GMC: 6134587 (full registration with licence to practice, nil restrictions, Specialist Register for General Psychiatry and Liaison Psychiatry)
RCPsych: 830005 (Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, in good standing)
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Education, Qualifications, Appointments:

• 2024: Resuscitation Council UK: Provider – Immediate Life Support (ILS)

• 2024: Royal Society for Arts: Fellow (FRSA)

• 2024: British Association for Psychopharmacology: Clinical Certificate. 

• 2023: Royal College of Psychiatrists: Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (FRCPsych)

• 2015: Royal College of Psychiatrists/GMC: Certificate of Completion of Training (General and Liaison Psychiatry)

• 2014: Higher Education Academy: Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA)

• 2013: The University of Edinburgh: Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education with Distinction (PGCertClinEd)

• 2011: Royal College of Psychiatrists: Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (MRCPsych)

• 2006: The University of Edinburgh: Medicinæ Baccalaureus et Baccalaureus Chirurgiæ (MBChB)

 
Career History:

• Clinical Lead for Training & Education. NHS Fife Mental Health and Learning Disability service (August 2023 - )

• Designated Medical Practitioner. The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (April 2023 - )

• Consultant in Liaison Psychiatry. NHS Fife. Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy (June 2022 - )

• Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer. The University of Edinburgh (January 2022 – )

• Medicolegal / Expert Witness work. Independent Consultant Psychiatrist (November 2017 – )

• External Advisor. RCPsych in Scotland / AoMRC (July 2017 – )

• Consultant General Adult Psychiatrist. NHS Fife. Queen Margaret Hospital (Aug 2015 – June 2022)

• Acting Consultant Psychiatrist. NHS Forth Valley (August 2014 –November 2014)

• Honorary Fellow in Medical Education. The University of Edinburgh (August 2012 – August 2015) 

• Clinical Teaching Fellow in Medical Education NHS Lothian (August 2012 - August 2013) 

• Specialty Registrar – Higher Trainee in General (with Liaison) Psychiatry. NHS Education for Scotland South-East Deanery (August 2011 – August 2015) 

• Specialty Registrar – Core Psychiatric Training. NHS Education for Scotland South-East Deanery (August 2008 – August 2011)

• Foundation Doctor. NHS Education for Scotland – East Deanery (August 2006 – August 2008)

 
Summary of current roles:
My work as a Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist involves the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of working-age adults with mental disorders within the acute hospital at the interface between physical and psychological health. I oversee management of complex cases and have extensive experience using the Mental Health (Care & Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Adults With Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. I am an Approved Medical Practitioner within NHS Fife under Section 22 of the 2003 Act. 
 
My responsibilities as clinical lead include providing clinical and educational supervision to doctors in training, delivering clinical teaching to undergraduate medical students, and co-organising and co-chairing the NHS Fife postgraduate psychiatry teaching and journal club. I am responsible for quality improvement of our 24 training posts, and the junior doctors’ rota, including monitoring and compliance. I am an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh. I lecture and examine regularly and sit on the Fitness to Practice committee of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. I am also an examiner for the Clinical Assessment of Skills and Competencies, the practical and final test for those wishing to become a Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. 
 
I commenced my career as an independent medicolegal Consultant Psychiatrist in 2017. I have an interest in trauma-related psychiatric disorders and have extensive experience in the provision of expert psychiatric opinions in both criminal and civil courts, independent opinions for patients subject to the Mental Health (Care & Treatment)(Scotland) Act 2003, and certification of Incapacity for Guardianship or Intervention Orders under the Adults With Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000. In addition, I have experience in providing oral evidence in courts and tribunals. I have provided reports/opinions on behalf of around 800 patients and produce approximately 150 reports annually.
 
Notable Publications, Presentations, and Posters:

• Canham R, Craig H. Crash Course: Psychiatry. 6th ed (co-Faculty Advisor). Textbook. Published by Elsevier (June 2024).

• Interviewed for opinion: Crosse J. Can AI design or engineer cars better than humans? Autocar Magazine. 2023 Jun 14; 316(6571): 36–9.

• Marwick K Crash Course: Psychiatry. 5th ed. (Faculty Advisor). Textbook. Published by Elsevier (December 2018)

• Birrell S. Workplace Based Assessments: for the assessors and the assessed. Presentation. Fife Postgraduate Teaching Programme (October 2015)

• Birrell S, Halliday C, Harvey R, Edgar S. The use of clinical simulation to increase staff confidence in the assessment and management of medical emergencies arising within the psychiatric inpatient population. Poster. RCPsych International Congress, London (June 2014) 

• Birrell S, Kelly J, Martin A, Crosse Z, Halloran E. Can we improve the quality of telephone referrals made to liaison psychiatry? Poster. RCPsych Addictions & Liaison annual conference, Leeds (June 2014)

• Birrell S. Frontier Psychiatrist - mental health in the general hospital. Keynote presentation. University of Edinburgh Psychiatry Society (October 2013) 

• Birrell S, Bett K, Armit C, Waller R. High Fidelity Clinical Simulation for Psychiatry? Presentation. RCPsych International Congress. Edinburgh (July 2013)

• Birrell S, Harvey R, Edgar S. Scenario design for multidisciplinary staff training in the recognition and management of medical emergencies arising in the mental health setting. Poster. SESAM Annual Meeting. Paris (June 2013)

• Birrell S, Harvey R, Edgar S. The challenge of developing learning objectives for multidisciplinary staff training in the recognition and management of medical emergencies arising in the mental health setting. Poster. SESAM Annual Meeting. Paris (June 2013).

• Marwick K, Birrell S. Crash Course: Psychiatry. 4th ed. Textbook. Published by Elsevier (May 2013)

• Birrell S. Bridging the Gap: Human Rights and Mental Health. Educational Article. RCPsych PTC Newsletter ‘The Registrar’ (February 2013) 

• Cooper D, Birrell S, DeSouza S, Ryan T. Antipsychotic Prescribing in Delirium. Poster. RCPsych International Congress. Liverpool (June 2012). 

• Birrell S. Review – Brief Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy: A Clinician’s Guide. Book review in The Psychiatrist (April 2012)

 
Notable Clinical Educational experience: 

• CASC Examiner. Royal College of Psychiatrists (September 2022 - )

• Educational Supervisor / College Tutor. NHS Education for Scotland – South-East Deanery (Jan 2017 – Aug 2019, Aug 2022 - )

• Lead for Postgraduate Psychiatry Educational Programme. NHS Fife (Oct 2017 - )

• Medical Emergencies Assessment & Management for Psychiatric Inpatients (MEAMPI). Developed, delivered, and led clinical simulation course. NHS Lothian (October 2013 – August 2015) 

• Communication Challenges Workshop. Tutor. Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (June 2013) 

• Foundation Year Simulation Programme development, delivery, debriefing. NHS Lothian (August 2012 – June 2013) 

• Examiner. University of Edinburgh (September 2011 – )