Dr Siddaway is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and medico-legal expert specialising in trauma, adversity, stress, medical psychology (including chronic pain), and clinical risk (to self, to others, and from others). He combines NHS clinical practice with expert witness work and research, and works across the lifespan with children, adolescents, and adults. He is Chair of the BPS’ Expert Witness Advisory Group, which advises on professional standards and good practice for psychologists working as expert witnesses, and listed on the BPS Register of Expert Witnesses, which he helped establish. 

​

Dr Siddaway is regularly instructed in complex and high-value personal injury and clinical negligence claims, providing expert opinion on psychological injury (including diagnosis), causation, prognosis, treatment needs, and functional impact (including disability). He also accepts instructions in immigration, employment, and child/family proceedings, as well as fast track and intermediate track personal injury and clinical negligence claims. He has extensive experience in medico-legal assessment and provides clear, well-reasoned, accessible reports and oral evidence in accordance with CPR Part 35. His professional opinions are impartial, balanced, and evidence-based. Assessments follow a structured, forensic methodology, involving detailed clinical interview, mental state examination, behavioural observation, review of relevant records and collateral information, and psychometric and symptom validity testing where appropriate. Opinions are based on the totality of available information, with careful consideration of internal and external consistency, response bias, alternative explanations, and clinical plausibility. 

​

Expert Witness Areas of Expertise:

• Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence: Psychological injury and mental disorder following trauma, adversity and stress, including accidents, physical injury, medical error, breach of duty, data breaches, abuse, crime, discrimination, and military experience. Opinion on condition, prognosis, causation, treatment needs, and functional impact (including disability).

• Employment and Employment Tribunals: Work-related stress and psychological injury, including fitness for work. Psychological effects of bullying, harassment, discrimination, and unfair dismissal. Opinion on causation, prognosis, and functional impact in the context of employment litigation and tribunal proceedings.

• Immigration: Assessment of individuals exposed to torture, trafficking, and abuse, including the psychological impact of detention and deportation on individuals, couples, and families. Risk assessment and opinion on vulnerability and future risk.

• Child/Family: Mental health of children and parents, parenting capacity, and family functioning, including complex and high-conflict presentations. Assessment of risk to children, residency and contact, capacity to effect and sustain change, and relational dynamics (including allegations of parental alienation).

• Risk Assessment and Management: Assessment of suicide risk, sexual recidivism, sexually harmful behaviour, domestic abuse, intimate partner violence. Theory- and evidence-based risk assessment, formulation, and management, including protective factors, capacity and motivation to change, and treatment recommendations.

​​

Timescales for Medico-Legal Assessments:

Assessments are typically conducted within 1–3 months of instruction. Reports are usually submitted within 1–2 weeks of assessment. Urgent instructions can usually be accommodated where required. 
 

Dr Siddaway is happy to discuss potential cases informally. References and sample reports are available on request.