South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Specialty Doctor - Mental Health Urgent Treatment Centre

The closing date is 31 March 2026

Job summary

The Mental Health Urgent Treatment Centre (MH UTC) at the Maudsley Hospital is a new 24/7 crisis assessment and brief treatment service providing a specialist alternative to emergency departments for people presenting with acute mental health crises. The service will act as a dedicated mental health access point, improving patient experience through rapid assessment, stabilisation and direction to appropriate onward care pathways.

Working as part of a comprehensive MDT, the MH UTC Specialty Doctor will undertake urgent psychiatric assessments, risk assessment and management, initiation of treatment, and short-term care planning for individuals presenting with acute mental health difficulties. The role requires close collaboration with liaison psychiatry, community teams, emergency departments, home treatment teams and inpatient services to ensure safe and timely patient flow across the urgent care pathway.

The post holder will contribute to senior clinical decision-making within the service, providing medical leadership within the multidisciplinary team. They will work closely with the consultant psychiatrist to maintain high standards of clinical care, patient safety and governance, and support the development of this innovative service as it embeds within the urgent and emergency care system across SE London.

Prior to the unit opening summer 2026, the post holder will support service establishment and undertake clinical sessions within the wider crisis pathway in Southwark.

Main duties of the job

The Specialty Doctor will provide senior medical input to the Mental Health Urgent Treatment Centre (MH UTC), delivering rapid psychiatric assessment, risk management and initial treatment for people presenting in acute mental health crisis. The post holder will work in a 24/7 multidisciplinary service providing a specialist alternative to Emergency Departments, supporting timely assessment, stabilisation and onward care planning.

The role involves undertaking comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments of individuals presenting via urgent referral pathways. The Specialty Doctor will formulate risk and management plans, initiate appropriate pharmacological and psychological interventions, and determine safe onward pathways, including discharge with follow-up, referral to crisis services, or admission where clinically indicated. The post holder will also contribute to maintaining safe clinical flow within a short-stay crisis assessment service.

The Specialty Doctor will work closely with consultant psychiatrists and the wider multidisciplinary team. They will support collaborative decision-making for complex cases and contribute to supervision and teaching where appropriate.

The post holder will also contribute to clinical governance and quality improvement, including audit, incident review and service development.

Please note that this post is being advertised pending RCPsych approval.

About us

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights. We aim to put this commitment into practice by:

Embedding our commitment to tackling inequality, eliminating discrimination and harassment; promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in our everyday practice
Ensuring that all our services and all staff understand and support our commitment
We believe that people who use our services, their carers and our staff, should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity

Date posted

16 March 2026

Pay scheme

Hospital medical and dental staff

Grade

Specialty Doctor

Salary

Depending on experience £61,542 - £99,216 per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

334-SOU-7855192-JA

Job locations

Maudsley Hospital

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 8AZ

Job description

Job responsibilities

Full duties and responsibilities are detailed in the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Full duties and responsibilities are detailed in the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Person Specification

Essential and desirable

Essential

Full GMC registration and licence to practise. MRCPsych or equivalent. Section 12 approval (or ability to obtain). Broad clinical experience in general adult psychiatry. Experience managing psychiatric emergencies and high-risk crisis presentations. Experience developing and delivering multidisciplinary care. Expert knowledge of psychiatric assessment, risk formulation and crisis care. Ability to lead MDTs and manage complexity under pressure. Strong understanding of MHA, MCA and crisis pathway governance. Excellent communication, negotiation and de-escalation skills.

Desirable

Postgraduate training (e.g., MSc, Diploma). Training or experience in crisis, liaison or emergency psychiatry. Experience working in HTT, liaison psychiatry, ED settings or crisis alternatives. Experience of service development or QI methodologies. Awareness of trauma-informed care, culturally competent practice and anti-racism frameworks. Understanding of ED/UEC system flow and national UEC policy.

Person Specification

Essential and desirable

Essential

Full GMC registration and licence to practise. MRCPsych or equivalent. Section 12 approval (or ability to obtain). Broad clinical experience in general adult psychiatry. Experience managing psychiatric emergencies and high-risk crisis presentations. Experience developing and delivering multidisciplinary care. Expert knowledge of psychiatric assessment, risk formulation and crisis care. Ability to lead MDTs and manage complexity under pressure. Strong understanding of MHA, MCA and crisis pathway governance. Excellent communication, negotiation and de-escalation skills.

Desirable

Postgraduate training (e.g., MSc, Diploma). Training or experience in crisis, liaison or emergency psychiatry. Experience working in HTT, liaison psychiatry, ED settings or crisis alternatives. Experience of service development or QI methodologies. Awareness of trauma-informed care, culturally competent practice and anti-racism frameworks. Understanding of ED/UEC system flow and national UEC policy.

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 (Opens in a new tab).

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 (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

Certificate of Sponsorship

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Maudsley Hospital

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 8AZ

Employer's website

https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Maudsley Hospital

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 8AZ

Employer's website

https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)