Information on Provision of Expert Opinion to Instructing Solicitors
Professor White is an esteemed skilled and expert witness who provides opinion on matters relating to psychological processes and outcomes relating to personal injury, negligence, employment law, Equalities, housing, asylum and immigration and adult mental health cases.
He only accepts inquiries for instructions in these areas where specific questions have arisen regarding psychological processes and outcomes.
However, please note that Professor White does not accept instructions in relation to assessments of children or young people currently under the age of 16, or family law cases where there is a requirement for an opinion on contact, child welfare and/or children's adjustment to parental separation.
Overview of Qualifications, Professional Affiliations, Clinical training, senior leadership and management experience
Qualifications
He graduated from University of Glasgow with Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Psychology in
1992. He subsequently obtained the
higher degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology following study and research in
clinical psychology in 1995. He also
obtained the higher degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychological Medicine
following research in clinical psychology in 2004. He obtained the degree of Master of Medical
Law with Merit from the University of Glasgow in 2014. He obtained the Diploma of Legal Medicine,
with Distinction from the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine in 2023.
Professional Affiliations
He is a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, an elected Fellow of the British Psychological Society and Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. He is an Associate Member of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of London. He is a Member of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.
Clinical training and experience
Following participation in the North West Regional Health Authority rotational training scheme in clinical psychology, he commenced work as a Clinical Psychologist in the NHS in Ayrshire and Arran from 1995 to 1998 and a Clinical Research Training Fellowship at the University of Glasgow Department of Psychological Medicine from 1998-2004. He was Honorary Clinical Psychologist at West Glasgow Hospitals University NHS Trust and in NHS Ayrshire and Arran during this time. He completed the necessary training and experience to work as a Consultant in Clinical Psychology in the NHS in 2004 and worked as Macmillan Consultant in Psychosocial Oncology in NHS Ayrshire and Arran from 2004.
He has a Postgraduate qualification in cognitive therapy from the University of Durham. He has completed post-qualification training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Method of Levels Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD, and Structured Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) for PTSD. He has completed training in the diagnostic classification of mental, behavioural and neurodevelopmental disorders provided by the World Health Organisation.
Senior leadership and management
He was Deputy Director of Psychological Services for NHS Ayrshire Arran from 2005 and from 2006 onwards and then held a series of Associate Director positions in strategic planning, medical records, quality, governance and standards. He was the NHS Board’s Caldicott Guardian from 2009 to 2014. In 2013, he moved to the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates to a national clinical policy leadership role working in palliative and end-of-life care, organisational duty of candour, healthcare quality and planning. He chaired the Ministerial Review Group required by Section 35 of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 2015 and has held several senior operational and strategic roles within the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates.
Research and publications
He is the author of 27 academic papers, 3 books and 11 book chapters in clinical psychology and clinical health psychology covering cognitive processes contributory to psychopathology, psychometric assessment and the practical application of clinical psychology to treatment of physical and psychological symptoms.
Further Information on Curricula of Qualifications
B.Sc. (Honours) Psychology First Class, University of Glasgow (1992)
Psychology degree conferring Graduate Basis for Registration as a Chartered Psychologist, covering developmental, social, cognitive, cultural psychology, psychophysiology, abnormal, statistics and advanced statistics.
Postgraduate Certificate in Cognitive Therapy (with Merit), University of Durham (1997)
Specialist training in cognitive psychotherapy for adult mental health problems, knowledge assessed through written work and clinical competence assessed through observed clinical practice.
Doctor of Clinical Psychology (ClinPsyD), University of Manchester (1995)
Knowledge and assessment of clinical competence in the application of psychological science and theory in respect of the origins, maintenance and intervention across the lifespan, completing rotational training in adult psychiatry, old age psychiatry, child and family services, learning disabilities, specialist psychosis and clinical health psychology services.
Knowledge of all major theoretical models of psychological therapy and assessment.
Observation and clinical psychology theory and practice in mental and physical health.
Study of neuropsychology, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, psychopharmacology, statistics and critical analysis of clinical research.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) – Psychological Medicine, University of Glasgow (2005)
Psychological processes and their measurement, including the development of reliable and valid means of assessing cognitive processes involved in adjustment and how this influences the nature and severity of psychological distress. Critical analysis of academic literature in psychological medicine relating to research and understanding of research methodology and it’s application in psychological medicine.
Masters in Medical Law (MML) – Medical Law, with Merit, University of Glasgow (2014)
Study of medical law (case law, principles and academic literature) in respect of clinical negligence, consent and competence, decision-making for incompetent patients, confidentiality, product liability and vaccine damage, artificial reproduction, surrogacy, withholding/withdrawal of treatment, abortion and embryo research, maternal and fetal issues, human organs, assisted dying. Prevention of harm and legal sanction, negligence and standards of care, information disclosure in medical negligence, legal duties re disclosure, legal definitions of death and vegetative states, withholding and withdrawing life sustaining treatment in children, claims and damages for antenatal injury and regulation of research in embryology. Research dissertation on law in respect of disclosure in public safety interests considering adequacy of both discretionary and statutory requirements in the public interest .
Diploma of Legal Medicine (with Distinction), Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine
The syllabus covered the interface between the law across the 4 UK legislatures in respect of structure of healthcare delivery in the UK, GP and GDP performer’s regulations, NHS indemnity and insurance, clinical governance, regulation of healthcare professionals, sources of law and legal systems, structure and function of criminal law, police powers, principles of law of gross negligence manslaughter, corporate manslaughter, sexual offences, road traffic legislation, drug offences, assault and offences against the person, structure and function of civil law, duty of care, negligence, tests, failure to warn, actions for assault and trespass, principles of causation, civil procedure, damages, medical ethics – philosophy and practice, consent for treatment, consent and capacity, confidentiality, disclosures required by law and public interest, data protection, patient rights, children and young people, competence to consent, refusal of treatment, parental responsibility, parental requests for information, public interest disclosure, safeguarding, death certification, coronial and fatal accident inquiries, life prolonging treatment, refusal, advance directives, advance directives, euthanasia and assisted suicide, organ donation, retention or organs and tissue, medical examiners, mental health and incapacity law, prescribing including of controlled drugs, unlicensed and off label prescribing, rules of evidence, professional and expert witnesses and criminal and civil procedure rules.
Work as Skilled/Expert Witness
He is recognised by the Law Society of Scotland as having the requisite experience and ability in providing expert witness services.
Since 1995, he has provided expert opinion on psychological issues, processes, disorders and interventions occurring in adults, covering a range of civil cases with respect to personal injury claims (including historical abuse cases), equalities law, housing law and immigration and asylum legal cases. He complete approximately 70 expert opinion reports per annum.
He has given evidence to a range of Scottish Parliament inquiries committees in respect of the service he provides to Scottish Government – including the Health and Sport Committee, Justice Committee, Finance Committee, Local Government and Regeneration Committee.
The knowledge and experience he has acquired through study, clinical and academic practice spanning clinical psychology and adult mental health services; his experience of strategic leadership in the public sector and maintenance of knowledge through relevant papers influence his work as a skilled contributor/expert witness in providing expertise not within the knowledge of legal professionals and courts.
