Mental Health Nurse in London

We are looking to expand our clinical workforce and are seeking applications from experienced mental health nurses (ideally with a prescribing qualification) to join our dedicated First Contact Team (FCT) supporting healthcare professionals working in the NHS.

The FCT is the front door to all the pathways at PH. This role is key in the delivery of a high quality, effective service to our patients, ensuring they are seen rapidly and by the most appropriate person within the team. The post holder will be required to carry out triage for new contacts and referrals, assessments of new patients, ongoing case management and liaison with other providers who might be involved in the care of the patients. You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team which includes GPs, psychiatrists and therapists.

The role can be delivered predominantly online, with regular regional in person multidisciplinary CPD and networking events. Working hours Monday to Friday only and are flexible between 8am and 8pm. We will consider both full and part time applications.

Please note we have a strict three-year gap between accessing the service as a patient and working with the service as a clinician. We understand that PH work can be challenging and want to ensure people have enough time to focus on their own recovery before taking on the issues of others.

Applications close on 2nd April 2026 with interviews to be held late April early May.

NHS Practitioner Health (PH) is the award winning National (England wide) service for doctors, dentists and health and care staff with mental health and addiction issues which may be affecting their ability to work safely and effectively or return to work. The service aims to deliver positive outcomes in relation to improvement in mental health and social functioning, numbers returning to work/retraining, reduction in risk to patients and the public, and reduction in regulatory involvement.

The Post Holder Will Be Required To:

• Review new registrations, identifying eligibility and an appropriate pathway.
• Assess patients identified as suitable for an early contact assessment and carry out risk assessments on patients where a high level of risk is identified at registration.
• Offer triage appointments to assess suitability for those presenting as high risk.
• Provide evidence based mental health and addiction interventions for sick health and care professionals.
• Case manage a group of patients who may or may not be in active treatment elsewhere.
• Effectively manage risk and share concerns with the wider team, and report back to the First Contact Lead or Lead clinician as necessary.
• Work with patients in active addiction and support them towards abstinence.
• Have the skills to support people with mental health issues and those with addictions.
• Work with the medical and clinical directors in developing and delivering health promotion and teaching projects, including psychoeducation.
• Contribute towards wider Practitioner Health and Hurley Group activities and projects.

You will need to be a confident decision maker and be skilled in undertaking risk assessments of health and care staff that have mental health and addiction issues, taking into account the complexity their role brings to their health issue. You will need to be able to confidently discuss medication initiation, dose changes, and make suitable recommendations to practitioner patients. This role is unique as the patients you assess and treat will also be your peers, so you need to be assertive, confident and highly skilled and be able to justify your decision making and plans.

Qualifications

• Registered with the NMC with at least 5 years post qualification experience in the field.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Evidence of postgraduate study in substance misuse Part 2 RCGP Certificate in Substance Misuse or equivalent such as other specialist psychiatric experience in a related field e.g. eating disorders.
• Qualified non-medical prescriber.

Skills, Abilities and Knowledge:

• Able to utilise different and innovative modalities to consult with patients including text and email via a secure platform.
• Confident in discussing pharmacological options.
• Knowledge of the needs of health professionals, including knowledge of relevant epidemiology, natural history, assessment, treatment and prognosis.
• Understanding of help seeking behaviour and access to health care by health professionals.
• Be aware of the full range of treatment models for the management of different mental health problems.
• Have a knowledge of behavioural, medical, social and psychological factors that are particularly prevalent in health professionals.
• Have an awareness of boundary issues when dealing with practitioner-patients.
• Understanding of the roles of other health professionals.
• Understanding of the professional regulation and standards environment for healthcare professionals.
• Be able to raise the issue of mental health problems sensitively either in response to a particular presentation or opportunistically.
• Able to refer practitioner-patients to appropriate treatment services.
• Able to minimise risk of mental health problems/addiction in self and support personal wellbeing.
• An understanding of the education and training environment for doctors and dentists and other HCPs.
• An ability to work in an integrated multi-professional team.

Specific Aptitudes and Abilities:

• To be able to maintain confidentiality at all levels.
• Be highly organised and IT literate.
• Have a non-judgmental attitude.
• Support and encourage normalisation of mental health discussions by health professionals.
• Have an awareness of how cultural, gender, sexual or spiritual differences may impact on assessment and engagement.
• To be solution focused and consider innovative approaches to problem solving.
• Have an ability to work as part of a team and to communicate effectively and shared ownership of care with team members.
• Have a flexible approach to delivery of care including use of technology.
• Have a high degree of confidence in your own clinical skills, that will allow you to successfully manage fellow health professionals with ease.

Experience:

• Experience of working in mental health and/or addiction at a senior level.
• Experience of working with, or commitment to sick health professionals.
• Experience of producing reports, assessments and presentations involving highly complex information.
• Experience of providing, receiving and processing sensitive or contentious information and communicating this effectively.
• Experience of building and developing effective working relationships and networking with senior professionals.
• Personal clinical supervision.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions. Applicants must have current UK professional registration.