Qualifications:

• MB ChB (Aberdeen 1985).
• FRCPsych (passed membership exam in 1990 and elected as a Fellow of the College 2007).

GMC Registration:

• Full Registration since 1986.

Continuing Professional Development:

• Registered with Royal College of Psychiatrists for CPD and in good standing.
• Section 12 Approval (approved till September 2011).
• Insurance - Medical and Dental Defense Union of Scotland (inc medico-legal supplement).

Current Employment (May 2006 – present)

• Consultant in Rehabilitation Psychiatry, Greater Manchester West NHS Foundation Trust
  
  The main part of my work is as Consultant Psychiatrist in a Low Secure Service, although I also work one and a half days in a Community Rehabilitation Team.
  
  The Low Secure Service provides intensive treatment and rehabilitation to patients with severe mental illness. They usually have additional problems such as drug or alcohol misuse, personality difficulties, challenging behaviour and poor engagement with services. Most are detained under the Mental Health Act, some on Home Office Sections.
  
  My work in the Community Rehabilitation Team in Bolton involves being Consultant for patients in two rehabilitation units in the community. Most patients suffer from severe mental illness and require high levels of support and rehabilitation.
  
  With both groups of patients our aim is to maximize functioning and enable them to move to more independent living.

Previous Employment at Consultant Grade

• Consultant Psychiatrist, Macclesfield District General Hospital (June 1997 - May2006)
  
  Throughout my time at Macclesfield I worked as a Consultant in General Adult Psychiatry, assessing and treating the full range of problems affecting adults of working age; this included schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (manic depressive illness), depression, neuroses (including post traumatic stress disorder), personality disorders, substance misuse disorders and psychiatric syndromes caused by physical illness.
  
  I was also college tutor and therefore actively involved in teaching.
  
  In addition I also developed liaison protocols with the District General Hospital.
  
  From 1999 onwards I was the Consultant for a 15 bedded High Dependency Ward which was very similar to, but smaller than, the Bowness Unit where I now work.
  
  I have therefore been working with this group of patients, whose needs are complex, for 8 years.

• Consultant Psychiatrist, Trafford General Hospital ( August 1994 - June 1997)
  
  This was a General Adult Psychiatry job in a busy urban area. Because of my Forensic experience I took an interest in Mentally Disordered Offenders and was in the project team for the setting up of a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit.

Areas of Expertise

• General Adult Psychiatry
   
  • Extensive experience of assessment and treatment of a range of disorders affecting the adult population over a period of 20 years in psychiatry.

• Severe Mental Illness
   
  • Over the last 9 years I have specialized in the assessment and treatment of patients suffering from severe mental illness (mainly Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective disorder and Bipolar disorder).
    The patients I see generally have multiple problems and complex needs.
    Many have dual diagnosis (usually alcohol/drug problems alongside their mental illness).
    My expertise involves the drug treatment of these conditions and Mental Health Act work including Tribunal Reports and assessment of Capacity.

• Rehabilitation
   
  • Expertise developed over the last 9 years of assessing rehabilitation needs for the above group of patients and of planning complex packages of care.

• Mentally Disordered Offenders
   
  • Since my experience of Forensic Psychiatry as a Senior Registrar at the Regional Secure Unit (Prestwich Hospital) I have maintained an interest in mentally disordered offenders.
    Many of my patients at the Bowness Unit have forensic histories and the majority of my medico-legal work has been in criminal cases.

Medico-legal Experience

• Criminal Court Cases
   
  • The majority of my work has been in this area. I have prepared over one hundred reports over the 5 years of my medico-legal practice. The reports have been for Fitness to Plead, Assessment of Psychiatric Health and Sentencing Advice.

• Mental Health Tribunal Reports
   
  • Throughout my Consultant career I have routinely prepared Tribunal reports and appeared at hearings for my patients. My experience of writing these reports and of assessing complex cases makes me ideally placed to provide independent medical reports for tribunals.

• Personal Injury
   
  • I have regularly prepared personal injury reports.

• Assessment of Capacity
   
  • Assessment of capacity is a core part of my NHS work and I have undertaken reports of this type.