Consultant in General Adult Psychiatry

Job details

• Job reference: 257822
• Salary: Consultant (£111,430 - £148,064)
• Job closing date: 09/09/2026
• Job Type: Medical and Dental
• Location: North West Area Centre
• Employment type: Permanent
• Hours Per Week: 40
• Job posted date: 26/08/2026
• Employer (NHS Board): NHS Ayrshire & Arran
• Department: Mental Health

NHS Scotland:

Who we are:

NHS Ayrshire and Arran are one of 14 territorial NHS Boards within NHS Scotland.

In support of our core purpose of Working together to achieve the healthiest life possible for everyone in Ayrshire and Arran, we are committed to a culture that is Caring, Safe, and Respectful. You will be required to work collaboratively in a safe, caring and respectful way. To find out more about NHS Ayrshire and Arran please visit our website - NHS Ayrshire & Arran - Home (nhsaaa.net)

Position:

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Consultant in General Adult Psychiatry based at North West Area Centre, Kilmarnock. This post is offered on a permanent basis.

Hours:

40 hours per week plus on-call rota, 1:26.

From 1 April 2026, the working week for NHS Agenda for Change staff in Scotland will be reduced. Full-time hours will reduce from 37 to 36 hours (pro rata for part-time staff) without loss of earnings.

UK Driving Licence:

A UK driving licence is essential for this role.

What you will do:

NHS Ayrshire & Arran is seeking to recruit a dynamic and enthusiastic General Adult Psychiatrist to join the East Ayrshire Adult Community Mental Health Team based at the North West Area Centre in Kilmarnock. The successful applicant will be welcomed into a friendly and forward thinking team of consultants where peer support is valued and protected. Special Interests would be encouraged and supported with discussion and agreement.

The post will be supported by appropriate medical secretary time and junior doctor input. There is also ample opportunity for teaching and supervision with medical students from Glasgow and Dundee medical schools.

NHS Ayrshire & Arran serves the local authorities of East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and North Ayrshire with a total population of approximately 365,000. Ayrshire is a peaceful and charming place to work with quick and easy access, by road from Glasgow. Many staff choose to live within Ayrshire where there are good schools and easy access to local beaches, parks and wildlife. There is also a large variety of shopping and entertainment facilities.

The successful candidate will be one of 4.5 WTE General Adult Consultants working flexibly in East Ayrshire, covering community and hospital-based clinical work in a defined catchment area based on GP practices. Acute inpatients beds are sited locally at our purpose-built unit, Woodland View, within Ayrshire Central Hospital in Irvine. East Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership has a well-established Community Mental Health Team supported by a 24 hour Crisis Service

Hours and Shift Pattern:

The Terms and Conditions of service are those determined by the Consultant Contract and this post is offered on a 10 programmed activity basis. The post includes participation in an approximate 1 in 26 on-call rota pro rata which attracts a 3% supplement allowance. Out of hours on-call is supported by Specialist Higher Trainees, Staff Grade colleagues and with 24 hour ANP/CT/FY junior doctor support on hospital sites.

For further information on the role please click the link below to view the job description.

Knowledge, training and/or experience required for this post:

Applicants must have full GMC Registration with a current Licence to Practice and must be on the Specialist Register, or be within 6 months of the anticipated award of CCT at the time of interview. The post involves travel and a full driving licence is essential.

For further information on the requirements for the role please click the link below to view the person specification

If you would like to find out more about the role, please contact Dr Aileen Guthrie, clinical Director on 01563 578593, or alternatively Dr Morag Henderson, Consultant on 01563 578593, informal enquires also welcome.

RIGHT TO WORK / CERTIFICATES OF SPONSORSHIP

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service. Further information on what NHS Scotland Boards are required to do to check this as well as what your responsibilities include can be found within the attached Candidate Information Pack.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form.

NHS Ayrshire & Arran may be able to offer visa sponsorship for certain roles, provided the post meets the minimum salary threshold and any other required criteria. When considering if a post meets the salary threshold for sponsorship, please note the salary advertised is based on a full-time contract and must be pro-rated for part-time positions. Sponsorship is not guaranteed and is assessed on a case-by-case basis following interview and at the commencement of pre-employment checks. Please visit here for further information.

We are unable to provide sponsorship for Band 2 posts or bank contracts.