About this role
Job summary
We are recruiting for two part-time Specialty Doctor posts for our Didcot and Wantage South Oxon Adult Community Mental Health teams.
You'll undertake comprehensive psychiatric assessments, deliver evidence-based treatment, and work collaboratively with patients and their families to support recovery. You will manage a varied caseload, providing care for routine, urgent, and emergency referrals, while working closely within a multidisciplinary team under Consultant supervision.
The role offers a diverse clinical experience, including conducting mental state examinations, prescribing in line with NICE guidance, contributing to triage and Mental Health Act assessments, and delivering three clinics per week (new and follow-up patients). You will also liaise with referrers, provide timely clinical documentation, and contribute to service development, clinical governance, audit, and quality improvement initiatives.
This is an excellent opportunity to be part of a supportive team that values teaching, professional development, and innovation in line with national mental health strategies. Section 12 approval (or eligibility) is desirable.
Join us and play a key role in delivering high-quality, patient-centred mental health care in the community.
Main duties of the job
Undertaking assessments, providing treatment and working with patients and their families. The specialty doctor is expected to work closely with other members of the team and to provide a range of assessment and treatment services. Provide assessment and liaison with the referrer, including consulting to the referrer as required, management and treatment of patients under the supervision of a consultant. This includes: psychiatric evaluations and mental state examinations and prescription of appropriate treatments in line with NICE guidance. Work is undertaken with the multidisciplinary team and includes both routine, urgent and emergency referrals. Providing timely written correspondence to relevant professionals documenting assessments, ongoing management, progress, and discharge letters using Trust IT and clinical records system - training will be provided where needed. Help triage referrals and attend MHA assessments and therefore S12 approval (or the ability to apply for it) is important. Referrals and caseloads vary depending upon the intensity of the work. There are approximately 65-90 referrals each month to the two teams. The specialty doctor will have three clinics a week with an approximate ratio of new patients: 5 follow ups per clinic.
We have two vacancies each offering 6 sessions per week with a DCC: SPA ratio of 5:1.Please see attached job descriptions for further details.
About us
Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the "candidate guide to making an application" and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.
As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: "Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"
Our values are: "Caring, safe and excellent"
We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:
o Excellent opportunities for career progressiono Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and developmento 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous serviceo NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailerso Competitive pension schemeo Lease car schemeo Cycle to work schemeo Employee Assistance Programmeo Mental Health First Aiderso Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists apply)o Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team
Job description Job responsibilities
Adult Mental Health Teams (AMHTs)There are 3 AMHTs across Oxfordshire. They are North and West (bases in Banbury and Witney), Oxford City and North East (bases in Oxford City and Bicester), and South (bases in Abingdon, Didcot, Wantage and Wallingford in Oxfordshire), with satellite clinics based throughout the county in market towns.
AMHTs in the North and West, and the South provide care 7 days per week, 7am to 9pm but the City is Monday to Friday 9am to 5 pm due to additional care available from a Crisis team. Consultants work across the week, covering 9 to 5 Monday to Friday and provide senior leadership to the team alongside the Operational Manager and non-medical Clinical Lead of each team. Staff within the AMHTs work around Consultants and catchment areas that correspond as much as possible to specific geographical areas and GP surgeries. This enables maximum familiarity with these patients and better links with the corresponding GPs in their Primary Care Networks (PCN).
The AMHTs work closely with primary care, from where they receive most of their referrals. Our new Primary Care Hubs receive most routine referrals and AMHTs triage the remainder of referral and allocate patients for assessments, following which, patients may be taken on by members of the AMHT for acute or longer-term treatment or signposted to other services or agencies as appropriate.
To enhance the current community Mental Health pathway our service has developed Primary Care Mental Health Teams (PCMHTs) in the last 18 months in line with the Community Mental Health Framework and Long Term Plan for MH. The aim is for care to be closer to home. This Framework locates community mental health services in the center of the community, as the central pillar of mental health care, allowing all other services in the mental health care system to function more effectively, it also challenges MH providers to make it easier for the public to access MH advice and support. Alongside this the Health on the High Street agenda which puts health service provision on the high street in vacant properties to increase accessibility of these services.
Alongside the PCMHT the offer includes a single point of access to other services which are important to maintain mental health housing, benefits, drug & Alcohol services, CAB, health and wellbeing services so these services could run clinics from the Hubs making these a one stop shop. The PCMHTs are based within the Keystone Hubs and will have space to provide 1:1 and group interventions, as well as having capacity to support any self-referrals walking into the Hubs. Our aim for the Hubs is that they become a welcoming and non-stigmatised venue on the high street, used by the public, community groups and those in need of MH support.
Person Specification
Qualification and Registration Essential
General medical qualification Full GMC registration
Desirable
Some or all parts of MRCPsych or equivalent
Training Essential
At least four years' full-time Postgraduate training (or its equivalent gained on a part-time or flexible basis) at least two of which will be in a specialty training programme in a relevant specialty or as a fixed term specialty trainee in a relevant specialty or shall have equivalent experience and competencies
Desirable
Section 12 (2) approval: Mental Health Act, 1983
Experience and Knowledge Essential
Held appointments in psychiatry at SHO/CT or equivalent
Desirable
Experience at ST or SD level or equivalent
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 the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
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 (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Oxford Health NHS Trust
Address Didcot AMHT, Ridgeway Centre
99 Wantage Road
Didcot
OX11 0AF
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)