North Western Psychiatry
Postgraduate Medical Education
Trainee Job Description
Job Title
Supervisor
Hospital Address
Trust
Speciality
Year of Trainee
FY1 (Psychiatry of Old Age)
Dr. Sadia Ahmed
The Harbour, Preston New Road, Blackpool
Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust
Psychiatry
Sub Speciality
1
Old Age
Description of Placement
The post provides four months experience of inpatient older adult psychiatry and involves the
management of patients with a variety of mental disorders as well as age related and dementia
related physical, psychological and social changes.
The post is based at the Harbour at Blackpool, a newly built mental health unit within Lancashire care
NHS Foundation Trust which provides for older adult and adult services. There are two 15 bedded
units for dementia care and two 18 bedded wards for those with functional mental health problems
associated with ageing.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Trainee
The trainee will work under the clinical supervision of one of the inpatient consultants in an inpatient
setting.
The regular medical aspect of the team consists of one Consultant, one and a half Core Trainees,
GPSTs and an FY1. A Specialist Trainee may be attached to the team too. Whilst working in the inpatient unit, the FY1 trainee provides clinical care to the patients, manages ward work under
supervision of the consultant, ST and CTs and as part of a MDT. Older Adult patients often have
complex physical health problems and in order to provide support to the teams in providing good
quality care, there will be regular physical health review sessions with a Geriatrician, RGN and GPs.
This is currently under discussion.
They take part in audit, small scale governance projects within the unit, and can additionally be
involved in undergraduate teaching.
Educational Objectives of Foundation years
To provide the trainee with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be able to
• Take a history and examine a patient with mental health problems
• Identify and synthesise problems
• Prescribe safely (especially in F2 year)
• Keep an accurate and relevant medical record
• Manage time and clinical priorities effectively
• Communicate effectively with patients, relatives and colleagues
• Use evidence, guidelines and audit to benefit patient care
• Act in a professional manner at all times
• Cope with ethical and legal issues which occur during the management of patients with general
medical problems
• Educate patients effectively
• Become life-long learners and teachers
Core Clinical Work include details of where this will be carried out, type of assessments and
therapies for which the doctor in training will be responsible (all experience must be appropriate to the level of
training provided)
The trainee as part of an MDT will provide appropriate care for the stage of their training to about 1820 in patients with a wide range of mental health disorders across two wards, dementia and
functional. This will typically include patients with psychotic depression, bipolar disorder, graduate
patients with schizophrenia, late onset psychosis and severe generalised anxiety or obsessional
disorders. Organic diagnoses include Alzheimer’s, vascular, Lewy body and frontal temporal
dementias as well as organic mood disorders and psychoses. Many of these patients being in the
older age group have co morbid medical problems which need investigating and treatment.
Under appropriate supervision the FY1 trainees is responsible for initial clerking, physical examination
and arranging first line investigations. They will also be discussing medical issues with the appropriate
speciality as well as the patient’s GP within the standards expected for their level. They will be
supported in their role in providing physical health care by senior medical staff as well as through
regular sessions with a geriatrician, RGN and GPs on site.
The psychiatry core trainee would be responsible for routine mental state examination, cognitive
assessment, informant interviews and formulation but the FY1 is also encouraged to participate in this
process for their own learning and development.
They will be responsible for writing up notes from their own work, from review meetings, preparing
admission summaries, contribute to discharge letters to GP’s and making referrals to other disciplines
and specialities after discussion with the consultant. They will utilise electronic record systems for
much of this activity and will work within a multidisciplinary context.
GMC regulations prevent full prescribing rights for the FY1s in a non-acute hospital, non-residential
setting. The LCFT’s Procedure for Medicines Prescribing now allows the prescription by the FY1 for
medication used in the treatment of physical health conditions but not for the prescription of
psychotropic medication or for medication used in the treatment of mental health.
On Call Please state frequency of on-call and nature of duties plus arrangements for clinical supervision
N/A
Academic Activities These should include case conferences/Journal Clubs/Lectures etc
Local postgraduate training is held each Wednesday afternoon. The programme includes interview
skills training, journal club and critical appraisal, presenting at case conference, outside lecturers,
pharmacy FAQ’s and audit programming and presentation. The local educational programme for the
MRCPsych course will also be held at the Harbour. The FY1 is encouraged to participate in this
programme and in presentation of audits.
The FY1 has protected training time on Thursdays pm to participate in the Foundation training
programme.
Facilities
At the Harbour, trainees will have allocated office space with access to computers which may be
shared by other Core Psychiatry and GPST doctors in training. There is also a resource room which is
available for training events. There is free parking and changing facilities on site including lockers and
showers. There is a café and vending machines on site which provide light snacks and drinks. Within
walking distance of the hospital is a supermarket which includes a coffee shop.
A Psychiatry Medical Education Collaborative between Mental Health Trusts in the NWDeanery
Supervision Arrangements
Formal clinical supervision is with the consultant for one hour per week. This time is protected in both
timetables.
Clinical supervision is available from both inpatient consultants and the higher trainee (ST4-6) for
inpatient responsibilities.
FY1 doctors will only engage in clinical work when they have access to onsite clinical supervision
from more senior medical staff.
Teaching/Academic Experience
Undergraduate medical students from the various medical schools in the North West have
placements at the Harbour and there will be opportunities for the FY1 trainee to become involved in
the facilitation of their training in older adult psychiatry. The FY1 is expected, within their competence,
along with the core trainees and the higher speciality trainee, to contribute to their training through
both small group and hands on apprenticeship style teaching.
There are additionally ad hoc opportunities to teach other disciplines.
Audit/Research Opportunities
The trainee is expected to complete and present one audit project during this 4 month attachment.
They are supported in this by the medical team and the clinical governance department of the Trust.
Research opportunities are limited. Training in methodology and critical appraisal is provided within
the academic program. Those trainees already involved in research are encouraged to continue
contact with supervisors and to attend relevant related activity.
Management Opportunities
Small quality improvement projects are possible and encouraged.
Other/Additional Experience
Trainees are supported to experience psychiatry in other sub specialities such as general adult or
liaison. There are opportunities to observe community psychiatry through home visits with other
mental health professionals.
Description of Special Interest Opportunities
N/A
A Psychiatry Medical Education Collaborative between Mental Health Trusts in the NWDeanery