Job Title: Associate Medical Director (Mental Health)
Reporting To: Medical Director
Department(s)/Location:
Job Reference number (coded):
Scottish Centre for Telehealth and Telecare
1. JOB PURPOSE
To provide NHS 24 with:
 Clinical leadership and expertise to the SCTT, Breathing Space, Living Life and NHS 24 111 services, bringing medical expertise across the spectrum of clinical care underpinned by a broad and deep knowledge of mental health in Scotland.

Medical expertise and work at the interface with lead clinicians across Scotland in both primary and secondary care setting. This will involve shaping and delivering the vision for technology supported mental health services throughout the whole patient pathway and promoting the role NHS 24 could play.
 Support for the governance agenda bringing expertise in the field of clinical governance and risk management across all clinical domains with a focus on mental health.

Support for the development of learning across the skillsets within NHS 24 bringing expertise in decision making skills in the area of mental health for clinical and non clinical colleagues.
Also, promote and raise the awareness of the role digital services can play in the development of safe, effective and sustainable mental health services across NHS Scotland.
As a senior medical advisor you will be expected to support diverse aspects of clinical activity which will include public health, audit and research, and specialist management. This list is not exhaustive.
Page 1 of 6

2. ORGANISATIONAL POSITION
3. SCOPE AND RANGE
This is a national role within the organisation and you will be expected to work across Scotland when required. Aspects of the role can be delivered remotely, other may require travel across
Scotland.
Your primary role is to work closely with senior staff in SCTT and service delivery colleagues.
However, there will be a requirement to develop close working relationships with relevant clinical directors in mental health across Scotland and with Scottish Government officials. You will also work closely with colleagues in the Medical Directorate.
The Associate Medical Director role also supports, from time to time, some generic aspects of medical work in the organisation.
The role of Medical Directorate has clinical leadership at its heart. The Directorate has a number of generic functions. These include:

Leading the formation and implementation of clinical strategy

Taking a lead on the development and review of evidence based clinical standards

Providing independent and unbiased clinical advice

Providing professional leadership and being a bridge between the Board and clinical services and their staff

Providing interpretation, assessing the mood and crucially creating alignment between the organisation, its service aspirations and its clinical staff, ensuring the appropriate balance is maintained between operational demands and clinician safety.

Outward facing work particularly with other Health Boards and specifically with senior medical personnel. Direct liaison with government and other professional bodies on clinical
Page 2 of 6

or operational management issues, these bodies may include Royal Colleges, trade unions, patient groups, etc.
There are a number of other important roles that are either exclusively the responsibility of the
Medical Directorate or in other cases shared with the Nursing Directorate within NHS 24:

Clinical governance

Quality and safety

Clinical education content development and validation

Clinical performance
The Medical Director has specific responsibilities in NHS 24 for:

Caldicott Guardian

Responsible Officer (for revalidation)

Direct senior management role within Exec Team

Direct liaison with GMC, BMA, Royal Colleges inc RCGP, CMO, Board Medical Directors,
Clinical Directors including GP OOH and in hours primary care

Attendance at relevant national groups

Business Continuity

Emergency Medical Planning

Clinical Decision Making

Pharmaceutical Care
The post holder is supported in delivering these by members of the Directorate.
4. MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
Development

Lead the review and development of clinical content and information used by NHS 24 in the area of mental health.

Lead the development of strategy and service redesign activities in partnership with other organisations.

Develop networks across Scotland to influence thinking on the use of digital services

Lead the development of new EU project bids in the field of mental health and support existing EU and Scottish activities.

Develop the use of V/C in the area of mental health from community to residential settings including prisons etc.

Lead international liaison on dementia and other relevant initiatives.

Support the transition of Project Ginsberg to NHS 24.
Governance

Assist in delivering the national governance agenda in particular focusing on patient safety and best principles of medical practice.

Review the management of complex patients and liaise with Boards regarding management plans for frequent callers.

Investigate and provide expert input into the management of complex mental health incidents and complaints. This will require meetings with patients, relatives and their clinical teams on occasions
Page 3 of 6

Audit

Act as the medical lead for mental health proposing and implementing clinical audit activities as part of the national audit programme. In particular ensure that corrective actions are detailed and followed through.
Operational support

Support the senior manager for mental health services and the operational leads of NHS 24 mental health services and the SCTT service development managers with medical expertise where required.
Education

Provide advice, when required, to the clinical education programme ensuring that educational materials are in line with best medical practice and are appropriate for the triage environment, making recommendations that may arise from adverse events or from other activities.
5. SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT

Standard keyboard skills.
Page 4 of 6

6. DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS
The Medical Director will agree and review your work plan, ensuring the role sits within the postholders job plan. Formal assessment of objectives will be undertaken by the Medical Director with appraisal of work in line with Medical Director principles.
7. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
You will work closely on a daily basis with:

Medical Director

Associate Medical Directors
 Head of Telehealth / Telecare Development

Head of Development in SCTT

Associate Directors of Operations and Nursing

Clinical Service Managers

Regional Governance and Quality Leads
You will work regularly with:

Head of Pharmacy

Head of Information Services (NHS Inform)

Information Governance Manager

Clinical Development Team
You will also be expected to engage with:

General Practitioners

Specialists in mental health and clinical psychology

Royal College of Psychiatrists

SGHSC colleagues

Colleagues across the health services
8. PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB
Requirement to travel throughout Scotland. Frequent requirement of intense concentration for general clinical activities including audit.
9. MOST CHALLENGING/DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE JOB
Providing specialist clinical leadership and advice while ensuring that perspective is maintained while upholding the highest standard of patient safety.
Ensuring that clinical standards are maintained across a dispersed national organisation and across varied skillsets.
Page 5 of 6

11. JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT
A separate job description will need to be signed off by each jobholder to whom the job description applies.
Job Holder’s Signature:
Head of Department Signature:
Balancing operational, developmental and clinical priorities to the benefit of the Scottish population as a whole while ensuring the needs of individuals are met.
10. KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DO THE JOB

MRCPsych

Extensive experience in delivering mental health services

Experience in medical management with direct experience in the eHealth and the use of digital technologies in supporting the delivery of mental health services.
Date:
Date:
Page 6 of 6