This is a substantive community post in old age psychiatry, but applications may be considered from those wishing to work part-time or job-share. The post will complement the current structure of consultant and trainee psychiatrists within the community mental health teams covering Bedfordshire and Luton. The post holder will work closely with the three other substantive older adults’ consultants in Bedford – one working with the Bedford Memory Services, one with the Bedford Older People Crisis Team and Dementia Intensive Support (DISS) Team, and the third Consultant working with the Bedford Hospital Psychiatry Liaison Service. We also have three Older Adult Consultants working with our 26 bedded inpatient unit at Fountains Court, Merton Road, Bedford.
Responsibilities
1. Provide clinical and professional leadership in the service.
2. Ensure timely assessment and treatment of older adults with psychiatric disorders in the community who require the intervention of our specialist services.
3. Liaise promptly with patients, carers, community and other psychiatrist colleagues, general practitioners, and voluntary and statutory organisations to ensure high quality and well co‑ordinated care.
4. Liaise with other clinicians as necessary regarding the physical health of patients under their care, and provide an appropriate level of physical health care assessment and review according to circumstance.
5. Attend and be the clinical leader of weekly MDT meetings, supported by the team operational lead.
6. Undertake all work in the context of the recovery approach which is emphasised across the Trust, placing the service user at the centre of planning and decision making.
7. Work closely with colleagues from other specialist teams to provide a collaborative approach to the care of patients who are jointly under the care of these services.
8. Provide appropriate clinical supervision and training for junior medical staff and lead the multidisciplinary team.
9. Lead on the delivery of high quality care in all settings and be mindful of quality targets set by the Trust and those set nationally.
Mission and values
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
For a more detailed description of the role please refer to the attached Job description and person specification.
This advert closes on Wednesday 22 Apr 2026
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