Job Description

Virtual Ward Consultant in Older Adult Psychiatry



The Trust is seeking an experienced Consultant Psychiatrist to join a pioneering Virtual Ward, initially piloted in Eastbourne and set for expansion across East Sussex, Brighton, and Hove.



This newly established post reflects the Trust's dedication to enhancing care and capacity for older adults with mental health issues and those living with dementia, as well as supporting their families and carers during challenging times. The successful candidate will deliver intensive, responsive acute and crisis care to older adults with mental health needs and adults living with dementia who require urgent support. The primary aim of the service is to enable individuals to receive high-quality care in their own homes or usual place of residence, reducing the need for hospital admission wherever possible.



This role offers exciting prospects, including strong collaboration with The Centre for Dementia Studies, presenting opportunities for clinical engagement in research.



There are also several strategic priorities underway within Specialist Older Adult Mental Health Services (SOAMHS), including the central leadership team. The post holder will have the chance to connect with this team and contribute to ongoing service developments.



For more information please contact Laura Brummer l.brummer1@nhs.net



Clinical Duties

The post holder is required to:

Manage referrals, admissions, team meetings, supervision of team members. Management of complex cases. Clinical leadership of team. Role in assessment of referrals/admissions. Care plan and treatment formulation, guidance on evidence-based treatment and effectiveness. Liaison and collaborative working with other services/agencies. Mental Health Act implementation. Multi-disciplinary, multi-agency and partnership working.

For more details please refer to the Job description



Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is a large NHS organisation that offers clinical and social care services to children, young people, adults and older adults, with emotional and mental health problems or learning disabilities. Services are provided to the people of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex with Children & Young People's Services provided across Sussex and Hampshire. The Trust operates as part of a wider network of health and social care and works in partnership with both statutory and non-statutory agencies. The Trust benefits from a thriving Sussex-wide psychiatry training scheme where Health Education Kent, Surrey and Sussex provide foundation, GP, core and higher trainees. We work closely with Brighton and Sussex Medical School; a partnership between the Universities of Brighton and Sussex. In 2015 we became a member of the Association of UK University Hospitals, the representative body for university hospitals with major teaching and research interests across the UK and internationally. Our vision is to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve . The clinical strategy and organisational strategy we have developed underpin this by providing frameworks to enable sustained improvements in the quality of care we provide.



The Trust is seeking a Consultant Psychiatrist to join a newly created virtual ward which will be initially piloted in Eastbourne and will be rolled out to the rest of East Sussex.



This post is one example of the commitment of the Trust to develop better provision and capacity for older people and for those living with dementia and the families and carers using the service in challenging times.



To provide intensive and responsive acute or crisis care to adults aged 18 and over with an organic mental health problem, ensuing individuals are treated in the least restrictive fashion which is consistent with their clinical and safety needs as well as those people who would be supported within an older age service who require crisis support. The fundamental purpose of the service is to support people to receive care within their own homes, or places of residence and avoid the need to be admitted to a hospital.



This post offers exciting opportunities and strong links with The Centre for Dementia Studies that provides an opportunity for the post holder to engage with researchers.



There are also a number of strategic priorities for Specialist Older Adult Mental Health Services (SOAMHS) that include a central leadership and governance team for SOAMHS which the post holder will have opportunities to link in with and be involved in these developments.