MH&A Consultant Psychiatrist, Emergency Department

Consultant Psychiatrist, Middlemore Hospital Emergency Department - Permanent

A great opportunity in acute psychiatry to work in an evolving Emergency Department with strong existing links and collegiality. Generous provisions under the collective agreement with protected non‑clinical time, stellar leave provisions and working in a team that prioritises the need to recognise service development and quality improvement. Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

We are seeking a consultant psychiatrist to join our Acute Community Services (ACS) team. ACS is made up of acute teams providing acute assessment to both the community and Middlemore Hospital Emergency Department. Afterwards our Home‑Based Treatment (HBT) team provides acute care in the community at home or community respite facilities. We are a service that is focused on improvement, excellence and delivering the equitable and culturally safe care to all patients in Counties Manukau. There are opportunities to teach, educate and mentor students (medical, nursing & allied health) and also psychiatry registrars. Psychiatrists are encouraged and supported to initiate and commence improvement initiatives within the service, with dedicated and protected non‑clinical time to support this. Work‑life balance is exceptionally important to us at ACS. Both roles also provide clinical leadership, and has opportunities to contribute to policy, procedure and service development. The Consultant Psychiatrist will act as a role model for high standards of care by supporting an environment where excellence can flourish.

The Emergency Department at Middlemore is one of the busiest across Australia and New Zealand with >120,000 presentations per year. The psychiatrist works closely with a nurse practitioner, mental health nurses, social workers, co‑existing disorder practitioners and peer support specialists. The patient range is exceptionally diverse with a mix of substance‑related presentations, serious mental illness, organic/psychosomatic presentations and many others. We have an exceptionally strong relationship with our ED colleagues and decisions are always collaborative and patient focused. Finally, Counties Manukau is about to embark on a journey to develop a local co‑governed ED & MH assessment unit, located within the ED footprint there are ample opportunities to be involved in this exciting new piece of work, the first of its kind in New Zealand.

We are looking for someone who is keen to work within and together with the diverse and culturally rich community of Counties Manukau. You will need to have the ability to promote teamwork and navigate through the challenges of providing complex care to whaiora with complex presentations, by promoting a strong team culture and function, and a genuine focus on equitable health systems and outcomes.

• Experience of working in an acute psychiatric or liaison psychiatry setting is a benefit, but not necessary
• Experience of supervising psychiatry registrars (or keenness to) is a benefit, but not necessary
• Have excellent communication skills and be highly organised
• Be prepared to lead a small team in an Emergency Department setting
• Working at Health New Zealand

We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities. Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We strongly encourage applications from all backgrounds who share our values and have a passion to work in our community. We are also committed to our Disability Strategy and to improving accessibility needs for everyone who has a disability.

Valuing Everyone - Whakawhanaungatanga, Kind Manaakitanga, Together Kotahitanga, Excellent - Rangatiratanga.