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NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.
The Practice Mental Health Nurse (PMHN) Service is a new and developing service. It is the first time Practice Mental Health Nurses have been introduced to Primary Care, GP Practices in West Lothian, to help reduce the pressures on GPs. This service has grown over the past 2 years from 2 PMHNs to 8 PMHNs. We cover the 20 Practices in West Lothian, offering approx. 1500 appointments per month.
Practice Mental Health Nurses have a different role for CPNs. The purpose of placing Mental Health Nurses in our GP practices is to reduce GP workload in relation to mental health. Patients with mental health problems can be directly allocated to Practice MH nurse appointments by reception staff without seeing the GP first – this frees up GP time. There will not be enough appointments for the nurse to see all mental health patients, but the new appointments will reduce the pressure on GPs.
Any patient requesting a GP appointment for "mental health " "stress" "anxiety" "depression" "low mood" "panic attacks" or similar
Patients describing themselves as "suicidal" can also be allocated to the nurse provided there is an appointment available the same day. If not, these patients should be managed in accordance with your current practice protocol for such patients.
Patients must be aged 18 + no upper age limit
Practice Mental Health Nurses provide up to 10 appointments per day. They carry out SBAR MH assessments, work closely with the Community Wellbeing HUBs, signpost to 3rd sector organisations and refer to Secondary Care CMHT Triage for patient’s requiring Psychiatry input, CPN, OT or Psychology. We also refer to the Acute Care & Crisis Team, ACAST, for those patients who cannot guarantee their safety
This post requires the post holder to have a PVG Scheme membership/ record. If the post holder is not a current PVG member for the required regulatory group (i.e. child and/or adult) then an application will need to be made to Disclosure Scotland and deemed satisfactory before they can begin in post.
For further information on what is included in the role and what skills/experience are being looked for, click on the links at the bottom of the screen to the job description and person specification. If after reading this information you have any questions please contact...
Name: June Smillie
Email: june.smillie@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
Telephone: 07977300489