DESCRIPTION OF PLACEMENT:
This is an unusual post in Adult Psychiatry since Dr Cathy Shaw and myself have merged catchment areas and I see the patients with, broadly speaking, “non psychotic” mental illness and she sees the SMI patients. Dr Shaw and I now share a Community Mental Health Team with Dr Shaw liaising closely with Assertive Outreach and myself working with the Crisis Resolution team. The caseload therefore comprises a fairly broad range: severe depression and some bi polar patients, brief reactive psychoses, organic conditions, severe personality disorder and resistant neurotic states.
The interest in the post is focused on the management of these complex and challenging patients. Inevitably there is an emphasis on multi disciplinary working and psychological understanding; however there is an important corrective

CORE PLACEMENT: yes

ROLE OF TRAINEE:
1. Outpatient work and supervision of in-patients: To participate in the assessment and management of the patients above, liaising closely with the Ward and CMHT Staff. Ensuring appropriate pharmacological management and learning to provide clinical leadership in the overall therapeutic process.

There are a number of clinical areas which Trainees can choose whether or not they get involved with including a Clinical session in a GP Surgery to look at the patients with psychiatric difficulties who they don’t refer to secondary care., work with the Accident & Emergency Liaison Team and associated liaison with the A&E department itself, looking at protocols and breaches of 4 hour waiting times, close involvement with the Primary Care Mental Health Team which has been recently set up by the PCT.

2. Management Training: Between 1994 and 2007 I was in the role of Lead Clinician/Clinical Director/Associate Medical Director in the Mental Health Department at Tameside. As such I have accumulated considerable experience in management. I encourage trainees to gain experience at a level appropriate to their needs. My current interests lie in making productive links between clinicians and the trust governance structure. I am on the Governance and DSH management committees. I also run a Balint style reflective practice group.

3. On-call commitment: 1 in 10

4. Research : Support is provided for any research commitments outside department.
I am the local audit coordinator and try to make audit productive and interesting

5. Teaching: Frequent Year 5 medical students (community placement)
ST trainee shared with Dr Shaw. For the next two years I am supervising a trainee Advanced Practitioner who is attached to the team

6. Special interest: Primary Care Mental Health Team