Psychiatry

Generic job families

Specialist areas

Functional requirements

Details/health and safety factors

 

 

 

 

Outpatient work

 

 

See general outpatient work

 

 

Emotional resilience

May present problems for doctors suffering from psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety

Inpatient work

 

 

See general inpatient work

 

 

Emotional resilience

May present problems for doctors suffering from psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety

Home visits

May be routine or part of sectioning patient (advanced trainees)

Lone worker or crisis situation

Able to drive or use public transport

 

Personal safety assessment

 

Ability to assess acutely ill patients in unusual places/positions e.g. on floor

May present problems for doctors who are not fit to drive for a variety of medical conditions e.g. epilepsy

See DVLA recommendations

http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/medical/aag.aspx

 

 

May present problems for doctors suffering from range of musculoskeletal conditions, neurological or sensory defects

Specialty related issues

Working with emotionally disturbed patients

 

Ability to cope with verbal abuse and risk of physical violence including biting, scratching and being hit

 

 

 

May present problems for doctors suffering from psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety

 

Management of complex risk including suicide and child abuse

Emotional resilience

May present problems for doctors suffering from psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety

 

Multidisciplinary team work

Work with nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists etc

 

 

Breakaway training/PMVA training (prevention and management of violence and aggression)

Includes verbal de-escalation techniques and physical techniques

Physical techniques may present problems for doctors with musculoskeletal problems especially neck and lower back and pregnancy

 

Forensic work

Ability to manage patients who have committed homicide/serious abuse

May present problems for doctors suffering from psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety

 

 

Prison visiting

 

 

Assessment in Police custody

 

 

Work in high security units

 

Child/adolescent work

Safeguarding issues

 

 

Psychogeriatrics

Manual handling bedbound patients

Ability to cope with confused/demented patients

May present problems for doctors suffering from range of musculoskeletal conditions

 

Learning disability work

Risk of physical abuse including biting, scratching and being hit

Risk of infection. Need immunisations according to Green Book.

 

Addiction work

Risk of high risk needlestick injuries from used injecting equipment

Need rapid access to post needlestick services (e.g. Occupational Health)