Consultant Psychiatrist in Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation

The post is based in the inpatient rehabilitation unit, Willow Ward at West Park Hospital, Darlington. The rehabilitation services serving the North & South Durham localities operate from the in-patient unit at Willow Ward and the community rehab team. The post is to support a motivated multidisciplinary team dedicated to patient care and to promote recovery. Willow Ward is a high dependency high support rehabilitation & recovery ward with 15 beds. The patients are working age adults who are highly symptomatic, with multiple or severe co-morbid conditions, significant risk histories and challenging behaviours. Most will be detained under the Mental Health Act. Most admissions to the unit are planned, so accordingly there is less need for emergency admissions however we have the capacity to do so depending on the nature of the referral and robust screening and assessment processes. The approximate length of stay for Willow ward is approximately 12-18months.

You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team and provide clinical expertise for both new and ongoing admitted patients particularly issues around psychopharmacology, diagnosis, risk assessments and treatment plans including liaison with the inpatient units, community teams and local GPs. All referrals for inpatients will be seen initially by the Crisis Team who are based nearby. Most of Willow Ward admissions are planned admissions and as a step down from acute wards. There are 15 mixed gender beds on Willow Ward. You will be expected to be the RC for detained patients.