Second Opinion Appointed Doctor

CQC report on Now Healthcare Group; England; Hybrid; GBP 8,000 - 12,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in the UK is seeking a Consultant Psychiatrist with a minimum of three years' experience. The role involves providing second opinions and contributing to safeguarding patients under the Mental Health Act. Candidates should demonstrate a commitment to patient care and possess excellent interpersonal skills. The position offers flexibility with the possibility of remote consultations. Applications close on 04/01/2026.

Benefits

Training and development opportunities

NHS pension scheme with employer contribution

Discount schemes and wellbeing initiatives

Qualifications

• GMC registered with a licence to practice medicine.
• Current or recent hands-on clinical practice required.
• Three years as a substantive consultant psychiatrist necessary.

Responsibilities

• Interview patients and understand their circumstances.
• Review current and proposed treatment plans.
• Certify appropriate treatments and record decisions.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Independent judgement

Ability to process information

Commitment to equality and diversity

Negotiating skills

Education

GMC Specialist registration

MRCPsych or equivalent qualification

Registered in good standing for CPD

Job description

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

Location: We are currently accepting applications for this role covering London and Essex.

Working Hours: The role is ad‑hoc, however candidates must have availability to commit to a minimum of 40 second opinions per year.

Fees: £220.00 per second opinion. There are also supplements applicable for prioritising urgent SOAD work and for visiting hospitals at greater distances from your home base. Fees and expenses, including mileage, will be payable in accordance with CQC's policies.

Closing Date: 04/01/2026 at 11:59pm

Are you committed to helping us to safeguard patients subject to the Mental Health Act against inappropriate treatments? When thinking about what drives you every day in your job, what keeps you motivated and passionate about your work, what comes to mind? For 3000+ people at the CQC we end each day knowing that we have made a difference to the lives of those most in need in our communities. We are looking for people who are caring and demonstrate integrity to join us in our work to protect patients. If you would like to help us make a positive impact in our service for patients within England, then read on.

The role of the Second Opinion Appointed Doctor

The role of SOAD is a challenging one which demands professional credibility, the ability to question decisions in a non‑adversarial but firm style, and excellent negotiating and interpersonal skills. It will be necessary for you to be able to place decisions about medicine within the wider context of treatment, and you must be able to balance the interests of the patient against the need for treatment. The ability to employ independent judgement and to justify decisions in the face of potential external pressures is essential. We are looking for consultant psychiatrists with a demonstrable commitment to a rights‑based approach, in-depth knowledge and experience of psychiatry in a variety of clinical settings, and considerable experience of working with detained patients. Candidates should have current or recent hands‑on practice in a clinical environment, and should be up to date with current practice, both clinical and non‑clinical, including measures to promote equality of service provision for all patients.

What you will bring to the role

Successful candidates will have held a permanent substantive post as a consultant psychiatrist for at least three years. We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate an interest in and commitment to improving the lives of detained patients.

Accountabilities

• Interview the patient in private where possible and applicable.
• Understand the patient’s circumstances through reading of relevant documents/records.
• Review the current and proposed treatment plan.
• Talk to two professionals involved in the patient’s medical treatment also known as statutory consultees.
• Seek additional information to inform their decision as appropriate.
• Certify appropriate treatments and record the reasons for this.

A SOAD is required to make decisions on whether treatments are appropriate and issue certificates accordingly, based on their own independent judgement, taking into consideration clinical rationale, the interests of the patient, and the implementation of the Act and the Code of Practice.

Second opinions can be carried out by visiting a hospital or remotely through video or telephone contact. While it is possible and at times necessary to carry out second opinions out of normal working hours, we expect that the majority (85%) of second opinions will occur within weekday day‑times.

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

Please note, shortlisted candidates will be required to provide a Letter of Endorsement from the employer prior to interview.

Essential Criteria

• GMC registered with a licence to practice medicine.
• GMC Specialist registration.
• MRCPsych or equivalent qualification recognised by the RCPsych.
• Substantive consultant status in psychiatry for at least three years (appointed via article 14 equivalence or higher training).
• Registered in good standing for CPD.
• S12(2) approved at the point of application (you do not have to maintain this post‑appointment).
• Current or recent hands‑on clinical practice.
• Breadth of psychiatric practice in a variety of settings.
• Experience of working with patients liable to compulsion.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to process information and follow protocols.
• Demonstrable practical commitment to equality and diversity.
• Availability to undertake a minimum of 40 second opinions per year (it is possible to complete several opinions in one day).
• Availability to attend mandatory training events (currently one day annually) and ad‑hoc training or peer group meetings.
• Computer literate, with experience of sending and receiving email, completing MS Word documents, receiving PDF documents and use of encryption applications.

Desirable Criteria

• Evidence of leadership in relevant areas.
• Experience of multi‑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 to work in the UK. Without a valid right to work you won’t be eligible for the role. We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Some roles 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 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.

For an informal chat about the role contact – Craig Jennings, via email [e-mail]. For general enquiries, please email [e-mail].

The Benefits

• 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 under‑represented 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 [e-mail]. 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 EDI page for more about this. We welcome applications from everyone, and colleagues can find support and 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 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.