Leading clinician on panel to discuss addictions
One of Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust's (GMMH) leading clinicians will be joining a panel of experts at a keynote conference on mental health and substance use this week (Friday 6 December 2024).
Dr Jonathan Dewhurst, who is clinical lead for Addiction and Homeless Services which are run across Greater Manchester, will be taking part in the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ (RCPsych) President’s Lecture 2024: Meeting the needs of people with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.
The lecture – at the invitation of Royal College’s President Dr Lade Smith - will be delivered by Professor Owen Bowden-Jones who is the lead author on a RCPsych report which focuses on substance use and co-occurring mental illness. Specifically, the lecture will cover co-morbidity and describe new evidence-based recommendations for clinicians and service providers.
The programme will include a case study on cannabis use and its link to mental illness and is followed by a panel discussion with an opportunity for the audience to ask questions.
Joining Professor Bowden-Jones and Dr Dewhurst on the panel on Friday 6 December, at Warwick University, will be Dr Emily Finch, chair of the RCPsych’s Addictions Faculty, and expert by experience Melinda King, who contributed to the report, due to be published in the New Year.
Dr Dewhurst FRCPsych MSc MBChB trained to be a general adult psychiatrist at Charing Cross and St Mary’s training scheme in London. He has a special interest in addiction psychiatry, managing its wide spectrum of presentations with co-morbid physical and mental health problems.
He became a consultant addiction psychiatrist in Greater Manchester in 2010. He now runs recovery services and supports consultants across the North West of England. His interests include injectable prescribing, new psychoactive substances and safe management of addiction patients in the acute hospital and prison settings. Dr Dewhurst is a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and was a member of their Addictions Faculty.
Dr Dewhurst was Professor Bowden-Jones’ trainee in London as a Senior House Officer and Specialist Registrar 15 years ago.
Dr Dewhurst said:
“Owen is definitely a ‘guru’ when it comes to addiction treatment. I feel honoured to be asked to sit on the panel for the President’s Lecture. As clinical lead for Addiction and Homeless services at GMMH, our services deliver outstanding care.
“Managing people with co-occurring mental health problems is routine for our services. I strive to ensure our patients access the treatment they need, particularly when their mental health is severe and enduring, requiring a collaborative approach from healthcare providers.”
