Job summary
There is a vacancy for a full-time speciality doctor on our female acute admission ward at West Park Hospital. The two acute admission wards are Elm ward (post advertised), and Maple ward, which is a male acute ward. Each ward comprises 20 beds. There are 4 beds commissioned by the Ministry of Defence across the two wards (Total of 18 acute beds on each ward and 2 MOD beds).
This post is an addition to the two Consultant posts (3.0 WTE) supporting adult acute inpatient care in the South Durham Locality (Adult Mental Health Directorate) of Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust.
The population covered within the South Durham locality is 276,000. This post covers Sedgefield, Teesdale and Wear Valley part of the County Durham PCT and the whole of Darlington PCT with a population of approximately 276,000 which includes working age adult population of 179,000.
The main inpatient beds for the South Durham locality are located at West Park Hospital. In addition to the two acute admission wards mentioned, West Park Hospital also has 15 bedded Willow Ward for Rehabilitation Psychiatry and 10 bedded Cedar Ward (Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit).
Community services cover the Darlington and South Durham areas.
Main duties of the job
The principal duty of this post is to support the Inpatient Team. The post holder will be expected to work closely with other colleagues in Adult Mental Health to offer a flexible service which recognises the potential for recovery within all service users. The post holder will need to have strong skills in multidisciplinary working and be prepared to provide clinical leadership within the service. The post holder will need to liaise regularly with the Crisis Team for smooth transition of patient care.
On average the proportion of detained patients seems to be in the range of 40 50%. Trust average length of stay appears to be around 31 days. The previous post holder had 124 admissions in the last 12-month period.
The Trust has seen a reduction in the number of acute inpatient beds and currently manages the bed within the Trusts bed base which was aided by the development of the concept of Purposeful In-Patient Admissions (and the Productive Ward).
About us
We are one of the largest specialist mental health and learning disabilities trusts in the country, with an annual income of £320m and a workforce of some 6,700 staff operating from around 100 sites in Durham, Teesside, North Yorkshire and York and Selby. We provide a range inpatient and community services to 2m people living in County Durham, the Tees Valley, Scarborough, Whitby, Ryedale, Harrogate, Hambleton and Richmondshire. We also provide additional specialist services to other parts of Northern England.
We are a multi-award winning trust and are included within the Health Service Journals Best 100 Places to Work. The trust take a positive and proactive approach to support staff in their personal development and has embedded the Talent Management approach within the Trust.
Psychiatrists are essential contributors to the majority of our mental health teams. Service users expect and are justified to expect collaborative relationships with dedicated psychiatrists who work consistently as part of effective services. Our medical staffing shortage puts strain on services and puts strain on workforce wellbeing and costs extend beyond the financial. The Medical Directorate and Medical Development Team are striving to improve medical workforce recruitment and retention in a variety of ways and the cornerstone of these efforts is The TEWV Charter for the Medical Workforce. (Please see attached Supporting Document).
Details
Date posted
03 July 2025
Pay scheme
Hospital medical and dental staff
Grade
Specialty Doctor
Salary
£61,542 to £99,216 a year
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number
C9346-AMH-318
Job locations
West Park Hospital
Edward Pease Way
Darlington
County Durham
DL2 2TS
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further detail on this post.
Please note, the job description for this post is pending approval by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Person Specification
Teaching & Training
Essential
1. Able to deliver undergraduate or postgraduate teaching and training.
Desirable
2. Evidence of achievement in education, research, audit and service improvement: awards, prizes, presentations and publications.
CPD & Appraisal
Essential
3. Participated in continuous professional development.
4. Evidence of annual appraisal and commitment to appraisal and revalidation.
Qualifications
Essential
5. MB BS or equivalent medical qualification.
6. Fully registered with the GMC with a licence to practise at the time of appointment.
7. At least 4 years postgraduate experience, including at least 2 years in a core psychiatry training programme in UK or abroad
8. Approved under S12 of MHA OR able to achieve within 6 months of appointment.
Desirable
9. MRCPsych or equivalent postgraduate qualification.
Clinical Knowledge & Skills
Essential
10. Good knowledge of psychiatry.
11. Excellent clinical skills using bio-psycho-social perspective and wide medical knowledge.
Desirable
12. Able to manage clinical complexity and uncertainty.
Research, Audit & Quality Improvement
Essential
13. Has actively participated in clinical audit.
Desirable
14. Shows commitment to quality through knowledge of quality improvement and lean thinking methodology.
15. Participated in research and/or service improvement.