Trust Locum Liaison Consultant Psychiatrist

Job overview

This vacancy is a 10 PA locum post in Liaison Psychiatry (Hospital Mental Health Team at St James Hospital) based at Becklin Centre, for 6 months from 1st April 2026, with the potential for extension. You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team providing input to the Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust at St James University Hospital.

Main duties of the job

The appointee will be based at the Becklin Centre. This post will cover a vacancy in the department while substantive posts are considered. The post holder’s job plan will be dedicated to the Hospital Mental Team (HMHT). The HMHT receives between 3 to 4 referrals each day from the general hospital wards. A team meeting is held each morning so that the referrals can be managed and allocated effectively. The consultants normally lead in allocating new assessments and follow up reviews between themselves and the rest of the team. Referrals are prioritised at the point of referral and those that are deemed to be urgent, have to be discussed with one of the liaison consultants. The post holder will be expected to provide direct assessments for complex cases as well as supervision to other team members as required. This will typically equate to the postholder undertaking 2 to 3 new patient assessments and 4 to 6 follow up/review assessments per week. The postholder would not be expected to carry a caseload. The postholder will be required to carry out Mental Health Act work as required in the general hospital.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This is a consultant liaison psychiatrist post. Clinically, the postholder will work with the Hospital Mental Health Team (HMHT) and provide medical leadership and medical expertise to the MDT and ensure that patients referred from general hospital wards are assessed and managed appropriately. This is an opportunity to work in one of the most comprehensive Liaison Psychiatry services in the country alongside several other Liaison Psychiatrists.

The HMHT receives between 3 to 4 referrals each day from the general hospital wards. A team meeting is held each morning so that the referrals can be managed and allocated effectively. The consultants normally lead in allocating new assessments and follow up reviews between themselves and the rest of the team. Referrals are prioritised at the point of referral and those that are deemed to be urgent, have to be discussed with one of the liaison consultants.   The post holder will be expected to provide direct assessments for complex cases as well as supervision to other team members as required, this will typically equate to the postholder undertaking 2 to 3 new patient assessments and 4 to 6 follow up/review assessments per week. The postholder would not be expected to carry a caseload.