460
HSE West & North West
https://www.hse.ie
Full-Time
25/11/2025
Mayo
IHA Mayo
18/12/2025, 15:00
Permanent
Health Service Executive
MCPSOA08 Consultant Psychiatrist in the Psychiatry of Old Age
This is an appointment to the HSE West & North West Region on a Public Only Consultants’ Contract 2023 by the Health Service Executive. The initial commitment for this post will be to MHS Mayo for 37 hours per week. This post may be subject to restructuring in the future to facilitate the reorganisation of acute services in line with new clinical models of acute and community services. It is noted that the post must be congruent with the requirements of, and facilitate implementation of national health policy, the HSE’s National Clinical Programmes including commitment to deliver the relevant performance outcomes.
The HSE Model of Care for Dementia in Ireland (2023), outlines the care pathways within the Irish health and social care system for people living with dementia.
The aim of the model is to improve services and clinical responses to meet the needs of people living with dementia and their carers’. M.A.S.S is an outpatient, community based elective service providing comprehensive, integrated diagnostic and post diagnostic supports and interventions for people with dementia.
The model of care identifies three levels of assessment: Level 1 involves assessment in primary care, Level 2 is assessment in a M.A.S.S. and Level 3 assessment is in a RSMC.
Funding was received by Mayo Mental Health Service for the development of the Mayo M.A.S.S under the National Service Plan 2021 and 2022 and the service became operational in September 2022. The service aims to ensure timely and equitable access to dementia assessment, diagnostic and support services for the relevant population of Co. Mayo. The post holder will have sub-specialist expertise in dementia/neurodegenerative diseases.
The post holder will provide clinical leadership and direction for the provision and development of the Mayo M.A.S.S.
The post holder will work in the community setting and will lead the team in providing diagnostic assessments at outpatient and or domiciliary level.
Clinical commitments will include multi-disciplinary team meetings for review and triage of incoming referrals to the M.A.S.S., multidisciplinary clinical consensus meetings for diagnosis formulation and consensus, individual assessments and consultations, diagnostic disclosure meetings, family meetings, discharge meetings, research and audit.
Participation in relevant National Clinical Programmes operating within the service
Mayo Mental Health Service provides a specialist, integrated, evidence based and recovery focused mental health service for the Co. Mayo catchment area population of 137,231. The service provides a range of community based and inpatient services with an emphasis on supporting individuals to recover in their own community as outlined in Sharing the Vision, A Mental Health Service for everyone (2020).
There are four approved centres including a 32 bed acute Adult Mental Health Unit based in Mayo University Hospital, a continuing care unit, an intensive rehabilitation unit and an older persons unit.
The service has six General Adult Psychiatrists, 2 Psychiatry of Later Life psychiatrists, 1 General Adult Psychiatrist with Special Interest in Liaison Psychiatry, 1 Mental Health of Intellectual Disability Psychiatrist and 1 General Adult Psychiatrist with Special Interest in Rehabilitation Psychiatry.
All consultant led teams have admission rights to the Adult Mental Health Unit.
The post holder will ensure the delivery of a community based Memory Assessment and Support Service in line with HSE national policies, programmes and plans.
This post may be subject to re-structuring in the future to facilitate the re-organisation of acute services in line with new clinical models of acute and community services.
The Mayo Memory Assessment and Support Service (M.A.S.S.) is one of nine such dementia assessment and diagnostic services in the country. It is one of two Level 2 Memory Assessment and Support Services in the HSE West and North West region. There is a Level 3 Regional Specialist Memory Clinic (RSMC) operating in University Hospital Galway.
The nine Memory Assessment and Support Services are a new and innovative development in dementia services in Ireland.
Referrals to M.A.S.S. are accepted from GPs and from secondary care services for the assessment of dementia including subtyping.
Referrals for brain health and post-diagnostic services are accepted from other services such as primary care, older person’s services, neurology, Psychiatry of Later Life and the RSMC.
The M.A.S.S provides a service to any person, resident in Co. Mayo, presenting with symptoms suggestive of dementia, irrespective of age, gender, disability, ethnicity or care setting. Specific considerations are required within the diagnostic pathway for key groups to ensure that the pathway is inclusive of everyone's needs as outlined in the HSE Model of Care for Dementia in Ireland.
The consultant led multidisciplinary M.A.S.S will ensure timely and equitable access for the population of Co. Mayo to dementia diagnostic assessment and support services. The service will be delivered by a multi-disciplinary team with a comprehensive knowledge base and significant expertise in the field of dementia. There will be a clearly defined referral and intervention pathway as outlined in the HSE Model of Care for Dementia in Ireland. The aim is to provide a service that is focused on timely diagnosis, early intervention and the development of integrated support services.
The appointment is whole-time, permanent and pensionable.
The annual salary will be as set out in the Public Only Consultants’ Contract 2023. Medical Consultants Salary Scales from 1st August 2025:
€233,527 €246,150 €259,475 €266,489 €273,501 €280,513
The standard working week applying to the post is: 37 hours per week.
The annual leave associated with the post is: 30 Working Days per annum.
A ranking and or shortlisting exercise may be carried out on the basis of information supplied in your application form. The criteria for ranking and or shortlisting are based on the requirements of the post as outlined in the eligibility criteria and skills, competencies and/or knowledge section of this job specification. Therefore it is very important that you think about your experience in light of those requirements
Failure to include information regarding these requirements may result in you not being called forward to the next stage of the selection process.
The HSE is an equal opportunities employer.
Dr. Anne Cullen
Executive Clinical Director
anne.cullen@hse.ie
This vacancy is closed to applications.
