Dr U M – Consultant Psychiatrist

I have over 20 years experience and undertake independent psychiatric assessments in a variety of areas.  I conduct expert psychiatric assessments and write medico-legal reports for the Family and Civil Courts and Mental Health Tribunals and Managers Hearings relating to adults/parents or other family members.  I also have experience of giving expert evidence by testifying in court.

EXPERTISE

– Adult Mental Health Assessments
– General Adult Psychiatry
– Full range of ICD-10 and DSM IV diagnoses
– Women’s Mental Health
– Parental Assessment in Childcare Proceedings
– Effect of Mental Ill Health on Parenting
– Capacity to Change
– Ability to work with Professionals
– PTSD
– Anxiety and Depression
– Personality Disorder
– Psychotic Disorder
– Chronic Pain
– Neglect, Physical and Emotional Abuse
– Care Proceedings
– Attachment (adult)
– Eating Disorder
– Self-Harm/Suicidal Ideation
– Domestic Violence
– Post-natal Depression & Puerperal Psychosis
– Complex Trauma and Abuse
– Ability to care/protect
– Ability to separate (adult)
– Parenting risk
– Family Dynamics

REPORTS

I have prepared psychiatric expert witness reports for the family and civil courts and for mental health tribunals as well as providing expert witness testimony in court.

These expert psychiatric reports have covered the following areas:

– Public Law assessments of adults in Care Proceedings for family Courts
– Private Law assessments of adults
– Oral Expert Evidence in Family Courts
– Assessment of Discretionary Leave to Remain
– Application for Refugee Status
– Fitness to Work Reports
– Mental Health Review Reports
– Oral Evidence at Mental Health Review Tribunals
– Mental Health Managers Hearing Reports
– Oral Evidence at Mental Health Managers Hearings
– Independent Medical Examination Reports

QUALIFICATIONS, TRAINING & MEMBERSHIPS

Qualifications

1980    MB BCh BAO LRCP&SI, Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland

1986    Diploma in Psychosexual Counselling, St George’s Hospital Medical School

1989    MRCPsych, Royal College of Psychiatrists, Membership Number: 8297

2008  CCT PMETB, Certificate of Completion of Postgraduate Medical Training in Psychotherapy, Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board

2011    CUBS, Cardiff University Law School Bond Solon Expert Witness Family Certificate

Section 12 Approved under the Mental Health Act (1983)

Relevant Training
– Excellence in Report Writing (2010)
– Courtroom Skills and Cross Examination (2010)
– Excellence in Report Writing (2010)
– Family Law and Procedure (2010)
– Business Skills Just for Experts (2010)
– Experts’ Meetings (June 2012)
– Masterclass in Expert Report Writing (June 2012)
– Masterclass in Courtroom Skills (June 2012)
– Annual Bond Solon Expert Witness Conferences (2010, 2011, 2012)
– Risk Assessment Training and Education (2012)
– International Congress of European Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (2013)

Professional Memberships
– Recorded on the specialist register of the General Medical Council with Licence to Practise (2009)
– Member of Royal College of Psychiatrists
– Member of Medical Defence Union
– Member of the British Medical Association

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Current Employment:

Psychiatrist in Acute Adolescent In-patient Unit (NHS, part-time).

My work involves the assessment and treatment of adolescents in crisis in the context of their families or carers. A significant amount of parenting and family work is involved in our holistic approach to patient care.

In over 20 years’ experience of working in psychiatry I have undertaken:

– Assessment, treatment and management of psychiatrically ill patients in; the NHS (in-patient, out-patient and community settings) and in the Private Sector (in-patient)
– Section 12 work (multidisciplinary Mental Health Act Assessments) in Hospitals and Community settings
– Report writing for Mental Health Review Tribunals and Managers Hearings
– Consultation, assessment and treatment in a wide range of psycho-therapeutic modalities with young people, adults older adults, couples, families and groups in; brief focused and longer term psychotherapy, intensive psychoanalytic psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, CBT (cognitive behaviour therapy), counselling and, family therapy
– Teaching and lecturing of psychiatrists, trainee psychiatrists, nurses, psychiatric colleagues, medical students and pharmacy students
– Making presentations and giving lectures to multidisciplinary groups of local, regional and national mental health workers on; psychiatry, liaison psychiatry and psychotherapy-related topics
– Supervision, tutoring, mentoring of junior psychiatrists, nursing students, medical students, trainee psychotherapists and hospital counsellors
– Facilitating Work Discussion Groups with General Practitioners and Trainee Psychiatrists

Pre-Registration Training (July 1980-June 1981).

Post-Registration Training

Registrar in Casualty (July 1981-January 1982).

Family Planning Doctor, Well Woman Clinic, Dublin (Jan 1982-July 1982).

Hospital for Women, Clapham Common, London (July 1982-July 1983).

Psychiatry Training: Charing Cross Westminster Hospital Rotational Scheme

Registrar in General Psychiatry: August 1983-October 1989).

This was a broad-based supervised training in the principles and practice of general adult and included child and adolescent psychiatry and a considerable experience in eating disorders and supervised psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Post Membership Specialist Psychiatric Experience

Clinical Research Fellow in Liaison Psychiatry (February 1992-September 1993).

Experience in setting up a Specialist AIDS Service in Liaison Psychiatry.

Senior Registrar in Psychotherapy (Locum) (April 1990-August 1991).

Post Membership Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Training at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust Rotational Scheme

Senior Registrar in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (May 2000-April 2005),

Senior Registrar in Psychotherapy in the Psychiatric Department (May 2005-June 2007).

Post Completion of Training (post CCT)

Associate Specialist in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (July 2007-May  2008).

Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy (locum) (October 2007-September 2008).

Independent Consultant Psychiatrist

• Private Psychotherapist (June 2008 – October 2011)
• Independent Medical Examiner (October 2008 on-going)
• Independent Section 12 psychiatrist: (on-going)
• Expert Witness Report Writing (December 2009 on-going)