Consultant Psychiatrist (Pain Service)

Dedicated to two well established persistent pain teams in the boroughs of Oldham and Bury, this post offers an exciting development for a consultant psychiatrist with an interest in persistent pain. Established knowledge from the teams has indicated high levels of complex mental health problems in this patient group including low mood, anxiety, complex trauma and unhelpful use of prescribed opioids. Patients are often in receipt of complex prescribing regimes for pain and mood related difficulties. Hence this post would be well suited to a Consultant Psychiatrist who is committed to integrated working to offer a coordinated MDT approach and interested in mind/body interaction.

The post holder will work alongside other clinicians including mental health professionals, physiotherapists, pain nurses, pain consultants, and GPs with a Special Interest in Pain.

The aim of these services is to improve the care and outcomes for those living with persistent pain. In addition to linking in with physical health services the pain service will work with local Improving Access to Psychological Therapy services and Substance Misuse services, helping support them and Primary Care to improve care. Many people seen by the service will have persistent physical symptoms, long-term conditions and complex psychological/ psychiatric difficulties. The aim is to bridge the gap between physical and mental health and primary and secondary care.

The role of the post holder will involve working with colleagues from physical and mental health and primary care backgrounds providing education, supervision and consultation.

This new post is now available within Psychological Medicine Services in Pennine Care, working with both the Oldham Persistent Pain Service and Bury Integrated Pain Service. This post builds on the development of both of these services which integrate expertise from physical and mental health and primary and secondary care, to provide a person centred approach to the management of people living with chronic pain. These services have developed over the last few years as a collaboration between Northern Care Alliance, Pennine Care and Pennine MSK.

The appointee will play a key role in consolidating this service development in line with national, reginal and local strategy and priorities, and build on the work of previous post holders who are retiring.

Candidates wanting to work full time are encouraged to apply, as there are opportunities for working another 2 programmed activities within the Trust.

These include clinical, liaison and educational. The post holder will take an active part in the implementation and evaluation of the new service. Clinical work will include assessment and interventions with people age 16 and over who are in the pain service who require specialist psychiatric assessment. Full details are in the job description.

The post holder needs excellent knowledge and experience of assessing and providing mental health interventions for people with complex health problems. This will include a bio-psycho-social perspective and wide medical and mental health knowledge. The post is suitable for those with a CCT in adult psychiatry. An endorsement in liaison psychiatry and/ or substance misuse is desirable but not essential.

NB JD/PS submitted to RCPsych and awaiting approval