Consultant or Speciality Doctor in Perinatal Psychiatry

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust; Northampton; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the United Kingdom is seeking a specialist in perinatal mental health to provide medical leadership and undertake assessments for women during the perinatal period. The role involves providing advice on medication during pregnancy, managing crisis planning, and developing training programs for health professionals. This position supports the service's clinical guidelines and emphasizes collaboration within the multidisciplinary team. Opportunities for training and clinical research are also available within the Trust's framework.

Qualifications

• Medical leadership expertise in perinatal mental health.
• Ability to travel across locations within the Trust.
• Commitment to clinical excellence and multidisciplinary teamwork.

Responsibilities

• Provide medical leadership alongside consultants.
• Undertake specialist assessment and treatment of women during the perinatal period.
• Provide clinical input into policy and guideline development.

Job description

The post holder will provide medical leadership alongside the existing Perinatal Consultant Psychiatrists and will undertake specialist assessment, diagnosis and treatment of women in the perinatal period including preconception and up to a year postnatal with follow up to 2 years where there is an identified perinatal need. Other duties will include:

• To provide specialist advice to GPs, Consultant Obstetricians and Adult Mental Health clinicians on the use of Psychotropic medication during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• To provide specialist input into risk assessment, care planning, and crisis planning for women with a pre-existing mental health need, new onset severe mental health condition or who have been identified as being at risk postpartum.
• To undertake urgent assessments of women who have symptoms of Post‑partum psychosis.
• Provide clinical input into the development of policies, procedures and clinical guidelines, to support the service and the wider perinatal mental health pathway.

• Provide a leadership role to the local health community, raising awareness, knowledge and skills through training, information and provision of up‑to‑date evidence based guidance and advice.

  The post holder will demonstrate a commitment to clinical excellence and an ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team. The ability to travel to all locations within the Trust is essential.

  We have developed an exciting induction programme to meet the Perinatal Competency Framework and provide regular supervision and training for all our staff. There will be opportunities for further training via local and regional delivered training programmes. We have strong links with the East Midlands Regional Perinatal Network. The post holder will also be expected to contribute to the development of a locally agreed programme that delivers training to health and social care professionals in Northamptonshire.

  The Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service has quickly adapted to new ways of working throughout Covid‑19 including the use of remote consultations for both direct clinical work, supervision and Multi Disciplinary Team meetings. There are many opportunities to be involved in clinical research and you will have access to the Trust research fellows to help develop research ideas. The Trust already has a portfolio of research studies in Old Age Dementia and Physical Health. The trust is leading nationally on physical treatments in mental health, nurse‑administered ECT, rTMS and ketamine infusion. We also have research collaboration with the Open University along with Nottingham, Oxford and Northampton University. The Trust hosts undergraduates from Leicester Medical schools with numerous opportunities to teach this cohort.