About Dr. Cosmo Hallström

*	General Adult Psychiatrist. Past Consultant Psychiatrist at Charing Cross Hospital and Senior Lecturer at Imperial College Medical School.
*	Specialist in psychopharmacology.
*	Past examiner at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Approved under Section 12 of the Mental Health Act, 1983.
*	Contributor to over 100 scientific papers, articles and books on anxiety, depression, sleep and tranquilliser dependency and general psychiatry.

Brief CV

I qualified medically in Liverpool in 1971 and subsequently studied post graduate medicine, qualifying as an MRCP at St Bartholomew's Hospital, and then psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital where I obtained the MRCPsych, being elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Psychiatrists & Physicians more recently.
I have also worked in Sweden, and spent 2 years working at the Nathan Kline Research Institute in New York, where I held a New York licence to practice. I was also an assistant clinical professor at New York University.

I became a Consultant Psychiatrist at Charing Cross Hospital and senior lecturer at the medical school in 1982 where I ran an inner-city catchments area for some 13 years. I became disillusioned with the NHS reforms and the realisation that the National Health Service (NHS) no longer had a place for the treatment of neurosis within the psychiatric departments. Thus I resigned in 1996 to take up full time private practice, specialising in medico legal work, pharmaceutical consultancy, NHS contract work for extra-contractual referrals (ECRs), and private practice specialising in neurotic disorders.

Main Areas of Expertise
As an adult general psychiatrist I have broad experience in all manifestations of mental abnormality and mental illness. I was responsible for providing all the services in my catchments area in the NHS. As such I have considerable experience in schizophrenia, mood disorders, alcoholism, drug abuse and personality disorders.

As a psychopharmacologist I hold an MD (similar to a PhD) from Liverpool University in Clinical Psychopharmacology, which was awarded in 1988. This work is specifically related to anxiety and tranquilliser dependency.

I have been conducting clinical drug trials since 1974 and have done research in schizophrenia, alcoholism, social phobia, depression and anxiety as the main areas of study.

Over the years I have increasingly become involved in medico-legal work. I do about 300 medico-legal reports per year; 40% childcare, 5% criminal matters, 5% diverse matters including medical negligence, 10% occupational stress and 40% personal injury (approximately) of which 1/3rd for claimant, 1/3rd defendant and 1/3rd are joint instructions.

I give evidence in court about 20 times a year.

I frequently appear in the media, often as a spokesman for the Royal College of Psychiatrists and have contact with the media, on average once a week, giving general comment on psychiatric matters in the public interest.

I have a small private practice seeing patients referred to me for specialist opinions. My practice covers the spectrum of psychiatry, and I work closely with my colleagues in allied disciplines. I tend to offer assessments, opinions and onward referrals as appropriate, rather than taking individuals on for long term therapies.

As Medical Director of the Florence Nightingale Clinic Chelsea between 1997 and 2003, I was part of the management team of Florence Nightingale Hospitals and involved myself in the teaching of junior staff and generally oversee the running of a busy clinic specialising in contract work for the NHS. More recently with my colleague Dr. Howells, we have established the Sloane Court practice and taken it through the stages, from empty shell to a fully accredited medical practice, licensed by the HCA.

As a senior lecturer I had considerable experience in lecturing to a wide range of audiences ranging from school children to medical students and specialist psychiatric audiences. I have lectured extensively at home and abroad, mainly on mood disorders, but increasingly in areas of general psychiatric interest.

Most recently I have jointed the Family Drug and Alcohol Courts Scheme, working as a psychiatrist with the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, providing advise and expertise to the Family Courts, under this new and innovative scheme.