Consultant Psychiatrist for Strategic National Clinical Lead (Mental Health)

Consultant Psychiatrist for Strategic National Clinical Lead (Mental Health) (Ref: 231422)

Healthcare Improvement Scotland

Commensurate with existing salary

4 sessions per week

Secondment period of initially 3 years

Scotland - hybrid working will apply for the foreseeable future. This is a national role with some travel throughout Scotland required.

We are currently recruiting for a Consultant Psychiatrist to be our Strategic National Clinical Lead (SNCL) for Mental Health. They will work in a team with four other SNCLs covering Acute, General Practice, Child Health and Women's Health.

You will be uniquely placed as the principal medical Psychiatry and Mental Health lead within HIS to identify the connections and opportunities created by system-wide working, and to collaborate with all health boards and other national organisations to deliver a relentless focus on the delivery of safe and effective care.

Expectations of the role:

Working with the national improvement organisation you will contribute across the breadth of HIS’s work. This will include providing expert knowledge and expertise to our assurance and improvement work as well as being involved in high level strategic discussions and horizon scanning to ensure the work of the organisation is impactful, useful and relevant for those working in the health and social care system.

You will provide senior medical advice on matters of strategic importance to the Board, Chief Executive and Directors of HIS. You will provide clinical knowledge and expertise to the organisation and be expected to use your professional network when required to support improvement and assurance work. You will engage with Scottish Government, national and territorial health boards, and royal colleges. You will represent the organisation at a national level, identifying and engaging with clinical leaders and key stakeholders across the health and care system, presenting at stakeholder events, and collaborating with members of your profession and service. You will engage with senior clinicians and managers working in the system to support the implementation of the work of HIS. You will act as an ambassador for Healthcare Improvement Scotland – collaborating, promoting and influencing at a national level. You will be valued and recognised by Healthcare Improvement Scotland and your own organisation for your contribution and be supported with your ongoing professional development.

Mental Health Improvement:

We share learning and deliver improvements to mental health care services. We work with:

mental health service providers people who use services leadership teams

We have a Transformational Change Mental Health Unit that is currently focussed on:

Scottish Patient Safety Programme Mental Health Delayed Discharge Coming Home Mental Health and Substance Use, and Reform – Early Intervention in Psychosis and Personality Disorder Improvement Programme.

Key competencies and skills:

Interpersonal, networking and influencing skills will be fundamental to your success in this role.

Particular experience of engaging with diverse groups and wider multi-professional teams will be beneficial as well as relevant leadership or managerial experience within health and social care.

As a Consultant Psychiatrist you should be able to demonstrate:

A current clinical license to practice Understanding and application of quality management in healthcare Ongoing active involvement with clinical networks in your professional area Experience and understanding of systems and structures in NHS Scotland Experience of managing and influencing at senior leadership level, e.g. previous Clinical Director, lead clinician role or equivalent Ability to work flexibly and cross-organisationally with confidence Strong interpersonal and communication skills. 

Applications are welcome from all eligible candidates, however we would particularly welcome applicants who have experience in alcohol and substance misuse mental health practice.

Engagement method

The successful candidate will flexibly work 4 sessions per week via a fixed term secondment agreement of initially three years.

Further information

The following documents will provide further insight into the role:

Closing date: midnight on 26 November 2025

Virtual interviews on MS Teams are anticipated to take place on 05 December 2025. As part of the recruitment process you will be asked to complete a short task for submission prior to the interview.