Specialty Doctor in Addictions

Job overview

The job comprises the provision of medical services to CNTW addiction recovery partnerships. It will mainly be based in Greenacres in Ashington (Northumberland Recovery Partnership) but there is scope to cover other areas within the trust. Alongside a medical team comprising addiction psychiatrists and GPs, you will be responsible for the medical input to the specialist addiction services across the community settings. The services provide treatment for alcohol and drug use disorders across all ages, at all stages of recovery and in patients presenting with a range of complex co-morbidities. There is much scope for the development of any research or teaching interests. Liaison with acute hospitals, primary care and other medical disciplines are an important component of the job as well as the opportunity to work with patients within the criminal justice system.

For further details / informal visits contact:

Name: Andrea Hearn, Consultant Psychiatrist

Email:  [email protected]

Tel: 01912061116

Main duties of the job

Main duties of the role include working as part of a multidisciplinary team comprising clinical and non-clinical staff in the assessment and management of patients referred for drug and alcohol treatment. Based mainly within Greenacres in Ashington and Sextant House in Blyth, you will oversee patients undergoing a range of interventions including medically assisted detoxification, initiation of opiate replacement therapy and relapse prevention medication. There is a significant focus on physical health and so you will work alongside our physical healthcare team to order and interpret investigations and refer on as appropriate. Discreet sessions will include attendance and provision of advice at multidisciplinary team meetings, review of complex cases and involvement in strategic care planning. Regular involvement in the weekly medical team meeting including opportunity to chair and present is expected.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This is a replacement post as the current postholder is retiring and is located mainly in a busy drug and alcohol recovery partnership. You will be part of a wider multidisciplinary team comprising CPNs, general nurses, non-medical prescribers and recovery coordinators (from a range of backgrounds) and will provide clinical advice to all members of the team.

This is primarily a community service. However, there is also one in-patient bed located on Gibside Ward at St Nicholas Hospital for alcohol detoxification when it is not safe to undertake this in the community. The post holder will work primarily at Greenacres in Ashington, initiating opiate substitution therapy, overseeing alcohol detoxification and assessing patients with complex co-morbidity (physical and mental health). In addition, you will run medical clinics to review mental health, oversee opiate replacement therapy and manage relapse prevention medication. There will be scope to participate in training (medical students and trainees), research and audit.