Perinatal Consultant

1. Clinical duties of post holder

Provide comprehensive assessment, diagnosis and management of

issues relating to mental and physical health for acutely unwell mothers and

their infants. The post holder will offer input to the inpatient teams for

perinatal patients who are detained under a section of the Mental Health Act

(1983), consider the patients capacity and consent to treatment at all times

and ensure all care planning is completed in line with legal documentation. All

clinical work will be done in the context of the trauma informed and recovery

approach, placing the service user at the centre of it.

To carry out the clinical duties within this post, it is a

requirement that the post holder can understand the prediction, detection,

prevention and management of mental disorder in pregnant and postnatal women,

the inter relationship between mental disorder and pregnancy and the postpartum

period, and the wider effects of mental disorder on child development and the

mother-infant relationship.

The post holder will assess and manage risk including suicide

risk, risks in relation to the pregnancy and risk to children.

The post holder will provide prescribing advice on psychotropic

• medication in pregnancy and breastfeeding to patients and colleagues in general
• psychiatry, maternity services, primary care, health visiting and children's
• social care to ensure optimum outcomes for the patient and her child.
• The post holder will have a continuing responsibility for the care
• of patients in their care, whilst undertaking administrative duties associated
• with patient care.
• To be the medical lead for the Perinatal team.

To offer advice and specialist medical input to

the above teams.

To attend Multidisciplinary Team Meetings.

To ensure the medical care is of the highest

quality within your sphere of responsibility.

To liaise with / offer advice to GPs where

appropriate.

To supervise the work of resident doctors who

are allocated to the perinatal team.

To assess and act as responsible clinician for

patients under the Mental Health Act as required.