Consultant: Sponsorship Available

Job summary

This is a new consultant post created to provide medical leadership to Hammersmith & Fulham’s new Complex Psychosis Team, which brings together the existing Community Rehabilitation Service (CRS) and a new Assertive Outreach (AO) function under a single clinical and operational structure, each delivered as a distinct “arm” of one team with a single Service Manager. The post holder will hold overall medical responsibility for both arms, working closely with a 0.5 WTE Specialty (SAS) Doctor whose recruitment is running in parallel with this post.

Because the AO function is a new, NHS England-mandated service still in its mobilisation phase, this post carries a genuine and time-limited service development component: helping to finalise the tri-borough clinical model, establishing pathways and standard operating procedures, and shaping caseload and workforce arrangements as the service beds in. This is reflected explicitly in the job plan (Section 9)

Main duties of the job

Direct clinical care across the CRS and AO arms: new assessments, ongoing reviews, medication management, CTO reviews, and Mental Health Act assessments as required.

Assertive, community-based contact with the AO cohort, including home visits and joint visits with care co-ordinators, reflecting the AO model’s emphasis on engagement as a therapeutic intervention.

Weekly multidisciplinary team meeting for the Complex Psychosis Team (both arms), plus daily flagging/triage of urgent concerns.

Support to the team’s duty function for urgent risk and safeguarding concerns.

The post holder will be an Approved Clinician under the Mental Health Act and to hold Section 12 approval, consistent with the clinical responsibilities of this role.

No dedicated outpatient clinic ratio applies in the traditional sense; clinical contact is organised around MDT review clinics, home/community visits and duty cover, as set out in the job plan (Section 9). There are no inpatient beds or day-patient services attached to this post.

Be professionally accountable to the Clinical Director – H&F and the H&F Clinical Lead for Community Mental Health Services, and operationally accountable to the Clinical Director – H&F and the Service Manager for the Complex Psychosis Team.

Be a member of the H&F Medical Advisory Committee (MAC), contributing to operational and strategic matters and to discussion of major service developments.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• MBBS or equivalent medical qualification

Desirable

• MRCPsych
• Additional clinical qualifications
• Qualification or higher degree in clinical research or management

Eligibility

Essential

• Fully registered with the GMC with a licence to practice at the time of appointment
• GMC Specialist Register or within six months
• Approved clinician status OR able to achieve within 3 months of appointment
• Good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice
• Approved under S12 OR able to achieve with 3 months of appointment

Academic skills and lifelong learning

Essential

• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Participation in continuing professional development
• Active participation in clinical audit/quality improvement
• Ability to deliver undergraduate or postgraduate teaching and to supervise junior/SAS medical staff

Desirable

• Experience of clinical research or service evaluation
• Evidence of achievement in education, research, audit or service improvement

Clinical knowledge

Essential

• Excellent clinical skills, with experience relevant to complex psychosis, rehabilitation and/or assertive outreach
• Able to meet duties under MHA and MCA
• Excellent knowledge in speciality

Desirable

• Experience of working with patients who disengage from services / experience of assertive engagement approaches

Closing Date: 21 October 2026