Highly Specialist Clinical Health Psychologist (Physical Health)

Job overview

Following confirmation of funding for substantial service development, we are delighted to be recruiting  to a post of Highly Specialist Clinical Health Psychologist (Physical Health) for the UHP Severe Asthma Service. This is a new post with flexibility to grow the role around the service as it develops. The post-holder(s) will also work alongside other newly funded posts, including nurses, physiotherapist, Speech and Language  / voice therapist, pharmacist and MDT co-ordinators.

The post holder would be joining an established, friendly asthma MDT, working closely to improve asthma care whilst developing their own expertise. You will be an integral part of the team, linking with the SW severe asthma network, helping to streamline access biologics, and improving the management of co-morbidities associated with asthma.

The UHP severe asthma service serves West Devon and works with colleagues at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske, to provide severe asthma care including asthma biologic treatment.

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.

Main duties of the job

To provide a highly specialist psychological service for adults with asthma, severe asthma and associated conditions under the care of the UHP severe asthma service

To work as part of the  Severe Asthma MDT, alongside Respiratory Consultants, Clinical Nurse Specialists and AHPs.

To support the Severe Asthma MDT by contributing to the development of the wider service, including data collection and analysis, and completion of outcome measures.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced psychologist to join our severe asthma multi-disciplinary team (MDT). NHS England has provided funding for this new post, in addition to funding for additional members of the MDT, to improve access to severe asthma care for people served by the severe asthma team at Derriford Hospital. This includes increasing uptake of asthma biologics and managing co-morbidity associated with asthma.

The role involves work under the Clinical Health Psychology department of University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) to provide a highly specialist and high-quality clinical psychology service for adults with severe asthma within the asthma service at UHP.

The role involves responsibility for the assessment and provision of psychological therapy, advice or consultation to patients and professionals within the unit, working autonomously within professional guidelines and to act as a highly specialist resource to the Trust, providing teaching and training where required, supervision to other professionals and to support the development of increased psychological provision within the hospital. The role also involves work collaboratively with other members of the Clinical Health Psychology team who provide input into people with chronic respiratory conditions.

The severe asthma service at UHP is responsible for the assessment and treatment (including asthma biologics) of patients with severe or difficult asthma in West Devon, and works collaboratively with colleagues in Cornwall to provide access to specialist asthma care for people under the care of Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske. The team works as part of the SW asthma network (SWAN) and has links with local and national severe asthma networks.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future direction of the service, by closely working with a multidisciplinary team including physicians, specialist nurses, respiratory physiotherapists, pharmacist, SLT/ voice therapists, MDT co-ordinators, and colleagues in allied departments and in the community.

As this is a newly funded post, there will be a focus on service development and monitoring including collection and analysis of data and outcome measures. This will be vital to ensuring the success of the post and the development of the service.