Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist

NHS; Hailsham; On-site; GBP 109,000 - 146,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider is seeking a Consultant Psychiatrist to join its forensic health care team in East Sussex. The role involves providing clinical leadership to deliver person-centred care to inpatient forensic patients. Candidates should have a medical qualification, GMC registration, and substantial experience in the mental health field, alongside excellent clinical skills and communication abilities.

Qualifications

• In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice.
• Approved clinician status OR able to achieve within 3 months of appointment.
• Holds a valid UK driving licence OR provides evidence of proposed alternative.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical and strategic leadership for allocated elements of the teams.
• Direct clinical involvement in assessments, diagnosis, and management of complex cases.
• Liaise with statutory and non-statutory agencies as required.

Skills

Excellent knowledge in specialty

Excellent clinical skills

Excellent oral and written communication skills in English

Education

MB BS or equivalent medical qualification

Fully registered with the GMC with a licence to practise

Included on the GMC Specialist Register

Job description

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity for a Consultant Psychiatrist to join our forensic health care team in East Sussex providing leadership to deliver high-quality, person-centred care to inpatient forensic patients on a subacute/rehabilitation medium secure ward. This is an established post and has become available due to internal reconfiguration as a result of service expansion. The post-holder will provide clinical leadership for the subacute/rehabilitation ward - Ash ward at the Hellingly Centre. Consultant Psychiatrist would be part of FHS consultant group

Main duties of the job

The inpatient clinical caseload is 15 male patients on Ash - subacute/rehabilitation ward. All patients are detained under the Mental Health Act.

Clinical duties include delivering inpatient care to the patients and assessment of patients referred to the forensic service through a single point of access. Referrals are allocated at the weekly referrals meeting. On an average there is 1 referral per week.

Assessments are undertaken independently and with another member of staff from the team (nursing/psychologist), depending on the patient's mental health needs.

Chair weekly recovery reviews (ward rounds), CPA meetings and participate in risk clinics. Reviews of patients outside the MDT meetings.

About us

We provide NHS care and treatment to children, young people, adults and older people who have mental health problems, learning disabilities or neurodiversity needs.

We employ about 5,700 staff. Many of our services are provided in partnership with other organisations. We provide care in people's homes, in specialist clinics, hospitals and GP surgeries.

As well as being a provider of services across Sussex we also commission specialist beds. Working with NHS and independent sector healthcare organisations across the South-East we are the lead provider in three Provider Collaboratives. These cover adult eating disorders, secure care and children and young people inpatient services.

Sussex Partnership was formed in April 2006 as an NHS Trust and established as an NHS Foundation Trust with teaching trust status in August 2008. We work closely with Brighton and Sussex Medical School, a partnership between the Universities of Brighton and Sussex. In 2015, we became a member of the Association of UK University Hospitals, the representative body for university hospitals with major teaching and research interests across the UK and internationally.

Our services are rated 'good' by the Care Quality Commission and 'outstanding' for caring. We work closely with other health and care partners to provide the best possible care to our local populations. We have strengths in innovation, including our work in the field of research and development.

Details

Date posted: 24 November 2025

Pay scheme

Hospital medical and dental staff

Grade

Consultant

Salary

£109,725 to £145,478 a year Per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

354-FH-20574

Job locations

Hellingly Centre

The Drive

Hellingly

BN27 4ER

Job responsibilities

Provide clinical and strategic leadership for allocated elements of the teams. This will include direct clinical involvement in assessments, diagnosis and management of complex mental health presentations in the context of significant potential risk to self and others.

It will also include provision of clinical consultation and supervision to the team.

This post also entails provision of statutory roles including MHA (preparation of reports and Tribunal attendance) and MCA legislation as well as, potentially, the provision of expert testimony to the Criminal Courts.

The role will also entail significant contributions towards the educational, service development and clinical governance/quality improvement processes within the service.

To work closely with colleagues from Secure and Forensic community-based services to develop suitable discharge arrangements in preparation for the discharge of suitable secure inpatients to the community and to ensure high quality care pathways.

To liaise with statutory and non-statutory agencies (Probation, Police, Court, Social Services, voluntary organisations) as required.

To attend MAPPA meetings as required

To participate in the weekly referrals meeting

To offer training to professional audiences as appropriate

To participate in the East Sussex on-call rota.

During working hours, the post holder will take part in the Hellingly Centre LTS rota (1:5) together with consultant colleagues.

The post holder will be expected to be approved as a Responsible Clinician or be willing to undertake training to obtain this approval. They will be expected to renew this approval according to agreed procedures.

Person Specification

Qualifications & Eligibility (Essential)

• MB BS or equivalent medical qualification
• Fully registered with the GMC with a licence to practise at the time of appointment.
• Included on the GMC Specialist Register OR within six months.
• In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice
• Approved clinician status OR able to achieve within 3 months of appointment

Transport (Essential)

• Holds and will use valid UK driving licence OR provides evidence of proposed alternative.

Clinical Skills, Knowledge & Experience (Essential)

• Excellent knowledge in specialty
• Excellent clinical skills using bio-psycho-social perspective and wide medical knowledge
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English

Desirable

• Wide range of specialist and sub-specialist experience relevant to post within NHS or comparable service

Academic Skills & Lifelong Learning (Essential)

• Able to deliver undergraduate or postgraduate teaching and training
• Ability to work in and lead team
• Demonstrate commitment to shared leadership & collaborative working to deliver improvement.
• Participated in continuous professional development
• Participated in research or service evaluation
• Able to use and appraise clinical evidence.
• Has actively participated in clinical audit and quality improvement programmes
• Ability to work in a participatory way so that shared decision making and conversations around formulation/diagnosis and ongoing care are a collaborative endeavour with the people who access our service.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit UK Visas and Immigration website. From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Employer details

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Hellingly Centre

The Drive

Hellingly

BN27 4ER

Employer's website

https://www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/