Specialty Doctor - Community Perinatal

Job overview

The Hertfordshire Community Perinatal Team is a specialist multi-disciplinary team that supports women who are experiencing, or are at high risk of experiencing, moderate to severe mental health difficulties when they are pregnant and after having their baby. The service aims to help women stay as well as possible in the perinatal period and provide support and information to partners, families and professionals involved in their care.

Main duties of the job

It is envisaged that the post holder will work 8 programmed activities over 4 days. Following appointment there will be a meeting at no later than three months with the clinical manager to review and revise the job plan and objectives of the post holder. The overall split of the programmed activities is 7.7 to be devoted to direct clinical care and 0.3 to supporting professional activities

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To undertake the administrative duties associated with the care of patients.
• To record clinical activity accurately and comprehensively and submit this promptly to the Information Department.
• To participate annually in a job plan review with the line manager, which will include consultation with a relevant manager in order to ensure that the post is developed to take into account changes in service configuration and delivery associated with modernisation. To work with local managers and professional colleagues in ensuring the efficient running of services, and share with consultant colleagues in the medical contribution to management.
• To comply with the Trust’s agreed policies, procedures, standing orders and financial instructions, and to take an active role in the financial management of the service and support the medical director and other managers in preparing plans for services.
• Provision of psychiatric expertise to the Community Perinatal Team.
• To undertake outpatient clinics, home visits and participate in multidisciplinary case discussions.
• To liaise effectively with primary care and mainstream mental health services.
• To have regular clinical supervision with the consultant psychiatrist. It is the post holder’s responsibility to ensure that this is booked.
• To provide assessment, diagnosis and formulation of management plans for service users in the perinatal period, including risk assessment, pre-conception counselling assessments for high-risk service users, routine and emergency assessments, and outpatient or community treatment under consultant supervision.
• To work collaboratively with team members, service users and carers, including drawing up pre-birth plans and working alongside other psychiatric services as necessary, including ACMHS, CRHTT and NHS Talking Therapies.
• To provide specialist advice about prescribing in pregnancy and breastfeeding to GPs, obstetricians, other mental health professionals and teams.
• To flexibly review and reassess service users in response to need and in accordance with the perinatal pathway.
• To maintain good working relationships with colleagues in other HPFT psychiatric services, primary and secondary care, obstetric and midwifery services, health visitors, Children’s Services and third sector agencies.
• To promote good physical health and engagement with antenatal and primary care physical health services, including screening and intervention for metabolic complications related to medication, lithium monitoring and adherence to clozapine protocols.
• To actively manage the outpatient clinical caseload in accordance with pathway guidance and operate efficient and safe patient review services.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.