UCAT South Consultant

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust; Northampton; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in the UK is seeking a Consultant Psychiatrist for its Urgent Care Assessment Team based in Northampton. The role involves providing mental health assessments and community-based treatments to avoid hospital admissions. The successful candidate will receive a £40,000 welcome bonus over the first two years. Candidates should have MRCPsych or equivalent, GMC Registration, and a strong commitment to collaborative work. This position offers a chance to join a diverse and inclusive culture.

Benefits

£40,000 welcome bonus

Diverse and inclusive culture

Opportunity for professional development

Qualifications

• Minimum of six years postgraduate experience including three years as SpR in approved training post.
• Demonstrates commitment to shared leadership and collaborative working.
• Willingness to undertake training and CPD in areas appropriate to this post.

Responsibilities

• Provide intensive community-based treatment to clients in the acute phase of mental illness.
• Facilitate early discharge from hospital where hospital admission has already been necessary.
• Secure appropriate follow-up care for the client after alleviation of the acute phase.

Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Ability to present complex information

Ability to motivate and develop junior staff

Ability to work independently as well as part of a MDT

An understanding of the dynamics of working with disturbed patients

Education

oMRCPsych or equivalent

Full GMC Registration

On Specialist Register/CCT in General Adult Psychiatry

Job description

UCAT South Consultant

The closing date is 21 January 2026

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, a CQC Outstanding rate organisation, is looking for a Consultant Psychiatrist to join our fantastic Urgent Care Assessment Team for the South of the county, based in Northampton

We are offering a £40,000 welcome bonus to the successful candidate, paid over the course of your first two years in post.

For further information on the benefits package and joining the Trust, please refer to the attached Candidate Pack.

Main duties of the job

• 24 hour - seven days a week service. UCAT will undertake mental health assessments following referrals from recognised sources (as per operational policy) and will respond to the needs of the home treatment caseload
• Act as gatekeeper to acute inpatient care
• Rapid response following referral to UCAT - intensive, flexible interventions provided to service user, family and carers
• Address the social issues surrounding crisis right from the beginning
• Assertive approach to engagement
• Provide practical problem solving help
• To administer and supervise medication
• Time limited intervention that has sufficient flexibility to respond to differing service users needs
• Learning from crisis
• Ensure that service users care is linked up to further continuing care

About us

Our core strategy is to be an employer of choice, a great place to work and be known for a diverse and inclusive culture whose staff feel valued. We provide a range of NHS services including physical, mental health and specialty services provided in hospital settings and out in the community within schools, GP clinics and patients own homes.

Job responsibilities

The primary objectives of the UCAT are to:

• Offer an assessment service for residents of Northamptonshire who, immediately prior to the Teams involvement, have been assessed as requiring admission to hospital;
• Provide intensive community-based treatment to clients in the acute phase of mental illness, thus diminishing the need for hospital admission;
• Facilitate early discharge from hospital where hospital admission has already been necessary;
• Secure appropriate follow-up care for the client once the alleviation of the acute phase of mental illness has occurred;
• Be fully integrated into the Northamptonshire mental health systems and the community as a whole.

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading or contact Medical Workforce. The full person specification can be accessed under the About You Section of the document.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Experience

• oMRCPsych or equivalent
• oFull GMC Registration
• oOn Specialist Register/CCT in General Adult Psychiatry or eligible for inclusion within six months.
• oApproval under Section12 of the Mental Health Act and able to act as Responsible Clinician.
• oMinimum of six years postgraduate experience (including three years as SpR in approved training post) or equivalent
• oPart of this period may be in a post of equivalent responsibility and training.
• oAdditional Postgraduate Qualifications / endorsement in Rehab Psychiatry
• oPublication of original research
• oManagement training

Behaviours and Values

• oIn good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice
• oDemonstrate commitment to shared leadership & collaborative working to deliver improvement
• oAbility to work independently as well as part of A MDT
• oAble to form a good working relationship with the peer group
• oWillingness to undertake training and CPD in areas appropriate to this post
• oAbility to work under pressure
• oWillingness to participate in in-house training

Skills and Abilities

• oExcellent written and verbal communication skills Evidence of the ability to communicate with patients, colleagues and staff at all levels.
• oAbility to present complex information to a variety of audiences including courts and tribunals
• oAbility to motivate and develop junior Medical Staff and other MDT members
• oTo balance individual requirements against those of the Directorate and Trust as a whole.
• oAn understanding of the political and financial framework within which the Services operate
• oAbility to work independently as well as part of A MDT.
• oAn understanding of the use of security in the treatment of psychiatric patients.
• oAn understanding of the dynamics of working with damaged and disturbed patients.
• oAwareness of the national agenda for secure psychiatric care and criminal justice.

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.

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust