Consultant Psychiatrist - Community Mental Health - Bridgwater

We are seeking a permanent, full time (10 PAs per week) Consultant to join our team of four community consultants and an ACP, covering the Bridgwater area.

This role is within the Community Mental health service for working age adults. The community psychiatrists work together as a team, offering general support, cross cover arrangements for leave and have offices grouped together. The responsible doctor for patient care is determined by GP alignment.

This post provides senior psychiatric input to a small number of GP practices in and around Bridgwater.

The GP population catchment area for Bridgwater CMHT is 120,000 which is within Royal College recommendations. The average number of new referrals to the whole CMHS was 950 in 2025 and a percentage of these are seen by doctors, either singly or jointly with another team member.

Job description

Routine and urgent referrals from GPs and other sources are dealt with through a single point of access. Referrals are processed through a streaming meeting, and more complex cases may come to an MDT meeting. Referrals for doctors can be reviewed individually by the doctor to ensure good practice. Medical staff take a proportion of referrals as clinically indicated either for joint assessment with a team member or more usually as individual outpatient assessments.

Draft Job Plan would include:

Four outpatient clinics per week

Domiciliary visits/Urgent assessments (0-3 per week)

Attending one weekly CMHT MDT meeting

There is an established once weekly liaison meeting with the Inpatient team

Mental Health Act Assessments, including section 136 assessments at the place of safety, Rydon. (approximately 0.5 PA per week)

Additional work is generated by Mental Health Act (MHA) assessments. The postholder will act as the primary Trust Section 12 doctor for all MHA assessments in office hours arising from their catchment area. They will also be expected to participate in MHA assessments for patients at Bridgwater Custody Centre in mutually agreed arrangements with consultant colleagues. The consultant can claim a fee for these assessments. It is rare than pre-planned appointment would have to be altered due to MHAAs.

There are 4 Community Mental Health Hubs across the county for service users:

South Somerset, based at Magnolia/ Holly Court on the Summerland's Hospital Site

Taunton and Minehead with a base a Foundation House on the Wellsprings site and a secondary base at Minehead Community Hospital

Somerset Coast, based at Glanville House in Bridgwater

Mendip, based at the Bridge on the Priory Park site in Wells.

Each hub has a matching Home Treatment Team, CAMHS and service for Older Persons Mental Health.

There are a variety of specialist community services including:

Eating Disorders services in east and west of county

Community forensic service with forensic link workers attached to each adult CMHS hub

Community rehabilitation team for patients with SMI which links with inpatient rehabilitation service and CMHTs

First episode psychosis services (called STEP)

Medical psychotherapy

Peri-natal, east and west, and maternal Mental health services

Adult ADHD assessment service for adults not previously diagnosed with ADHD or requiring re-titration of medication (can be referred from CMHT or GP)

ASD assessment service (also GP or CMHT can refer)

The post-holder is expected to work closely with the inpatient teams, home treatment and CMHS teams, to ensure smooth transition at admission to and discharge from the acute hospital wards.

The home treatment team has a first response component which operates for 24 hours which are located within the hub. The AMHP service and urgent care hubs, who manage admissions, are in Foundation house on the Taunton hub.

The Adult inpatients wards are located alongside the Taunton and South Somerset community hubs. These 4 acute wards and 1 PICU (in Taunton) have designated medical staff. In-patient rehabilitation (Willow Ward) and low secure services (Ash Ward) are based at Broadway Park, Bridgwater.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• MBBS or equivalent medical qualification
• Mental Health Act Approved Clinician / Section 12 approval
• Entry on GMC Specialist Register; eligible for entry on Register or within 6 months of receipt of Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) at time of interview or CESR.
• Evidence of competencies to be able to fulfil the role of a consultant in community psychiatry.
• MRCPsych passed
• Accredited for the training of junior doctors

Desirable

• An appropriate higher degree or qualification (MD, PhD or equivalent).

Experience

Essential

• 3 years supervised training in an appropriate ST4-6 equivalent training programme.
• Previous experience of working at consultant level
• Experience of front-line psychiatry in adult mental health services and ideally in community.
• Experience in the assessment and management of ADHD.

Additional Criteria

Essential

• Competent to work without direct supervision where appropriate
• Clear, logical thinking showing an analytical/scientific approach.
• Ability to lead and develop the service.
• Understanding of clinical governance and the individual responsibilities it implies.
• Knowledge of the NHS plan/modernisation agenda and the implications for service
• Knowledge of principles of research

Desirable

• Evidence of general management training and self-development in areas such as recruitment and selection, leadership, planning and change management, appraisal.
• Evidence of ability to contribute to the strategic direction of the Trust
• Evidence of involvement in a research project in the last 2 years.

About the employer

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