As a member of the Liaison Psychiatry Team, you will be assessing patients who are referred from the Emergency Department and ward areas within the acute general hospital. The specialist function of the team is to provide bio-psychosocial assessments for individuals aged 18 years and above within the Derriford Hospital footprint, either attending via the Emergency Department or being an in-patient within the hospital. Patients seen may present with mental health difficulties, e.g., psychiatric crisis or an organic presentation such as dementia/delirium.
You will be able to make clear clinical decisions based on the analysis of often complex presenting problems. This can include being the decision maker in terms of discharge of patients experiencing mental health needs. You will be required at times to make clear autonomous decisions, based on analysis of complex presenting problems and clinical judgment. You will be able to demonstrate a high level of communication skills in terms of use of verbal, electronic, and written formats.
You will be required to engage with patients who can be challenging and/or acutely distressed. You will have the freedom to act as a lone worker. Some autonomous working is expected. The Liaison Psychiatry Service sustains Core 24 compliance.
The operational hours of this service are currently 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with different shift patterns to cover the service delivery. Post holders will be expected to participate in the shift patterns over a 7-day period, including weekends and bank holidays. You will serve as shift lead on a rota basis, coordinating service delivery, prioritizing workload, and providing clinical advice to junior staff. You will also consult with other services, participate in a multi-agency forum and risk management, and contribute to training and supervision.
Additionally, you will chair Risk Management and Professionals meetings as needed and will have access to support from an experienced multi-disciplinary team. You will help develop training programs for staff and the local induction program, including student mentoring. You will lead investigations for complaints, complex cases, and internal reviews, with management support as required. Please see the full job description within the supporting documents section.
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