Assistant Psychologist

We are looking for an organised, highly motivated assistant psychologist with a significant interest in health psychology to join the psychology service for the adult intensive care units at both Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex Hospital. The AP will work with the senior clinical psychologist to provide support and consultation for the patients, relatives and multi-disciplinary team in the unit. ICU patients may suffer from acute stress and delirium-related distress, which are known to be associated with poor psychological outcomes in the months following the ICU admission. By intervening early, before patients and relatives leave the ICU, the psychology service aims to reduce the prevalence of adverse outcomes such as clinical depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. The psychology service also helps provide staff support groups, and education and training on psychological aspects of care, for other professionals in the ICU team., The part time (0.6wte) assistant psychologist post is a vital clinical and administrative component of an effective and specialist inpatient services for both the Adult Intensive Care Units at both Chelsea and Westminster Hospitals and West Middlesex Hospitals. The Assistant Psychologist will be required to spend equal time in each unit.

The Assistant Psychologist will screen in-patients for acute distress, provide psychoeducation to patients and families, and communicate with the multidisciplinary team about referrals. A key part of the role will also be to set up and maintain consistent clinical databases across both sites, and to support senior psychologists to present data on the psychology service activity to the NWL ICU network. They may also support in delivering teaching for professionals, and conduct service evaluations. The assistant psychologist will also involved in contributing to service development initiatives across both sites and to both units.

This work will be supervised by a senior Clinical Psychologist and there will be the opportunity to network with the group of Assistant Psychologists already working in Clinical Health Psychology in the Trust.

The adult intensive care unit psychology team at Chelsea and Westminster is a specialised area within the wider Clinical Health Psychology Team for Kensington & Chelsea. The service continues to evolve and innovate a psychology provision to meet the diverse needs of patients, carers and staff. This is a rare and exciting opportunity to join a dynamic and fast-paced environment with a welcoming team of nurses, doctors, physiotherapists and other allied health professionals whom all have one goal of providing excellent care for our clients and staff at the heart of the trust.

CNWL is recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ in line with our values, our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy. Many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.