NHS Borders

Get to know the area

It’s the best of both worlds! Located in the South East of Scotland, the Scottish Borders combines breathtaking open spaces, access to salt and fresh waters, hills, valleys and woodlands with vibrant community life activities to suit everyone.

We span a large scenic geographical area of 1,814 square miles and have a population of around 116,000.

We’re well connected:

• by rail to Edinburgh - central Borders to central Edinburgh within an hour
• by bus - including a direct connection to Newcastle Airport from Melrose
• by road - easy to travel to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, or Carlisle

A lifestyle of your choice is waiting for you

In the Borders, a lifestyle of your choice is waiting for you. There are abundant outdoor activities, including:

• cycling
• fishing
• walking
• wild swimming
• horse-riding

You'll also find numerous sites of historical interest, a fantastic array of eateries, and so much more. There’s access to the usual high-street retail and many unique boutique businesses to explore. The local schools are high calibre and served by an excellent bus network.

Our greatest asset is our people. Each community within the Borders has its own identity, showcased by its annual civic week and Rideout. We look forward to meeting you!   

Working as a psychiatrist in NHS Borders

We have retained the Scottish Borders’ proud historical ethos of community-based psychiatry. Senior psychiatrists lead multidisciplinary teams covering the main psychiatric subspecialties and are encouraged to develop special interest areas.

We are particularly interested in supporting psychiatrists to develop in their role through pathways including CESR and the new specialist doctor role. 

The patient is at the heart of everything we do, and we believe that the best care is delivered by thriving expert clinicians and cohesive, well-resourced teams.

Our doctors are part of highly interconnected and supported teams:

• our clinical MDTs
• the medical peer group
• the wider NHS Borders family

There is ample opportunity to network at a regional and national level.

We would like to hear from you if you are a compassionate and committed team player who would like a flexible and sustainable career.

View all psychiatry vacancies on our recruitment website.