Enhanced Practice Mental Health Nurse - Primary Care

Enhanced Practice Mental Health Nurse
- Primary Care

Be the Mental Health Leader Patients Need
- Right at the Heart of Primary Care

Are you passionate about transforming mental health support where people live, work, and thrive? We’re looking for a dedicated Registered Mental Health Nurse to join our innovative, compassionate, and community‑focused team in Leighton Buzzard. In this role, you’ll support people with mild to moderate mental health needs right at the heart of primary care where early support can have the greatest impact.

You’ll work alongside GPs, Physiotherapists, Clinical Pharmacists, Occupational Therapists, Podiatrists, Social Prescribers, and other allied professionals to offer joined‑up care that puts patients first. Together, we’re rethinking how mental health is managed in General Practice and we want you to join us on our journey.

This role is well suited to clinicians who enjoy autonomous decision‑making, variety, and working at pace within primary care, rather than those seeking a traditional therapy‑based caseload.

As a Mental Health Nurse working at Enhanced Level Practice (level
7), you’ll play a central role in delivering the PCN’s mental health offer. You will be embedded within GP practices, acting as a first point of contact for patients with mental health issues in primary care.

This role operates within a busy primary care environment, where timely access and early intervention are key. Clinicians work within structured clinic templates, supporting a consistent and manageable flow of patients.

Up to approximately 80 appointment slots per week will be available within your clinic template. As is typical in primary care, not all patients attend, and not all slots will be filled. This generally equates to delivering around 13–14 patient contacts per day across a mix of new assessments and follow‑ups.

You will be supported to deliver high‑quality, structured consultations that prioritise safe, effective, and person‑centred care, while helping patients access the right support at the right time.

You will support patients presenting with conditions such as depression, anxiety, sleep issues, and adjustment disorders, while maintaining strong relationships with local Community Mental Health Teams and VCSE partners.

The focus of the role is on high‑quality assessment, formulation, risk management, and brief intervention rather than long‑term therapeutic work. You will be confident in making clear clinical decisions, holding clinical uncertainty, and supporting patients to the most appropriate onward pathway where needed.

You’ll help reduce referrals to crisis or specialist services by offering proactive, preventative, and person‑centred care. You’ll be expected to work at enhanced level: managing complexity, leading service development, and actively shaping a population‑based mental health offer.

Clinical Practice

• Deliver timely, person‑centred care for adults with mental health needs referred from within the PCN – through GP triage, direct referral, or proactive outreach.
• Conduct comprehensive mental health assessments and develop shared care plans with patients.
• Complete mental health care plans to support QOF indicators.
• Deliver brief interventions, psychoeducation, and proactive medication support (if trained).
• Refer and signpost to Talking Therapies, CMHTs, crisis services, and VCSE organisations as appropriate.
• Work collaboratively with GPs, ANPs, Social Prescribers, OTs, and other team members to plan joined‑up care.
• Work autonomously with confidence to manage complexity and psychosocial need.
• Apply holistic clinical reasoning and shared decision‑making to develop meaningful care plans.
• Apply safeguarding principles and act quickly when crises arise.
• Actively contribute to mental health MDTs and population health discussions at PCN level.

Evidence, Research, and Development

• Contribute to service development, quality improvement, and mental health strategy alignment.
• Promote public mental health, prevention, and early intervention as part of population health goals.
• Identify high‑risk populations, promote mental wellbeing, and tackle social…