Consultant Psychiatrist - Early Intervention in Psychosis & ARMS

A Vacancy at Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Consultant Psychiatrist to join our supportive and developing specialist service, where you will provide clinical leadership, contribute to service development and help shape the future of Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) and At-Risk Mental State (ARMS) services across Dorset. This is a newly created role with an exciting opportunity to develop the service.

Based at the Hillcrest Unit in Bournemouth, you will work as part of a pan-Dorset multidisciplinary team delivering high-quality, recovery-focused care. EIP supports people aged 14–65, while ARMS supports young people aged 14–35.

This varied role offers the opportunity to provide specialist clinical expertise in assessing and managing of complex mental health presentations, including psychosis. You will undertake new patient assessments, medical reviews, Mental Health Act assessments, tribunal work and care planning, delivered across clinic, community and home settings where appropriate.

You will join a supportive, forward-thinking specialist service committed to excellent patient outcomes. ARMS is primarily psychologically led, with medical oversight from the Consultant Psychiatrist. Referrals come from community, CMHT, primary care and inpatient services, providing an opportunity to work across the wider general adult pathway.

If you would like to discuss how this role could work for you please contact our Associate Medical Director, Dr Eman Shweikh 01202 492083

As Consultant Psychiatrist you’ll provide clinical leadership and expert psychiatric assessment and management within EIP and ARMS. You’ll work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues, including an Advanced Clinical Practitioner to deliver safe, effective and person-centred care in clinic and community settings

You’ll contribute to assessments, medical reviews, Mental Health Act assessments, tribunals, discharge planning and collaborative care with community mental health teams, inpatient services and primary care. You’ll support the interface between EIP, ARMS and wider general adult pathway.

This post attracts an

Enhanced Recruitment and Retention

A payment of£20,000to be paid as two lump sums. The first £10,000 will be paid on appointment in the role and the remaining £10,000 will be made on the anniversary of the start date. Both payments will be subject to deductions at source,plus a further relocation packageof up to£10,000if relocating to Dorset. We also offer flexible working, a supportive Consultant body, excellent NHS benefits, 10 days’ study leave and an annual study budget of up to £1,000.

You’ll have the opportunity to participate in the county-wide senior on-call rota, attracting a 3% availability supplement plus 0.75 APA per week, with an on-call frequency of approximately 1 in 21. Dedicated administrative support is provided, with opportunities for teaching, research, quality improvement and service development.

Join our Medical Team :: Careers Dorset

At Dorset HealthCare we’re on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We’re a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.

We do things differently here – it’s one of the reasons the CQC rated us ‘outstanding’ in 2019. It’s also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you’re looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.

Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We’re an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.

Working with us you’ll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don’t know. And you’ll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.

For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.

We understand that AI can be a useful tool when completing your application. However, we are seeing an increasing over-reliance of AI tools, which can negatively affect your application as it reduces a candidate’s individuality, and makes it difficult for us to gain a clear and authentic understanding of your experience, skills, and in turn your suitability for the role.

All submissions must be truthful and if you do use AI, it should only be used to enhance your application and not create your supporting statement in its entirety. Your supporting statement should be in your own words and must accurately reflect your personal experience and achievements. Where we have concerns that AI has been used to generate content that misrepresents your experience and suitability for the role, we may withdraw your application.

As part of our vision to have a skilled, diverse and caring workforce, Dorset HealthCare offers support for people getting into work. We offer an employability service to support individuals with application writing, interview skills and other employment support. If you would like or know of anyone who would value this support, please do contact dhc.wideningparticipation@nhs.net

This advert closes on Wednesday 25 Nov 2026