Second Opinion Appointed Doctor

WE ARE NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS IFYOU HAVE 3 YEARS EXPERIENCE AS A SUBSTANTIVE CONSULTANT PSYCHIATRIST

Location: We are currently acceptingapplications nationally for this role.
Working Hours: The role is ad-hoc, however,candidates must have availability to commit to a minimum of 40 second opinionsper year.
Fees: £220.00 per second opinion. There arealso supplements applicable for prioritising urgent SOAD work and for visitinghospitals at greater distances from your home base. Fees and expenses,including mileage, will be payable in accordance with CQC’s policies.
Closing Date: 18/02/2026 at 11.59pm  

Are you committed tohelping us to safeguard patients subject to the Mental Health Act againstinappropriate treatments?
When thinking about whatdrives you every day in your job, what keeps you motivated and passionate aboutyour work what comes to mind? For 3000+ people at the CQC we end eachday knowing that we have made a difference to the lives of those most in needin our communities.  We are looking for people who are caring anddemonstrate integrity to join with us in our work to protect patients.  Ifyou would like to help us make a positive impact in our service for patientswithin England, then read on.

The role of theSecond Opinion Appointed Doctor…
The role of SOAD is achallenging one which demands professional credibility, the ability to questiondecisions in a non-adversarial but firm style, and excellent negotiating andinter-personal skills. It will be necessary for you to be able to place decisionsabout medicine within the wider context of treatment, and you must be able tobalance the interests of the patient against the need for treatment. Theability to employ independent judgement and to justify decisions in the face ofpotential external pressures is essential.

We are looking forconsultant psychiatrists with a demonstrable commitment to a rights-basedapproach, in-depth knowledge and experience of psychiatry in a variety ofclinical settings, and considerable experience of working with detainedpatients. Candidates should have current or recent hands-on practice in aclinical environment, and should be up to date with current practice, bothclinical and non-clinical, including measures to promote equality of serviceprovision for all patients.

What you will bringto the role…
Successful candidates willhave held a permanent substantive post as a consultant psychiatrist for atleast three years. We are particularly interested in candidates who candemonstrate an interest in and commitment to improving the lives of detainedpatients.

Accountabilities:
SOADs are expected toundertake all aspects of the role relating to Section 58, Section 58a andSupervised Community Treatment including:
– Interviewing the patientin private where possible and applicable.
– Understanding the patient’scircumstances through reading of relevant documents/records.
– Reviewing the current and proposedtreatment plan
– Talking to two professionals involved in the patient’s medical treatment alsoknown as statutory consultees.
– Seeking additionalinformation to inform their decision as appropriate.
– Certifying appropriate treatments and recording the reasons for this.

A SOAD is required to makedecisions on whether treatments are appropriate and issue certificatesaccordingly, based on their own independent judgement, taking intoconsideration clinical rationale, the interests of the patient, and theimplementation of the Act and the Code of Practice.

Second Opinions can becarried out by visiting a hospital or remotely through video or telephonecontact. While it is possible and at times necessary to carry out secondopinions out of normal working hours, we expect that the majority (85%) ofsecond opinions) will occur within weekday daytimes.

Having made their decision,the SOAD must then record their decision and the reasons for it. SOADs alsoreport to CQC any issues of concern identified when carrying out their work which will be shared with MentalHealth Act Reviewers and Inspectors.

Please note, shortlistedcandidates will be required to provide a Letter of Endorsement from theiremployer prior to interview.

Essential criteria:
GMC registered with a licenseto practice medicine.
GMC Specialist registration.
MRCPsych or equivalentqualification recognised by the RCPsych.
Substantive consultant statusin psychiatry for at least three years (appointed via article 14 equivalence or higher training).
Registered in good standing forCPD.
S12(2) approved at the point ofapplication (you do not have to maintain this post-appointment).
Current or recent hands-onclinical practice.
Breadth of psychiatric practicein a variety of settings.
Experience of working withpatients liable to compulsion.
Excellent inter-personalskills.
Ability to process informationand follow protocols.
Demonstrable practicalcommitment to equality and diversity.
Availability to undertake aminimum of 40 second opinions per year (it is possible to complete severalopinions in one day).
Availability to attendmandatory training events (currently one day annually) and ad hoc training orpeer group meetings.
Computer literate, withexperience of sending and receiving email, completing MS Word documents,receiving PDF documents and use of encryption applications.

Desirable criteria:
Evidence of leadership inrelevant areas.
Experience ofmulti-disciplinary working at a senior level.
Specialist expertise, e.g.CAMHS, Elderly, Forensic.
Interest in Mental Health work.

Compliance
To progress your application, you’ll need to provide evidence of your right towork in the UK. Without valid right to work you won’t be eligible for therole. We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Someroles may also be subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

Next steps
If you apply, you’ll need to create a profile and complete an online application form. Your application will be completely anonymous.  Please see our information for applicants for more details on the process. We contact every applicant to let them know the outcome of their application, so you will hear from us whether or not you are shortlisted.
You can read the full details of the role in the Job Description: SOAD Job Description
If you’d like an informal chat about the role contact – Craig Jennings, via email craig.jennings@cqc.org.uk. For general enquiries, please email temprecruitment@cqc.org.uk.

The Benefits
Weoffer a wide range of benefits, including:

• Training and development opportunities.
• Wellbeing initiatives, such as gym discounts and meditation.
• NHS pension scheme, with around 14% employer contribution.
• Discount schemes (including eligibility for a Blue Light card, at a cost of £4.99 and valid for 2 years), reward vouchers, car leasing and more!

Please see our benefits page for the full list.

Equity for all
We know job descriptions can feel intimidating. Research shows they can cause some people to doubt whether they’re a good fit. This happens more often to people from underrepresented groups (e.g. ethnic minority backgrounds). If this role interests you, we encourage you to apply. Your unique perspective, skills, and experience could be exactly what we need.

We want every candidate to feel supported and able to do their best. If you need adjustments to our process, we’ll work with you to remove any barriers. Visit our accessibility page for more on this. If you’d like to chat, please contact temprecruitment@cqc.org.uk. Please note, if you have previously informed us of adjustments you need for interview or within your role these are not carried over and must be discussed for each individual application you make.

 
We promote a workplace where fairness, respect and inclusion are a priority. Diverse teams make our work better, help us deliver our mission and make our culture stronger. See our ED&I page for more about this.

We welcomeapplications from everyone, and colleagues can find supportand community among our many employee networks. This includes people of any:

• Age
• Sex
• Gender identity or expression
• Sexual orientation
• Religion or belief
• Ethnicity
• Disability

A Note on AI
AI tools can be great for research and refining ideas, but we want to learn about you. If you use AI or Chatbots to help you with your application, keep these points in mind:

• AI can support research, structuring and refining your writing, but your application must reflect your real skills and experience.
• Spell-checking and condensing word counts are great ways to use AI effectively.
• Do not copy and paste AI generated answers. These will not help you stand out; remember we want to hear about your skills and experience.
• Providing false and insincere examples goes against our core values of honesty and integrity and may lead to your application being withdrawn or termination of your employment.

Values and vision
We are guided by our core values, which shape our work and our culture.
Excellence – being a high-performing organisation.
Caring – treating everyone with dignity and respect.
Integrity – doing the right thing.
Teamwork – learning from each other to be the best we can.
We are a disability confident employer and a carer confident employer.