Job Advert
POST: CONSULTANT IN OLD AGE PSYCHIATRY (5 SESSIONS)
BASE: VALE OF LEVEN DISTRICT GENERAL HOSPITAL, ALEXANDRIA, WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE
This post is an inpatient Old Age Psychiatry Consultant post based at the Vale of Leven District General Hospital in Alexandria. This small town sits on the southern shore of Loch Lomond, an area of outstanding natural beauty and Scotland’s first National Park, and is within easy commuting distance of Glasgow.
The successful candidate would have inpatient responsibilities for old age psychiatry admissions from the Dumbarton, Vale of Leven and Helensburgh districts which is a population of approximately 14,400. Currently those patients are admitted into the older adult psychiatry wards at the Vale of Leven District General Hospital where there are 18 older adult psychiatry beds –: Katrine ward is a functional acute ward which has 6 beds and Fruin ward is an organic acute ward which has 12 beds. The post holder will also have RMO duties covering acute liaison for older adults in the Vale of Leven hospital patients. This is a small district hospital with 92 beds as well as a minor injuries unit. Geriatricians are onsite. There is no Emergency Department.
The hospital based complex clinical care ward for the Vale of Leven catchment area is at Glenarn Ward, Dumbarton Joint Hospital which has 12 beds. This is currently covered by another older adult consultant.
There is also a dedicated Out-Of-Hours Service across the city providing psychiatric nursing assessment and support from 8pm-9am. Older adult psychiatry also has access to the Crisis Team from 5-8pm and at weekends. There are 2 new Mental Health Assessment Units based in Stobhill and Leverndale Hospitals which serve the North (including West Dunbartonshire older adult patients) and the South of the Board for emergency out of hours or for those that could be more appropriately assessed in a mental health facility rather than an Emergency Department.
The successful candidate will work alongside 6 other Older Adult Consultant Psychiatrists and 4 speciality grade doctors who cover the West of Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire. There is junior support for both wards and appropriate administrative support.
There is a strong collegiate link with regular case-based discussion meetings and management meetings with local Service Manager and Head of Service. The community and inpatient services for older adult psychiatry are managed together in West Dunbartonshire Division.
The post holder will be expected to provide medical leadership within the inpatients MDT and take an interest in Quality Improvement for effective, efficient and safe working. There will be exciting
opportunities to be involved with local and board governance as there is currently an Older Adult Psychiatry Strategy Review on-going in GG&C.