The Gerald Russell Unit is seeking to recruit an enthusiastic and skilled Specialty Doctor to join one of the United Kingdom’s leading specialist inpatient services for adults with eating disorders.
The successful candidate will contribute to the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of adults with severe eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, ARFID and other complex eating disorder presentations. Patients frequently present with significant psychiatric and physical health risks requiring highly specialised multidisciplinary care.
The post holder will play a central role in providing psychiatric and medical input to the inpatient service, including assessment, physical health monitoring, nutritional rehabilitation, risk management, treatment planning, family work and discharge planning.
The post offers excellent opportunities to develop expertise in the management of eating disorders, the interface between psychiatry and medicine, Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act practice, and psychologically informed multidisciplinary care.
The successful applicant will join a highly experienced multidisciplinary team and will receive regular consultant supervision together with opportunities to participate in teaching, quality improvement, research and service development.
To participate in assessment of referrals, undertake admission psychiatric and physical health assessments, complete mental state examinations, assess psychiatric and physical risk, and contribute to multidisciplinary formulations, treatment plans and individualised care plans.
To monitor physical health throughout admission, assess and manage medical complications associated with eating disorders, oversee nutritional rehabilitation and refeeding programmes, and help prevent and manage refeeding syndrome.
To attend ward rounds, MDT meetings, CPA reviews and family meetings where appropriate, contribute to formulation discussions, and support collaborative decision-making. To include families and carers appropriately, contribute to psychoeducation, and maintain a patient-centred approach. The role also includes assessment and management of psychiatric and physical health risk.
To participate in Mental Health Act assessments and reviews, undertake Mental Capacity Act assessments where appropriate, contribute to best interests decisions, and develop expertise in treatment refusal, ethical dilemmas and the legal aspects of specialist eating disorders practice.
The Adult Eating Disorders Service at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust is nationally and internationally recognised for excellence in clinical care, teaching and research.
The Gerald Russell Unit is an 18-bedded specialist inpatient unit providing assessment and treatment for adults with eating disorders requiring inpatient care. The service accepts referrals from both local and national pathways and provides care for patients with significant psychiatric and medical complexity.
The inpatient programme includes:
- Nutritional rehabilitation and refeeding • Medical stabilisation and monitoring • Psychiatric assessment and treatment • Psychological therapies • Motivational enhancement approaches • Cognitive remediation therapy • Occupational therapy • Family and carer interventions • Recovery-focused rehabilitation • Discharge planning and transition to community services
The unit forms part of the wider Adult Eating Disorders Service, which also includes specialist outpatient and day treatment programmes. The post holder’s responsibilities will be focused primarily on inpatient care, whilst maintaining close working relationships with community and day services to facilitate integrated pathways of care.
The Gerald Russell Unit has a strong commitment to multidisciplinary working, reflective practice, clinical excellence and continuous service development.
Assessment , Admission and Ongoing Inpatient Care
To participate in assessment of referrals for inpatient treatment, undertake admission psychiatric and physical health assessments, complete mental state examinations, assess psychiatric and physical risk, and contribute to multidisciplinary formulations, treatment plans and individualised care plans. To provide day-to-day psychiatric care, review patients regularly, assess and manage comorbidity and contribute to CPA reviews, care planning, discharge planning and transition to community services.
Physical Health Monitoring and Nutritional Rehabilitation
The post holder will monitor physical health throughout admission, assess and manage medical complications associated with eating disorders, oversee nutritional rehabilitation and refeeding programmes, and help prevent and manage refeeding syndrome. Working closely with MDT to support weight restoration, behavioural interventions, management of treatment ambivalence and monitoring of progress towards treatment goals.
Multidisciplinary, Family and Risk Work
To attend consultant ward rounds, MDT meetings, CPA reviews and family meetings where appropriate, contribute to formulation discussions, and support collaborative decision-making. To include families and carers appropriately, contribute to psychoeducation, and maintain a patient-centred approach. The role also includes assessment and management of psychiatric and physical health risk.
Legal, Liaison and Documentation Responsibilities
To participate in Mental Health Act assessments and reviews, undertake Mental Capacity Act assessments where appropriate, contribute to best interests decisions, and develop expertise in treatment refusal, ethical dilemmas and the legal aspects of specialist eating disorders practice. . Accurate and timely electronic record keeping, discharge summaries, clinical correspondence, and compliance with Trust and professional documentation standards are essential.
