Higher General Adult and Older Adult Psychiatry Training

The NW London Higher Training Programme offers a comprehensive training experience for Higher Trainees in General Adult, Old Age and Dual Adult / Old Age Higher Specialist Training. We also provide for the General Adult training for those trainees appointed to Dual General Adult / Psychotherapy Higher Specialist Training.

In addition to providing speciality specific posts in General Adult and Old Age Psychiatry which cover a range of inpatient and community based services, we also provide posts that can contribute to a CCT endorsement including in addictions, liaison and rehabilitation psychiatry. A range of additional sub-specialty posts in eating disorders, forensic, psychotherapy and perinatal psychiatry are also available.  

The Programme emphasises the development of advanced clinical competencies with additional focus on opportunities to foster leadership, management, research, teaching and those competencies necessary for future consultant practice. We aim to ensure and, where possible exceed, the curriculum requirements for each speciality so as to equip our trainees as future consultants to respond to the changing needs and challenges of the modern health service.

Protected Professional Development Sessions

We offer enhanced opportunities for the use of two Protected Professional Development Sessions (PPD) for trainee’s personal development and to gain experience that is additional to that provided in posts. PPD is protected time in our posts and their use is agreed on an individualised basis between the trainee and their ES, with oversight of their TPD.

In addition to opportunities to negotiate focussed PPD experience with the services and consultant trainers within the programme. We have a portfolio of over 40 additional PPD sessions. Our full list of PPD opportunities on offer can be found in our handbook here.

Each year both Trusts actively support the nomination and sponsorship, via a competitive process, of higher trainees to join the RCPsych Leadership & Management Fellowship Programme.

Applying for Higher Training in NW London

Applications for ST4 psychiatry training posts in England, Scotland and Wales are co-ordinated by Health Education England’s North West Local Office.

Details of recruitment process, timetables, indicative vacancies and applicant guidance can be found here: https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/psychiatry/higher-psychiatry-training

Number and Variety of Posts

Training posts within the Programme are provided by West London NHS Trust and Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust. During their time on the programme we aim to offer trainees posts in both Trusts so as to widen their experience of different organisational environments.

During their training trainees would usually spend the equivalent of twelve months in a ‘core’ post (providing inpatient and community experience throughout the year, or as two six month attachments), twelve months ‘non-core’ specialty experience (which can include an endorsable post) and a further twelve months which can include other subspecialty experience.

Regional Teaching

Hosted by West London NHS Trust we offer a monthly academic meeting for our higher trainees. This bespoke programme is designed specifically to meet the advanced needs of our trainees in respect of their clinical practice and, in particular, in gaining advanced professional skills including faculty development training, advanced communication skills and in clinical leadership & management.

The programme includes a lunchtime network meeting with the Programme Directors and a trainee business meeting. Currently, the programme is hosted visually and comprises a session on clinical topics (2nd Wednesday each month) and a session on professional skills (4th Wednesday each month). In due course we hope to return to hosting the programme at HEE venues in Central London.