WA FCAP CPD event - Dr Ed Petch

Price

Free - Members of the Faculty of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
$20 Fee - Not a member of the Faculty of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Program

9am - 10:30am - CPD presentation

All doctors should be able to write a court report but many find the prospect challenging and somewhat daunting. This isn't surprising because these reports should reflect a doctors professional opinion, they are lasting, open to detailed scrutiny from those within and outside the profession, and are likely to be challenged, so they need to be defensible, well structured and argued, as well as based on sound scientific evidence.

Many readers of these reports will not be psychiatrists or mental health professionals: these reports are therefore vital in communicating complex medical information in an understandable way to third parties: they can provide a glimpse into psychiatry and professional practice.

There are multiple arenas in which reports are needed, including criminal and civil and family legal proceedings, first tier tribunal hearings, employment and for fitness to practice forums, coroners hearings and multiple others, requiring consideration of multiple jurisdictional specific medico-legal issues.

This workshop aims to provide an overview of the theory and practice of report preparation. It will delve into the ethical dilemmas inherent in this process, including conflicts, duties, boundaries, consent and confidentiality. It will explore the process and considerations for collection of documents, interviews and report drafting, and explore some considerations in giving oral evidence.

The workshop may be of value to trainees and to established psychiatrists who wish to or who need to hone their skills in development of psychiatric reports. We hope it may help you to undertake this highly worthwhile, important and professional task.

Speaker

Dr Petch trained in medicine and psychiatry in the United Kingdom, and has qualifications in medicine, neuroanatomy, psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, criminology, business administration and corporate governance.

Dr Petch's experience in the field of psychiatry is comprehensive - he has held roles in high security hospitals, medium secure units, open wards, forensic outreach teams, community-based settings and in both maximum and category B and C prisons. His work has also provided him with experience in providing comprehensive psychiatric reports, and he has regularly appeared to give evidence in a range of court and tribunal settings.

In addition to his work at OSHGroup, Dr Petch is a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist to Hakea Prison, was a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Western Australia and was a director of Nulsen Group.