JOB DESCRIPTION FOR ST4-6 POST IN LIAISON PSYCHIATRY
ROYAL DERBY HOSPITAL, DERBY
Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation trust.
Trainer - Dr Sridevi Sira Mahalingappa
OFFICE BASE: Liaison Team
Level 2 Atrium, Main Entrance
Royal Derby Hospital
Uttoxeter Road
Derby
DE22 3NE
Tel: 0133287781
LIAISON TEAM
The Liaison Team operates according to the Rapid Access Interface and Discharge (RAID) model which
originated in the work of Professor George Tadros in Birmingham. RDH possessed established Confusion,
Alcohol and Deliberate Self-harm teams which merged on July 1st 2013 whilst adding medical manpower
and 24/7 functionality. The team now comprises 16 band 6 nurses, 4 band seven nurses and 4 admin staff
who are led by the Medical Secretary.
Three consultant psychiatrists provide senior medical advice and leadership, Dr Simon Thacker, Lead
Consultant and Older Age Psychiatrist, Dr Sridevi Sira Mahalingappa (Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist) and
Dr Kripa Chakravarthy (Locum Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist with a special interest in alcohol and
substance misuse). Drs Sira Mahalingappa and Chakravarthy work full-time in the team and Dr Thacker
works 5 sessions in Liaison and 5 as Clinical director for the Centre for Dementia at nearby Kingsway
Hospital, Derby. Staff grade doctor support is provided by Dr Gordon Davis and we are in the process of
recruiting another Staff grade doctor. Dr Deborah Allen is our full-time clinical Psychologist.
The team is busy, providing input to a teaching hospital of 1200 beds. Our targets are to see referrals from
the Emergency Department within 1 hour, the Medical Assessment Unit within 4 hours and ward referrals
within 24 hours.
Presently, the team receives between 650-800 referrals per month. Approximately 150 are patients whose
primary reason for referral is an organic brain syndrome including head injury and confusional states
secondary to alcohol. Functional mental illness, medically unexplained symptoms and deliberate self-harm
presentations are referred across the 18 plus age range in what is essentially an “ageless service” whilst
respecting the value of Old Age Psychiatry in areas of capacity assessment, physical comorbidity, complex
care planning and assessing risk related to later life disorders.
Liaison team is involved in multiple research projects. It is one of the three centres for national multi centre
self harm study.
Clinical Supervisor: Dr Sridevi Sira Mahalingappa
POST DESCRIPTION AND DETAILS OF THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS
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The post is based in the Royal Derby Hospital which is a 1200 bedded multispecialty hospital and
comprises a large, widely dispersed semi-rural setting.
Clinical supervisor, Dr Sira Mahalingappa is responsible for the overall supervision of the ST4-6
trainee. The trainee will be working alongside consultants, staff grade doctors, psychologist and
nurses. Referrals are allocated to individual members based on expertise, training need and
complexity each day in mornings and afternoons.
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The Liaison Team will provide a rapid response for patients who attend the Accident and
Emergency Department due to a physical health emergency providing an accessible and pro-active
assessment. If a clinician feels that a patient may benefit from some guidance from the Liaison
Team they will be readily accessible to provide advice, support and where helpful direct assessment
to provide access to the help and support needed. The Liaison service will also be providing a
Liaison service to the wards of Royal Derby Hospital to support patients as they progress toward
discharge working with Royal Derby Hospital to ensure that they have needs matched support upon
discharge.
The service will provide:
1. One point of contact and access for the Royal Derby Hospital’s clinicians and
patients(anyone aged above 18 years)
2. 24/7 cover for RDH
3. Assessments of self harm and overdose presentations to hospital.
4. Advice on alcohol problems, treatment options and referral to other community agencies
5. Advice on substance misuse treatment options and access to services.
6. Assessment of care needs of older people with mental health problems
7. Early detection of mental health problems to enable rapid and appropriate intervention.
8. Continuity of care for people already known to mental health services.
9. Help with discharge planning, and general advice and support.
TYPES OF ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT
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Self harm and overdose assessments, Patients with mental health needs presenting in crisis.
Adjustment disorders
Severe and enduring psychotic disorders including schizophrenia and schizophrenia related
disorders, bipolar affective disorder and personality disorder who have complex, unmet needs and
comorbid physical health problems
Psychotic disorders with co-morbid substance misuse.
Alcohol and substance misuse.
Medically unexplained symptoms
Delirium, dementia and alcohol related brain injury
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Clinical Responsibilities:
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To work with other medical colleagues to undertake assessments of patients with complex
presentation.
Support and advice to nursing staff in day to day assessments.
Advice and support to medical colleagues of Royal Derby Hospital on management of patients with
mental health needs, capacity assessments and Mental Health Act.
The ST trainee is required to be Section 12 approved and will take part Adult consultant on-call
Rota for south Derbyshire which is supervised by on call consultant.
To provide regular teaching sessions for Medical Students.
Contribution to weekly psychiatric case conferences and journal clubs
Contribution to weekly Grand Rounds at Royal derby Hospital.
Providing teaching and support for medical and non-medical staff, for example, junior doctors,
nurses, social workers occupational therapists care assistants and pharmacists.
Participation in clinical audit. Trainees are expected to be directly involved in audit and also in
supervising audit projects other colleagues in the team.
Other opportunities
 Management experience: opportunity to involve in service development Special Interest: Trainees
will be encouraged to develop special interest of their choice such as Somatoform disorders,
pallaitve care medicine etc.
 Cognitive Behavioural Therapy experience supervised by a CBT therapist or a trained psychologist
locally.
 Research: The ST trainee can contribute to on going research projects
Facilities for clinical and academic work:
The senior trainee will share an office with other medical colleagues at Liaison team office. The trainee will
have a personal dictating machine and designated secretarial support and access to computer
The senior trainee will have access to the services of the University psychiatric department at Radbourne
Unit, including the medical library at Kingsway Hospital and at Royal Derby Hospital.
Research:
The senior trainee is encouraged to be actively engaged in research. There are two sessions allocated for
either special-interest and/or research and/or teaching activities. The senior trainee will be encouraged to
seek supervision from clinicians with interest in research, and may develop their own interest, or work
jointly with other colleagues.
On Call:
The ST trainee is required to be Section 12 approved. The ST trainee is required to be Section 12
approved and will take part in the Adult consultant on-call Rota in Central for south Derbyshire which is
supervised by on call consultant which is 1:8.
Other opportunities:
Liaison team is expanding with plenty of opportunity for trainees to do special interest sessions. At present
There are on-going clinics where Liaison team is working closely in outpatient’s clinic with Pain
team/Hepatology team/ palliative care team. Trainees have opportunities to choose one of these clinics as
a special interest session or as a part of their clinical duty.
There is opportunity for trainees to get involved in a research project that is looking to offer group work for
people who present in ED having undertaken an act of self harm.
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Educational Supervisor Timetable
Am
Monday
Ward round with
Palliative
care
team
9am
–
12:30(flexible)
Liaison
team
Group
Supervision 12:30
– 13:30
pm
Liaison ward work
RDH
Tuesday
Liaison ward
work - RDH
Wednesday
Research/Teach
ing/
Special Interest
Liaison team
Group
Supervision
12:30 – 13:30
Trainee
Supervision
13:30 – 14:30
Hepatology
clinic (flexible)/
Liaison ward
work - RDH
Thursday
Management
Meeting
Liaison
ward
work -RDH
Liaison
team
Group
Supervision
12:30 – 13:30
Research
/Teaching/
Special Interest
Grand Round –
RDH
Liaison
ward
work RDH
Friday
Liaison ward work
–RDH/ Pain clinic
(flexible)
Liaison
team
Group
Supervision(flexibl
e) 12:30 – 13:30
Psychiatry Case
Conference
/Journal
club
13:30 – 15:30
Admin work
Specialist Registrar Timetable
am
Monday
Ward round with
Palliative
care
team 9am – 12:30
(flexible)
Liaison
team
Group
Supervision 12:30
– 13:30
pm
Tuesday
Liaison RDH
Liaison
team
Group
Supervision
12:30 – 13:30
Wednesday
Research/Teach
ing/
Special Interest
Thursday
Management
Meeting/audit
work
Liaison RDH
Liaison
team
Group
Supervision
12:30 – 13:30
Liaison ward work
RDH
13:30 – 14:30
Supervision
Admin- 16.00 –
17.00
14:30 – 16:30
Hepatology
clinic(flexible)
Research/Teach
ing/
Special Interest
Medical Grand
Rounds RDH –
1300-1400
Liaison
ward
work RDH
Admin- 16.00 –
17.00
Admin 16:30 –
17:00
Friday
Pain clinic 9am –
12:30)flexible)
Liaison
team
Group
Supervision
(flexible)12:30 –
13:30
Psychiatry Case
Conference
/Journal
club
13:30 – 15:30
15:301700
Admin work
/
audit/
Management
November 2014
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