad experience in all aspects of addiction psychiatry, knowledge and evidence of participation in CPD.
• Knowledge of UK hospital systems (or equivalent).
• Experience of working with a range of addiction psychiatry patients.
• Experience of general adult liaison.
• Experience of working in addictions liaison.
• Experience of working in close partnership with voluntary sector addiction services.

• Able to demonstrate leadership capability within multi-disciplinary teams to ensure high quality care and staff morale.
• Confidence in working with a clear performance framework.
• Management experience in the organisation and development of services.
• Knowledge of recent developments and therapeutic advances in addictions.

• Thorough understanding of principles of QI. Must have undertaken and completed QI projects.
• Evidence of service development.

• Experience of research in one or more aspects of addictions or liaison psychiatry.

• Experience of undergraduate and post-graduate teaching.
• Experience of providing training and education to a large range of staff.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust