SOUTH WESTERN DEANERY - South West Peninsula Deanery

POST:
TRAINER:
EMPLOYING TRUST:
Substance Misuse Psychiatry
Dr Rupert White
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
JOB DESCRIPTION: Cornwall Drugs and Alcohol Team (CDAT) provides treatment and support to problem drugusers
across Cornwall, a relatively poor rural county with a total population just under 500,000. CDAT medical
staff comprises 1 SHO wte, 1.8 Staff Grade wtes, 1 Clinical Assistant wtes, 3 Consultant wtes. The Specialty
Trainee would be attached to the team in the mid-zone PCT, with a catchment area population of around
150,000. It is one of three Consultant-led teams for the county as a whole, and has an office based in Redruth,
with clinics in Truro, St Austell, Newquay and Falmouth. There is also a smaller cohort of amphetamine users
on dexamphetamine. The Specialty Trainee would be expected to gain experience in prescribing methadone,
buprenorphine and dexamphetamine and would be encouraged to take a small caseload as key worker in order
to do this.
Alcohol and other specialist teams: There are a number of specialist services also provided by CDAT. As well as
successful youth and criminal justice teams, there is a small but rapidly-evolving alcohol team co-located with
the larger core drug team. This alcohol team works closely with the CMHT’s in co-managing clients with
complex needs. Although it is a prescribing service there is more emphasis on psychosocial interventions,
especially motivational enhancement. The alcohol team also has a detoxification bed in the local DGH.
Links with other agencies: There would be opportunities to link to local CMHTs, and provide some training and
support to them. In general, supporting recently developed dual diagnosis initiatives would be encouraged, and
it is imagined that a Specialty Trainee could contribute a lot in this area. CDAT has close links with local GPs,
and indeed some have clinical sessions with the team. Shared care initiatives are being taken up by GPs all over
the county, and there would be opportunities for the trainee to have experience of supporting and advising
local doctors re the management of their clients.
Research: CDAT is an authority on substitution treatments for amphetamine users. It has also pioneered the
use of buprenorphine substitution therapy in the UK. There have been a number of peer-reviewed research
publications relating to these areas, and more evaluations are planned. Research and audit is a particular
strength of this team, and this will therefore be encouraged. The Specialty Trainees timetable would be
adapted to suit their training requirements. Assuming that the Specialty Trainee had had little experience in the
field they would be encouraged to take a small case-load of both drug and alcohol clients, and act as their keyworker.
As well as formal time-tabled supervision, adequate informal supervision would be assured as all the
sessions on the attached timetable are also attended by the supervising Consultant.
A.M.
P.M.
Monday
Home Detoxification Assessment and
Alcohol Team Meeting (Redruth)
prescribing (Redruth)
Tuesday Drug Outpatient Clinic (St Austell/Truro) Special Interest (?psychotherapy-
Redruth)
Wednesday CPD Programme Research
Thursday Alcohol Clinic (Truro/St Austell alternating) Special Interest (?psychotherapy)
Friday
Drug Team Meeting
11.00 - 12.00 Supervision with Consultant
On-Call 1: 18 with Consultant Cover
Research
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