Medico Legal Experience
Medico-legal Curriculum Vitae
James D D Laidlaw BSc (Hons), MB ChB, MRCPsych
Consultant Psychiatrist
Contact Details
Dr James D D Laidlaw Telephone 01452 891584
Consultant Psychiatrist Facsimile 01452 891585
Montpellier Unit e-mail jim.laidlaw@glos.nhs.uk
Wotton Lawn, Horton Road
Gloucester, GL1 3WL
Present Appointment
Consultant in General Adult Psychiatry, 2gether Foundation NHS Trust (2gether) 2002-date.
I am the Consultant Psychiatrist for the Montpellier Unit, a 12 bedded Low Secure ward. Additional aspects of my NHS post include running the local Court Diversion Service and the HMP Gloucester Psychiatric Inreach Team. I am also the Consultant Psychiatrist on the Gloucestershire Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Panel and Consultant Psychiatrist with Special Responsibility for ECT at the Charlton Lane Centre in Cheltenham
I was Lead Clinician (Clinical Director) of the Working Age Adults Care Group for GPNHST between 2002-04.
Previous Consultant Appointment
Consultant in General Adult Psychiatry, East Gloucestershire NHS Trust (EGNHST) 1997-2002.
This post was at the North Spa Community Mental Health Team based at the Brownhill Centre in Cheltenham providing a Psychiatric service for adults of working age to 5 local urban GP practices serving a population of approximately 44,000.
Medical Education
University of Edinburgh 1983-89 leading to award of BSc (Hons) and MB ChB.
Post Graduate Training
House Officer posts in Lothian, Scotland 1989-90.
Senior House Officer in Psychiatry, Gloucestershire 1990-92.
Registrar in Psychiatry, Oxford Regional Rotation 1992-94.
Senior Registrar in General Adult Psychiatry, West Midlands 1994-97. This included training in: Perinatal Psychiatry, Addiction Psychiatry, Community Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry and Rehabilitation Psychiatry.
Medico-legal Expertise
I have been preparing medico-legal reports for the assistance of the criminal and civil courts since 1997. In that time I have prepared over 500 such reports and have appeared in Court as an expert witness on a number of occasions.
I am expert witness trained (Prosols). I am registered with various expert witness organisations including the UK Register of Expert Witnesses.
Civil Cases
I have significant experience in personal injury cases particularly the assessment of people suffering from the psychiatric sequelae of road traffic accidents. My experience covers the full range of psychiatric injuries from transient anxiety reactions, through PTSD to major depressive reactions and organic brain damage.
I regularly prepare reports for the War Pensions Agency on ex-servicemen, many of whom are suffering from PTSD and other stress-related psychiatric disorders.
I have also provided reports on clinical negligence cases, occupation-related mental illness and childcare cases where a parent suffers from mental illness
I contribute to research in the area. I regularly report cases of occupation-related mental illness to the Odin/SoSmI study (survey of occupation-related psychiatric illness).
I am instructed by a number of medico-legal agencies such as Doctors Chambers, E-witness and Speed Medical.
Criminal cases
I am Section 12 approved and experienced in the use of the Mental Health Act 1983, including the Part III (Forensic) Sections. I regularly prepare reports for Mental Health Review Tribunals
I am experienced in risk assessment and risk management. I am trained in the administration of standardised risk assessment tools such as the PCL-R and the RSVP
I sit on the monthly Gloucestershire MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) panel
I have broad experience of working with mentally disordered offenders. I have been the Consultant Psychiatrist to Gloucester Prison and the Gloucestershire Court Diversion Service since 1998. I am the Consultant Psychiatrist for the Montpellier Unit, a 12 bedded low secure ward, in Gloucester.
Teaching, Research and Publications
I am active in research and teaching. Since 2005 I have been the Deputy Editor of the Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care (Cambridge University Press). Currently I run a research project on the use of Section 136 in Gloucestershire. I lecture to Probation Staff and Police Officers on mentally disordered offenders. I have published over 20 original articles, letters, book reviews and research posters (full details available on General CV)
Memberships, Affiliations and Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) no 11668
Member of British Medical Association (BMA)
Fellow of Royal Society of Medicine (RSM)
Full registration with General Medical Council (GMC) no. 3326215
Registered with Medical Defence Union (MDU) 358868H
Registered (and in good standing) with RCPsych for CPD and annually appraised by NHS employer.
BUPA Provider no. 03326215
Last updated 18.09.08