NHS Dumfries & Galloway provides mental health services to a total population of 150,000 in a beautiful rural area of South West Scotland. We are seeking to recruit two Consultant General Adult Psychiatrists who will be responsible for in-patient and community/out-patient work with a locality Community Mental Health Team. On call is shared across the consultant group, currently on a 1 in 10 basis with prospective cover.
The service includes in-patient beds at Midpark Hospital, Dumfries, which is a state of the art, purpose-built hospital opened in 2012, and community services across the region provided by five generic locality community mental health teams and specialist teams for addictions and intellectual disability psychiatry. There are additional services for primary care mental health, general hospital liaison, perinatal mental health, early intervention for first episode psychosis, eating disorders and forensic psychiatry. There is strong multi-disciplinary and mulit-agency working across the service. The post-holder will be based at Midpark, but the clinical work will be split between hospital and community.
Midpark Hospital is the centre for local audit, research and teaching activities. Strong academic links exist between the Hospital and Dundee and Edinburgh Universities. NHS Education for Scotland and the Scotland Postgraduate Deanery oversee core and higher specialist training in psychiatry, with psychiatric and GP trainees placed within the service. Medical students are attached from Dundee, Edinburgh and the Scottish Graduate Entry (ScotGEM) medical programmes.
Dumfries & Galloway is an area of outstanding natural beauty with considerable local amenities. Although a pleasant rural area, Edinburgh and Glasgow are each only 75 miles from Dumfries town. The climate is generally the mildest and most pleasant in Scotland.
The applicant should have full GMC registration with a licence to practise and be on the specialist register with membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists or equivalent. Recognition as an Approved Medical Practitioner under S22 of the Mental Health (Care & Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 is also desirable, and this training would be supported for the appointee once in post if needed. Experience of medical student teaching and wider educational support, including supervision of trainees, is also desirable.
The directorate currently supports home working where possible and convenient for both the organisation and staff member. It is expected that this will continue using a hybrid blended model which will support remote working, reducing travel time and encourage applicants from out with Dumfries and Galloway to apply for posts.
For further details, please contact: -
Dr Esther Mackenzie, Associate Medical Director, Mental Health