SOUTH WESTERN DEANERY - South West Peninsula Deanery

POST:
TRAINER:
EMPLOYING TRUST:
Primary Care Liaison General Adult Psychiatry
Dr Fiona Murphy
Plymouth Primary Care Trust (currently – shortly to become a social
enterprise, under new management)
JOB DESCRIPTION: This is a post in general adult (community) psychiatry, working at Elmview, Plympton
Hospital, as part of the Plymouth Community Mental Health Team, covering the Plympton and Plymstock areas
of Plymouth. The catchment area is approximately 40,000, the majority of which is relatively affluent, and
predominantly suburban, though there are some small rural patches; it is served by seven GP practices. The
post is purely community based as care for all inpatients is provided by the specialist inpatient/home treatment
consultant.
There is only one consultant working in the Plymouth CMHT. There are four other consultants (3.6 WTE)
working at Elmview, in the two other CMHTS’s based there (Central North East, and North West). The five
consultants have a daytime duty rota to cover emergencies across the whole locality, and also to provide a
consultation service to Derriford hospital (red top referrals). The trainee will have the option of participating in
this rota.
The Plymouth team consists of one band 7 CPN team leader, one band 6 deputy team leader (post currently
held by an OT), four band 5 CPN’s, one OT, two support workers, and two AMHP’s (social workers). There is
also a full time team secretary, in addition to a medical secretary. There are three psychologists based at
Elmview who work collectively to provide a service to all three teams at Elmview. We have access to other
psychological therapies, including CBT and family therapy, through the psychotherapy department. There is a
full time specialty doctor working with the Plymouth CMHT. Sometimes there is also a core psychiatric trainee
in post, but this cannot be guaranteed.
The trainee will work closely with other members of the team and provide assessments to new referrals which
require medical input, either at base, or at the patient’s home. He/she will also be expected to carry a small
caseload of patients requiring follow up/ continuing care. We do not currently have the facilities to provide
clinics at GP surgeries but it is hoped that this will change in the near future. However the trainee will be
encouraged to link in with a small group of primary care practitioners. The trainee will also be expected to
attend the multidisciplinary team referral meetings, provide advice and support to staff in accordance with
degree of experience and participate in Care Planning meetings with other members of the team. In order to
help with transition arrangements with the home treatment team, the trainee will have the option of attending
the weekly discussion meetings held by the home treatment team, and may also attend the weekly ward round
for Plym patients, by agreement with the ward consultant.
There is an active teaching programme for junior medical staff with weekly case conference and journal clubs.
The trainee will be expected to take an active part in this and to help with its organisation. There will also be
opportunity to provide teaching to other professional groups.
Dr Murphy is a trained group therapist and runs a number of staff and patient groups. The trainee will
therefore be given the opportunity to co-facilitate one or more groups, according to his/her interest.
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