In this recruitment round you will only be required to submit one application to a General Psychiatry vacancy, but posts may be available in all the specialties listed below:

• Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
• Forensic Psychiatry
• General Adult Psychiatry
• Medical Psychotherapy
• Old Age Psychiatry
• Psychiatry of Learning Disability
• Dual Child & Adolescent Psychiatry/Medical Psychotherapy
• Dual Forensic/Medical Psychotherapy
• Dual Forensic/Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
• Dual Forensic/Psychiatry of Learning Disability
• Dual General Adult/Forensic
• Dual General Adult/Medical Psychotherapy
• Dual General Adult/Old Age
• Dual Psychiatry of Learning Disability/CAMHS

For a list of indicative ST4 vacancy numbers for this round received for each NHSE Local Office/Deanery please visit the ST4 pages of our website: https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/psychiatry/higher-psychiatry-training/overview-of-higher-psychiatry-training/posts

Please note that post numbers are subject to change throughout the recruitment round.

Basic programme information is available from our website: https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/psychiatry/higher-psychiatry-training/overview-of-higher-psychiatry-training/overview-of-higher-training

For information regarding scales of pay, please refer to the NHS Employers website as scales may differ across the UK: http://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/pay-and-reward/pay/pay-and-conditions-circulars/medical-and-dental-pay-and-conditions-circulars

When applying in this recruitment round, applications will be made to a General ST4 Psychiatry vacancy across England, Scotland and Wales without candidates needing to select a specific specialty or the individual Local Offices/Deaneries/UoAs at the time of application. Preferencing will be made available via Oriel at a later stage of the recruitment round. All available ST4 Psychiatry posts in England, Scotland and Wales across the six single specialties and eight dual specialties will be available for applicants to preference at that stage of the process. In previous rounds of recruitment, applicants have been restricted to only two specialties so this change gives applicants more flexibility.

Applications are equally open to those who may, either from the outset or subsequently, wish to train less than full time or job share.

Please note that there is a strict application policy that applications cannot be accepted after the deadline.

Applicants will have the opportunity to upload evidence to support their Self-Assessment during the following window:

Opens: Monday 16th February 2026, 10am UK Time

Closes: Monday 2nd March 2026, 4pm UK Time

All ST4 Psychiatry interviews will take place virtually across the following dates:

Monday 26th January 2026 - Friday 30th January 2026

Monday 2nd February - Friday 6th February 2026

It is anticipated that the interview will last no longer than 15 minutes and will focus on commitment/suitability for higher Psychiatry training. Further information will be available in due course.

Before applying, please read the ST4 Psychiatry Person Specification to assess your suitability for the post: https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/person-specifications

In order to assess whether or not you have the requisite competences or equivalent, please refer to the ‘Eligibility’ & ‘Evidence of Core Competences’ information published on our website: https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/psychiatry/higher-psychiatry-training/overview-of-higher-psychiatry-training/applying-for-higher-training

Additional information and guidance on the ‘Alternative Certificate of Eligibility to Enter Higher Psychiatry Training’ can be found on our website: https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/psychiatry/higher-psychiatry-training/overview-of-higher-psychiatry-training/applying-for-higher-training

Please note that for the August 2026 intake, those canidates [sic] using the equivalence form to demonstrate achievement of Core Competences should use the ‘Alternative Certificate of Eligibility to Enter Higher Psychiatry Training’ form, this should be submitted with your application. The ‘August 2023’ version of the Certificate C will also be accepted for the August 2026 recruitment round as we transition to using the rebranded Alternative equivalence form.

If you answer “yes” to any of the Fitness to Practise questions, please ensure that you email details to us by no later than the closing date for applications. Please note that answering “yes” to one or more of the Fitness to Practise questions does not necessarily mean your application cannot progress. Emails should be sent to: england.fitnesstopractise.nw@nhs.net

Information about this round of recruitment can be found on our website: https://medical.hee.nhs.uk/medical-training-recruitment/medical-specialty-training/psychiatry/higher-psychiatry-training/overview-of-higher-psychiatry-training/overview-of-higher-training

For any queries that cannot be answered by the methods above, please contact: england.psychiatryrecruitment.nw@nhs.net