Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist - Rathbone Low Secure Unit | Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Liverpool is seeking a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist to lead a team in managing male inpatients at Rathbone Low Secure Unit. This full-time, permanent position involves patient care, statutory responsibilities, and collaboration with various agencies. Candidates must be approved under the Mental Health Act and have forensic psychiatry experience. Flexible working requests are considered.

Qualifications

• Experience in forensic psychiatry.
• Ability to manage a caseload of patients effectively.
• Certification under Section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act.

Responsibilities

• Manage clinical responsibility for patients in the unit.
• Liaise with various agencies and complete statutory reports.
• Participate in clinical meetings and provide supervision.

Skills

Clinical responsibility

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Statutory report writing

Patient management

Education

Approved Clinician status under Mental Health Act

Medical degree

Job description

Overview

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust is seeking to appoint a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist to join the team at Rathbone Low Secure Unit in Liverpool. This is a full-time, permanent position arising due to the retirement of the current post holder.

Rathbone Low Secure Unit provides specialist forensic mental health care for detained male patients with mental disorders who present a significant risk to others and require treatment in a secure setting. The service comprises 32 beds across two wards, serving a population of approximately 330,000 across North and South Liverpool, South Sefton (up to Southport), and part of Kirkby. It forms a key part of the secure services pathway within Mersey Care.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to ‘perfect care’ – care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together.

Responsibilities

• Join a well-established multidisciplinary team (MDT) with strong medical support.
• Work alongside a substantive consultant colleague, each managing 16 inpatients.
• Be supported by a full-time substantive staff grade doctor, a core trainee, and a full-time Physician Associate.
• Maintain clinical responsibility for patients throughout their journey within the unit.
• Act as Responsible Clinician within a multidisciplinary team and lead on the management of a caseload of 16 male inpatients, including preadmission planning, MDT meetings, CPA reviews and discharge planning.
• Liaise with other agencies, including the Ministry of Justice, police, probation, social care and other mental health services; exercise statutory responsibilities for patients detained under Restriction Orders and complete statutory reports to the Ministry of Justice.
• Provide reports regarding Consent to Treatment for both non-restricted and restricted patients, and attend Tribunals and Managers’ Reviews.
• Lead on the assessment of individuals referred for admission from a variety of sources (other secure services, general adult services, courts or prisons) and participate in weekly referral and admission panel meetings for low secure and forensic step-down beds across the Merseyside and Cheshire region.
• Participate in the management of the service, attend clinical team meetings and other service-related meetings as appropriate; provide supervision to junior doctors and/or Physician Associate(s).
• Participate in the management of the service and attend clinical team meetings and other service-related meetings as appropriate.
• Additionally, manage care and treatment of 16 male in-patients within the LSU across Allerton and Childwall wards, including preadmission planning, MDT meetings and discharge planning.
• Be approved under Section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act 1983 (Amended 2007) for the purposes of recommending admission to hospital and be an Approved Clinician.

Requirements

• The post holder will be lead on the assessment of individuals referred for admission from a variety of sources including other secure services, general adult services, courts, or prisons.
• The service on average receives 2-3 referrals for assessment for admission a month.
• The post holder will exercise statutory responsibilities as a Responsible Clinician for patients detained under Restriction Orders, including completing statutory reports to the Ministry of Justice, and will be responsible for providing reports regarding Consent to Treatment and attending Tribunals and Managers’ Reviews.
• The post holder will be expected to be approved under Section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act 1983 and be an Approved Clinician.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles. This advert closes on Sunday 19 Oct 2025.