Finding the right psychiatry post in the UK in 2026 is rarely straightforward. Consultants, specialty doctors and trainees must weigh NHS and private sector options, locum flexibility against permanent security, and the different demands of General Adult, CAMHS, Old Age, Forensic and Liaison practice. Geography matters too, with opportunities spread across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each with its own trust structures and service pressures. For many doctors, a knowledgeable recruiter can help make an admin heavy search more manageable and identify posts that match their experience and preferences.
Our top pick is Athona for qualified psychiatrists seeking specialist support from initial search through to placement across locum, contract and permanent roles, because of its advertised coverage across psychiatry sub-specialties, grades and all four UK nations. It combines over 20 years of specialist healthcare recruitment experience with NHS and private sector coverage and a personal recruiter model that includes compliance and onboarding support. For psychiatrists who trained overseas and need help navigating UK entry pathways, IMG Connect is our recommended alternative. For doctors whose practice centres on child and adolescent services, CAMHS Professionals is the specialist choice.
This guide is written for psychiatrists at all grades comparing psychiatry recruitment agencies in the UK, from specialty trainees taking a first locum to consultants planning a permanent move. This editorial shortlist compares the agencies’ advertised sub-specialty and grade coverage, NHS and private sector work, contract options, geographic reach and candidate support services.
Table of Contents
What to look for
Choosing a psychiatry recruitment agency deserves the same care as other career decisions. The criteria below explain how this 2026 shortlist is organised and what to prioritise when comparing agencies against your own clinical experience, working preferences and plans.
Sub-specialty and grade coverage
Psychiatry is not one market. General Adult, CAMHS, Older Adult, Forensic, Learning Disability, Liaison, Rehabilitation and Brain Injury services recruit differently, and consultant, specialty doctor and trainee grades have different competition and compliance needs. Look for clear coverage of your own sub-specialty and grade rather than a generic psychiatry category; broad coverage is useful when you want several options, while a narrower service may suit a specific search.
Locum, contract and permanent options
Some doctors want short term locum flexibility, others want fixed term contracts or substantive permanent posts. A good agency should be transparent about which models it handles and how these fit the work you are seeking. Locum led desks suit urgent cover and extra income, while permanent focused teams suit planned moves, including relocation and long term career decisions.
Geographic reach across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Devolved NHS structures mean a role in Scotland or Northern Ireland can involve different employers, onboarding and service models from England or Wales. UK wide agencies offer more choice if you are open to moving, while regionally focused agencies may know local trusts in greater depth. Decide how mobile you are before you register, rather than treating nationwide coverage as an advantage in every search.
NHS relationships and framework presence
NHS trusts use approved frameworks and established supplier relationships when sourcing temporary medical staff. An agency’s framework presence is relevant to its temporary supply arrangements, but it does not guarantee available roles or determine the terms of permanent employment. Trust relationships also matter when discussing opportunities, while private sector links are useful if you want to compare NHS and independent practice.
Candidate support and compliance
Recruitment support should reduce admin, not add to it. Look for a named recruiter and clear help with compliance documentation, including DBS, references and right to work checks, as well as an explanation of the onboarding support available. Decisions on GMC registration rest with the regulator, but a recruiter can help you organise documents and understand what employers expect.
Specialism and reputation
An overview of nursing agency staffing models offers background on temporary healthcare staffing. For psychiatry recruitment, the agency’s medical and mental health experience is more directly relevant to your search. Agencies that focus on doctors, mental health or a defined niche such as CAMHS should be able to discuss rotas, on call expectations, Section 12 requirements and sub-specialty terminology. Longevity, repeat candidates and a clear sector ethos are useful points to explore, rather than proof of service quality.
The 6 best psychiatry recruitment agencies in the UK
Each agency below offers a different combination of the services and coverage described above. Whether you want your next locum placement, a permanent consultant post or a role in a defined sub-specialty, these are our recommendations for psychiatry recruitment agencies to consider in the UK in 2026. Athona at number one is our overall editorial recommendation for its advertised breadth, NHS and private sector reach, and support from search through to onboarding.
| Provider | Best for | Key strength |
| Athona | Specialist end to end psychiatry recruitment across NHS and private sector | Over 20 years of healthcare recruitment with broad sub-specialty and UK wide coverage |
| Hunter Gatherer Mental Health | NHS focused mental health staffing across nursing, therapy and psychiatry | Mental health specialism serving NHS and private services with London and Gloucestershire offices |
| IMG Connect | International doctors entering UK psychiatry and seeking permanent NHS roles | Dedicated psychiatry consultant plus relocation and onboarding support for overseas doctors |
| Evergood Associates | Psychiatry roles with health and social care context and out of hours access | Explicit psychiatry sector with 24 hour out of hours recruiter service |
| Mentalia Locums | Relationship led mental health recruitment across NHS and private sector | People first ethos with locum and permanent psychiatry, psychology and allied roles nationwide |
| CAMHS Professionals | CAMHS and neurodevelopmental psychiatry including ADHD pathways | Dedicated CAMHS focus covering locum and permanent NHS and private roles |
#1. Athona – Best for specialist end to end psychiatry recruitment
Athona is a specialist healthcare recruiter with a dedicated psychiatry service for doctors who want one knowledgeable contact from initial search through to start date.
The agency recruits locum, contract and permanent psychiatrists for NHS and private sector services across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Roles span consultant and specialty doctor grades, with a named specialist recruiter who takes time to discuss a doctor’s clinical background and preferred location alongside their career goals. That continuity can be helpful for doctors balancing clinical commitments with compliance paperwork and interview scheduling, particularly when they want one contact throughout the process.
Its psychiatry desk advertises broad sub-specialty coverage, including consultant psychiatrist adult jobs alongside CAMHS, Older Adult, Forensic, Learning Disability, Liaison, Rehabilitation and Brain Injury work, as well as recruitment support in areas such as ADHD, autism and addictions. Support extends through compliance documentation and onboarding, offering help with the administrative work that often sits with busy doctors. Its NHS framework presence spans temporary and permanent recruitment, while more than two decades in healthcare recruitment provides context for its established trust relationships.
Key specs
- Specialist healthcare recruitment with over 20 years of experience and a dedicated psychiatry service
- Locum, contract and permanent psychiatry roles across NHS and private sector
- Grades covered include consultant, specialty doctor and wider psychiatry grades
- Sub-specialties include General Adult, CAMHS, Older Adult, Forensic, Learning Disability, Liaison, Rehabilitation and Brain Injury
- UK wide coverage across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Dedicated specialist recruiter with compliance and onboarding support
Pros
- Broad advertised psychiatry sub-specialty coverage, from General Adult to Forensic and Brain Injury
- Personal recruiter model provides a consistent contact across search, compliance and placement
- Four nation reach for doctors open to NHS or private roles in different regions
- Support with documentation and onboarding gives candidates help with the administrative side of a move
- Longstanding healthcare recruitment experience and established NHS relationships
Cons
- Its dedicated psychiatry service sits within a broader healthcare agency, so doctors who prefer an exclusively mental health business may favour a narrower niche firm
- Overseas doctors whose main requirement is intensive immigration and relocation guidance may find an international entry specialist more closely aligned to that particular journey
Who it is best for: Qualified psychiatrists seeking a specialist recruitment partner with broad sub-specialty choice, NHS and private sector roles across the UK, and a personal contact offering support from search to start date.
#2. Hunter Gatherer Mental Health – Best for NHS focused mental health staffing
Hunter Gatherer Mental Health is a mental health staffing specialist for psychiatrists who want an agency rooted in NHS and private mental health services rather than general medicine.
The agency advertises psychiatry alongside RMN, CPN, CAMHS and therapy roles, reflecting its wider mental health workforce focus. It supplies locum cover and permanent hires to NHS and private services across the UK, making it relevant for doctors who work closely with multidisciplinary teams and want to discuss ward, community and crisis service requirements with a mental health recruiter. Offices are listed in London and Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire, with a dedicated contact route for NHS staffing enquiries.
That breadth across professions may appeal to doctors who value an agency working with the wider clinical team, though consultants seeking a doctor only psychiatry desk may prefer a more medically focused provider. Our recommendation is to consider it for mainstream NHS mental health placements, while comparing its available posts and support with the other agencies if your requirements involve a particular niche or relocation.
Pros
- Clear mental health and NHS staffing focus rather than general medical locums
- Covers psychiatry alongside nursing, CAMHS and therapy, relevant to doctors working in multidisciplinary services
- Handles both locum cover and permanent hires across NHS and private services
Cons
- Its wider mental health workforce remit is less doctor focused than some psychiatry specific desks, which may matter to consultants seeking purely medical recruitment
- Doctors with a narrowly defined sub-specialty search should discuss the available posts and their grade with the psychiatry recruiter before deciding whether the wider workforce model suits them
Best for: Psychiatrists seeking NHS focused mental health staffing within a wider mental health workforce agency, particularly those who value its coverage of the other professions they work alongside.
#3. IMG Connect – Best for international medical graduates entering UK psychiatry
IMG Connect is an international medical recruitment specialist for overseas trained doctors planning a move into NHS psychiatry.
The agency describes its mission as increasing the number of permanent doctors working in the NHS, with psychiatry as a defined specialty alongside broader medicine. Its team includes a dedicated recruitment consultant for psychiatry specialties and a separate relocation and onboarding specialist, providing distinct contacts for the job search and the practicalities of moving. Published resources cover GMC qualification routes alongside immigration and relocation topics, and advertised psychiatry posts have included community General Adult and CAMHS consultant level roles.
Its permanent and international focus is a useful distinction for doctors navigating registration, visas, family relocation and first NHS interviews. UK trained psychiatrists seeking short term locum flexibility without relocation needs, however, may find a UK locum led agency a closer match for their immediate plans.
Pros
- Defined international medical graduate focus with resources on overseas entry pathways
- Named psychiatry recruitment consultant gives candidates a specialty specific contact
- In house relocation and onboarding support addresses the practicalities of moving to the UK
Cons
- International entry and permanent NHS focus is less aligned with UK trained doctors seeking only short term domestic locum work
- A planned permanent move involves a different search from urgent temporary cover, so candidates should be clear about the employment model they want when discussing psychiatry opportunities
Best for: International medical graduates navigating UK entry requirements and seeking permanent psychiatry roles, particularly those who want recruitment and relocation contacts within the same agency.
#4. Evergood Associates – Best for health and social care context and out of hours support
Evergood Associates is a health and social care recruitment consultancy with an explicit psychiatry sector for doctors who value accessible recruiter contact.
The agency operates a dedicated team offering a 24 hour out of hours service, which may be useful for urgent locum cover and evening availability, or for doctors fitting job discussions around shifts. Its psychiatry coverage sits within a broader health and social care remit, and the business is based in Hertford in Hertfordshire. Listed geographic coverage focuses on England and Wales, including the East Midlands, East of England, North East and North West England, South East and South West England, the West Midlands and Wales.
That combination suits psychiatrists considering roles across multiple English regions and Wales, particularly where health and social care pathways overlap. Doctors whose practice centres on CAMHS and neurodevelopmental work may prefer the dedicated CAMHS option on this list. Those considering a move should discuss their preferred region and current vacancies with the recruiter before registering, along with the grade and working pattern they are seeking.
Pros
- 24 hour out of hours recruiter access suits urgent locums and shift based availability
- Explicit psychiatry sector within an established health and social care consultancy
- Wide English regional coverage plus Wales offers geographical choice for mobile doctors
Cons
- Its broader health and social care remit may be less appealing to doctors seeking an agency focused exclusively on medical psychiatry recruitment
- Specialists working primarily in CAMHS may prefer to compare its relevant posts with those of a dedicated CAMHS provider before choosing where to register
Best for: Psychiatrists who want psychiatry roles with out of hours recruiter access and broad England and Wales coverage, especially when daytime contact is difficult around clinical commitments.
#5. Mentalia Locums – Best for relationship led mental health recruitment
Mentalia Locums is a specialist mental health recruiter that describes a personal, people first approach for doctors who want a recruiter to understand their circumstances as well as their availability.
The agency recruits across NHS and private sector services nationwide, handling both locum and permanent placements. Its locum psychiatry advertising spans consultant General Adult, Old Age, Child and Adolescent, Forensic and other specialist psychiatry roles, alongside psychology and allied health professional staffing. Candidate support centres on consultation and matching, with help for compliance requirements including DBS, references, registration checks, right to work and onboarding. The team describes bringing over a decade of frontline mental health recruitment experience to its work with candidates and clients.
That approach may suit psychiatrists who want time to discuss personal circumstances and preferred settings alongside their longer term goals. Doctors seeking a doctor only desk, or overseas doctors whose main priority is dedicated immigration pathway support, may prefer a different specialist on this list after comparing what each agency offers.
Pros
- Specialist mental health focus across NHS and private sector with nationwide locum and permanent roles
- Advertised psychiatry breadth includes General Adult, Old Age, Child and Adolescent and Forensic practice
- Consultation and matching form part of its stated approach, alongside compliance and onboarding support
- Multidisciplinary coverage across psychiatry, psychology and allied roles may appeal to team orientated doctors
Cons
- Multidisciplinary mental health coverage rather than doctor only psychiatry, which may matter to consultants seeking an exclusively medical recruitment service
Best for: Psychiatrists and mental health professionals who value a relationship led recruitment approach across NHS and private settings, with time to discuss the circumstances behind their next move.
#6. CAMHS Professionals – Best for CAMHS and neurodevelopmental specialists
CAMHS Professionals is a dedicated CAMHS staffing agency for psychiatrists and allied professionals whose work centres on child, adolescent and neurodevelopmental services.
The agency focuses on nationwide CAMHS staffing for NHS and private providers, handling locum and permanent roles with compliance and background check support. Its advertised work includes Consultant Psychiatrist posts and Adult and Child ADHD roles, reflecting a CAMHS and neurodevelopmental pathway focus rather than broad general adult inpatient and community recruitment. A dedicated team of CAMHS recruitment consultants supports placements, with a stated aim to exceed client and candidate expectations through quality over volume.
That focus makes it worth considering for CAMHS psychiatrists, neurodevelopmental specialists and allied CAMHS professionals who want to discuss tiered CAMHS services, ADHD pathways and youth service requirements with a specialist recruiter. Psychiatrists seeking broader General Adult, Forensic, Old Age or Liaison posts should also consider the wider providers ranked above, while distinguishing those services from the agency’s advertised Adult ADHD work.
Pros
- Dedicated CAMHS and neurodevelopmental focus, directly relevant to child and adolescent specialists
- Nationwide NHS and private CAMHS staffing across locum and permanent models
- CAMHS focused consultants supporting recruitment in these services and ADHD pathways
Cons
- Its CAMHS and neurodevelopmental emphasis is narrower than broad general adult, forensic, old age or liaison recruitment, although its advertised ADHD roles include adults
- Doctors seeking roles beyond CAMHS or ADHD assessment should discuss the available posts and eligibility requirements before deciding whether this specialist focus matches their practice
Best for: Psychiatrists and allied professionals specialising in CAMHS and neurodevelopmental pathways, including doctors whose search relates to the agency’s advertised Adult and Child ADHD roles.
Frequently asked questions
Which is best for locum flexibility versus permanent security in psychiatry?
For locum searches across sub-specialties and regions, a broad UK wide provider such as Athona or a relationship led locum specialist such as Mentalia Locums is worth considering, because both advertise locum and permanent NHS and private roles. For a planned permanent NHS move, particularly from overseas, IMG Connect is our recommendation because its model centres on permanent doctor recruitment and relocation support. CAMHS Professionals is the specialist option for child and adolescent focused locum searches, while Evergood Associates is worth considering if out of hours contact matters around shifts.
What is the difference between a broad psychiatry recruitment agency and a CAMHS only specialist?
A broad agency covers multiple sub-specialties such as General Adult, Old Age, Forensic, Liaison and CAMHS, plus different grades and contract types, which suits doctors comparing roles within their qualifications and experience. A CAMHS focused specialist concentrates on child, adolescent and neurodevelopmental pathways, including ADHD services; CAMHS Professionals also advertises Adult ADHD work, so its remit is not confined to children. Choose breadth if you need several relevant options, and choose a specialist focus if your practice and search sit mainly in those services.
Which is best for international doctors versus UK trained psychiatrists?
International doctors may benefit from an agency offering help with qualification recognition, immigration, relocation and first NHS onboarding, which is why we recommend IMG Connect for that journey. UK trained psychiatrists who already hold GMC registration and know the NHS system may place more weight on domestic coverage, relevant sub-specialty posts and locum versus permanent flexibility, making Athona, Mentalia Locums and Hunter Gatherer Mental Health useful options to compare. Evergood Associates can suit UK based doctors who need evening or out of hours recruiter access around clinical work.
What is the difference between NHS framework recruitment and private sector hiring in mental health?
NHS frameworks provide arrangements for sourcing temporary staff, with compliance and booking requirements relevant to agency placements; framework participation should not be treated as a promise of vacancies or as the basis for permanent employment terms. Private sector hiring varies between independent hospitals and community providers, which set their own requirements and timelines. Agencies such as Athona, Hunter Gatherer Mental Health and Mentalia Locums work across both sectors, allowing candidates to compare the actual job plan, contract and working arrangements rather than assuming either sector is always more flexible or secure.
Which is best for general adult psychiatry versus niche areas such as forensic or old age?
General Adult psychiatrists can consider Athona, Mentalia Locums and Evergood Associates, all of which advertise adult facing psychiatry roles. For areas such as Forensic, Old Age, Liaison, Rehabilitation or Brain Injury, coverage of the particular sub-specialty matters more than overall breadth, with Athona and Mentalia Locums worth comparing against the specific requirements of the search. Doctors focused on CAMHS and neurodevelopmental work should shortlist CAMHS Professionals first, then consider a broader provider if they also want to compare adult pathway roles for which they have the appropriate experience and credentials.
Finding the right psychiatry recruitment partner for 2026
If you want a specialist partner offering broad sub-specialty choice, locum, contract and permanent options, and UK wide NHS and private sector reach, Athona is our overall recommendation on this shortlist. If your priority is NHS mental health staffing within a wider agency covering nursing and therapy as well as psychiatry, Hunter Gatherer Mental Health is worth considering. Overseas trained doctors planning a permanent NHS move should start with IMG Connect for entry pathway and relocation support. Doctors who need evening access and England and Wales coverage should consider Evergood Associates, while those who value a personal recruitment approach should speak to Mentalia Locums. For CAMHS and neurodevelopmental practice, including relevant ADHD roles, CAMHS Professionals is the specialist option. Match the agency to your grade, sub-specialty and preferred contract model, then discuss the available posts, eligibility, job plan and on call requirements before deciding which opportunity fits.
