Forensic Consultant Psychiatrist in England

Are you an experienced psychiatrist ready to lead forensic mental health services? If so, join St Mary’s Hospital as a Forensic Consultant Psychiatrist to provide strategic leadership, expert clinical oversight and recovery-focused care for people within the criminal justice system. Acting as Responsible Clinician under the Mental Health Act, you will ensure the highest standards of psychiatric care across medium and low secure services.

In this role, you will lead the clinical management of a defined caseload, overseeing psychiatric assessments, formulations, and treatment planning. You will provide specialist advice to courts, probation, prison services and MAPPA, and prepare reports for Mental Health Review Tribunals, hospital managers’ hearings, and the Ministry of Justice. Working closely with multidisciplinary teams—including forensic social workers, psychologists, and occupational therapists—you will ensure coordinated care and effective implementation of the Care Programme Approach.

Beyond clinical leadership, you will play a key role in service development, shaping strategy, and contributing to pathway reconfiguration to meet evolving needs. You will actively participate in clinical governance, audits, and risk management processes, supporting quality improvement and compliance with CQC/HIW standards. Your responsibilities will also include teaching and supervision of trainee psychiatrists and junior medical staff, as well as leading research and quality‑improvement projects to inform best practice.

As a Forensic Consultant Psychiatrist, you will:

• Have a role within senior management within the respective hospital of clinical work.
• Manage and performance manage doctors as necessary.
• Have responsibility for safe and adequate medical cover.
• Facilitate and support the Clinical Quality Assurance programme, ensuring consistency within the units.
• Take a lead role in developing Clinical Governance in conjunction with the Clinical Governance team.
• Ensure high quality, appropriate information and paperwork is received by stakeholders.
• Ensure professional policy and practice and their application is of a good standard across the service.
• Ensure professional compliance with the relevant professional bodies.
• Participate in channels of communication throughout the hospital through which clinicians contribute information.
• Participate in continued professional development as laid out by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
• Provide clinical assistance and support where required to the development of strategies for clinical audit or Quality Improvement and medical education within the hospitals/region.
• Promote awareness and understanding of quality improvement and share learning and successes from quality improvement work.
• Ensure positive relationships are maintained with all our stakeholders.
• Ensure the hospitals and medical team are represented at local, national and Elysium healthcare Professional Development forums.
• Ensure adequate and safe delivery of medical input across site.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• MBChB/MBBS (or equivalent); Full GMC registration; CCT or CESR in General Adult or Forensic Psychiatry; MRCPsych; Approved Clinician (s.12 MHA); Higher research degree (MD/PhD) or MSc.
• ≥5 years’ postgraduate psychiatric experience, including ≥2 years in forensic settings.
• Prior Responsible Clinician role; experience in secure inpatient and community forensic services.
• Strong risk assessment, formulation and management skills; knowledge of MHA/MCA; report‑writing for tribunals and courts.
• Interest in Clinical Neuropsychiatry with clinical and academic experience.
• Proven ability to lead MDTs; service planning; participation in audit and governance processes.
• Prior management role at consultant level in a forensic service.
• Experience teaching trainees and healthcare professionals; involvement in audit and QI projects.
• Peer‑reviewed publications; experience securing research funding.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills; commitment to equality, diversity & inclusion; resilience and adaptability.

What You’ll Get

At Elysium Healthcare, we believe in taking care of the people who care for others, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, growth, and future:

• Competitive annual salary.
• £5000 car allowance.
• £10,000 signing on fee.
• 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays and your birthday off!
• A Group Personal Pension Plan (GPPP) and pension contribution.
• Career development and training to help you achieve your professional goals.
• Voluntary benefits.
• Medical indemnity cover.
• Access to our Rewards & Benefits platform Ely-Vate; Your one‑stop destination for everyday savings, exclusive benefits, and wellbeing hub!
• Wellbeing support and activities to help you maintain a healthy work‑life balance.
• Access to Blue Light Card, which provides a range of exclusive offers and discounts.
• Life Assurance, for added peace of mind.
• Stream – instant access to earned wages when you need it, plus access to save, directly from your wages, alongside financial wellbeing support.
• 24/7 GP service and second medical opinion, to ensure you are the best you can be.
• Enhanced Maternity Package, so you can truly enjoy this special time.
• Free/subsidised meals and onsite/local free parking.

About your next employer:

Elysium Healthcare has over 8,000 employees and a unique approach to the delivery of care. With a network of over 90 services across England and Wales covering Mental Health, Neurological, Learning Disabilities & Autism, Children & Education, there is opportunity for you to grow and move. Elysium Healthcare is part of Ramsay Health Care with a global network that extends across 10 countries and employs over 86,000 people globally. Elysium Healthcare follows safer recruitment of staff for all appointments and is a Disability Confident employer, committed to inclusive and accessible recruitment. It is a requirement that all staff understand it is each person’s individual responsibility to promote and safeguard the welfare of service users. All candidates will be subject to a DBS disclosure.