Senior Principal Clinical Psychologist - Frailty

Job reference:

260415

Salary:

Band 8B (£76,888 - £82,251)

Job closing date:

06/10/2026

Job Type:

Other Therapeutic

Location:

University Hospital Ayr & University Hospital Crosshouse

Employment type:

Permanent

Hours Per Week:

36

Job posted date:

22/09/2026

Employer (NHS Board):

NHS Ayrshire & Arran

Department:

Psychological Services

Job Advert

NHS Scotland:

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

Who we are:

NHS Ayrshire and Arran are one of 14 territorial NHS Boards within NHS Scotland.

In support of our core purpose of Working together to achieve the healthiest life possible for everyone in Ayrshire and Arran, we are committed to a culture that is Caring, Safe, and Respectful. You will be required to work collaboratively in a safe, caring and respectful way.

To find out more about NHS Ayrshire and Arran please visit our website - NHS Ayrshire & Arran - Home (nhsaaa.net)

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Position:

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Principal Clinical Psychologist to be part of a new innovative service development within the Discharge Without Delay (DWD) Programme, specifically within an Acute Frailty Multidisciplinary Team. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of whole system change for psychology workforce that will have a real impact on patient outcomes. The post will be based at Crosshouse Hospital, working in an integrated team that has shared values, vision, drive and an improvement focus.

Hours and Shift Pattern:

This post (36 hours) is offered on a full-time basis (Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm), but variation in contracted hours may be considered.

Attending the University Hospital Ayr for daily huddles and providing an on-site clinical role is a key requirement of the post.

What you will do:

You will form part of an expanded integrated MDT as part of an innovative whole system approach to meet the aims of the Discharge Without Delay Programme in Ayrshire and Arran. Specifically, the role will provide Specialist Psychological Assessment at the ‘Front Door’ of patients being admitted with complex Frailty within the Acute Frailty Unit and Medicine for the Elderly inpatient wards. The role will contribute to team assessment, inform team decision making, whilst liaising and working closely with Health, Community, and Social care partners, ensuring patients with complex psychological and cognitive needs are managed throughout their journey of care by supporting other teams involved in supported discharge and preventing readmissions. The role also includes service development and impact assessment for the programme locally specific to psychology impact, and possibly wider regarding research methodology support to the team, whilst supervising another member of psychology workforce within the programme at another acute site.

You will work with Acute Frailty leads and clinicians, and key collaborators across all HSCP teams involved in managing and delivering care within the DWD Programme such as Discharge to Assess (D2A)/Home First teams, Community Hospital/Step Down Units, or Hospital at Home (H@H) to provide highly specialist psychological care and contribute to programme development. Service development within Frailty/DWD and pathway development support will be provided by a Frailty Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Head of Psychological Specialties. Formal assessment of the impact of the role/expanded MDT via Quality Improvement and formal research is a main task within the role. Disseminating updates, impact assessments, and data outcomes to the DWD programme is expected. Engaging with key members of the team, collaborating together and ensuring whole system strategic consideration is required. The role will provide highly specialist psychological assessment and consultation specific to cognitive and psychological care for complex frail patients who are at risk for long stays in acute hospitals, contributing to diagnostic clarity and support earlier discharge to final discharge destination from the Acute Frailty Unit and Medicine for Elderly inpatient beds.

For further information on the role please click the link below to view the job description

Knowledge, training and/or experience required to do the job:

• You will be an HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist, with older adult psychology specialty training, knowledge and experience relevant to the post. For further information on the requirements for the role please click the link below to view the person specification

Full UK Driving Licence

Full UK driving licence is essential to this role.

If you would like to find out more about the role, please contact:

Dr Leigh Whitnall at leigh.whitnall2@aapct.scot.nhs.uk

Right to Work / Certificates of Sponsorship

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service. Further information on what NHS Scotland Boards are required to do to check this as well as what your responsibilities include can be found within the attached Candidate Information Pack.

It is essential that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsored before submitting your application form.

NHS Ayrshire & Arran may be able to offer visa sponsorship for certain roles, provided the post meets the minimum salary threshold and any other required criteria. When considering if a post meets the salary threshold for sponsorship, please note the salary advertised is based on a full-time contract and must be pro-rated for part-time positions. Sponsorship is not guaranteed and is assessed on a case-by-case basis following interview and at the commencement of pre-employment checks.

Please visit here for further information.

We are unable to provide sponsorship for Band 2 posts or bank contracts.

Additional Information for Candidates

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