Job summary
Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, a CQC Outstanding rated organisation, is looking for a Consultant Psychiatrist to join our fantastic Urgent Care Assessment Team for the South of the county, based in Northampton.

We are offering a £40,000 welcome bonus to the successful candidate, paid over the course of your first two years in post.

For further information on the benefits package and joining the Trust, please refer to the attached Candidate Pack.

Main duties of the job

• 24 hour - seven days a week service. UCAT will undertake mental health assessments following referrals from recognised sources (as per operational policy) and will respond to the needs of the home treatment caseload
• Act as gatekeeper to acute inpatient care
• Rapid response following referral to UCAT - intensive, flexible interventions provided to service user, family and carers
• Address the social issues surrounding crisis right from the beginning
• Assertive approach to engagement
• Provide practical problem solving help
• To administer and supervise medication
• Time limited intervention that has sufficient flexibility to respond to differing service users needs
• Learning from crisis
• Ensure that service users care is linked up to further continuing care

About us
Our core strategy is to be an employer of choice, a great place to work and be known for a diverse and inclusive culture whose staff feel valued. We provide a range of NHS services including physical, mental health and specialty services provided in hospital settings and out in the community within schools, GP clinics and patients own homes.

Details
Date posted: 05 November 2026
Pay scheme: Hospital medical and dental staff
Grade: Consultant
Salary: £113,565 to £150,569 a year pa
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 270-MED412-E
Job locations: Campbell House, Northampton, NN1 3EB, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
The primary objectives of the UCAT are to:

• Offer an assessment service for residents of Northamptonshire who, immediately prior to the Teams involvement, have been assessed as requiring admission to hospital;
• Provide intensive community-based treatment to clients in the acute phase of mental illness, thus diminishing the need for hospital admission;
• Facilitate early discharge from hospital where hospital admission has already been necessary;
• Secure appropriate follow-up care for the client once the alleviation of the acute phase of mental illness has occurred;
• Be fully integrated into the Northamptonshire mental health systems and the community as a whole.

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading or contact Medical Workforce. The full person specification can be accessed under the About You Section of the document.

Person Specification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential

• MRCPsych or equivalent
• Full GMC Registration
• On Specialist Register/CCT in General Adult Psychiatry or eligible for inclusion within six months.
• Approval under Section 12 of the Mental Health Act and able to act as Responsible Clinician.
• Minimum of six years postgraduate experience (including three years as SpR in approved training post) or equivalent
• Part of this period may be in a post of equivalent responsibility and training.

Desirable

• Additional Postgraduate Qualifications / endorsement in Rehab Psychiatry
• Publication of original research
• Management training

Behaviours and Values
Essential

• In good standing with GMC with respect to warning and conditions on practice
• Demonstrate commitment to shared leadership & collaborative working to deliver improvement
• Ability to work independently as well as part of A MDT
• Able to form a good working relationship with the peer group
• Willingness to undertake training and CPD in areas appropriate to this post
• Ability to work under pressure
• Willingness to participate in in-house training

Skills and Abilities
Essential

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Evidence of the ability to communicate with patients, colleagues and staff at all levels.
• Ability to present complex information to a variety of audiences including courts and tribunals
• Ability to motivate and develop junior Medical Staff and other MDT members
• To balance individual requirements against those of the Directorate and Trust as a whole.
• An understanding of the political and financial framework within which the Services operate
• Ability to work independently as well as part of A MDT.
• An understanding of the use of security in the treatment of psychiatric patients.
• An understanding of the dynamics of working with damaged and disturbed patients.
• Awareness of the national agenda for secure psychiatric care and criminal justice.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust
Address: Campbell House, Northampton, NN1 3EB, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.nhft.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Clinical Director, Dr Debasish Das Purkayastha, debasish.daspurkayastha@nhft.nhs.uk

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. Applications from job seekers who require Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome.