Over 30 Years of Medico-Legal Expertise

Authoritative Psychiatric Evidence for Complex Litigation.

Dr. N J Cooling provides independent, highly respected expert witness services and CPR Part 35 compliant reports for personal injury, major trauma, historical abuse, and medical negligence cases nationwide and internationally.

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Dr. N J Cooling Portrait
Biography

Professional Profile

Dr. Cooling is a Consultant General Psychiatrist specializing in medico-legal practice since 1992. Renowned for his expertise in personal injury, medical negligence, and complex mental capacity assessments, he frequently consults on high-profile international and British cases, including major traumatic events and historical abuse inquiries.

A Bond Solon-trained expert witness with GMC revalidation until 2029, Dr. Cooling also founded the National Service for Police Psychiatry. He regularly provides comprehensive psychiatric assessments, ensuring authoritative, highly respected legal medical opinions.

Qualifications

  • MBBS 1981
  • MRCPsych 1986
  • Diploma in Psychotherapy (UMDS) 1992

The following numbers are available by request: GMC Number, MDU Number, MRCPsych Number.

Education

  • Kitwe Primary School, The Copper Belt, Zambia
  • Christchurch Cathedral School, Oxford
  • St Edward’s School, Oxford
  • Guy’s Hospital Medical School
Jurisdictions

Areas of Specialism

Expert psychiatric evaluation and reporting across diverse legal matters.

Personal Injury & Major Trauma

Specialist opinions on psychiatric damage following major national and international traumatic events (e.g., Hillsborough, Manchester Arena, Omagh Bomb), mass casualties, and general personal injury litigation.

Medical Negligence & Capacity

Expert reporting on breach of duty and causation in psychiatric care, alongside highly sought-after assessments regarding mental capacity for complex legal and civil proceedings.

Historical & Institutional Abuse

Extensive expertise providing expert reports for major institutional redress schemes (including the Irish Catholic Church, Lambeth Children’s Home, and Medomsley), as well as DASH-trained domestic abuse assessments.

Police & Occupational Psychiatry

Founder of the National Service for Police Psychiatry. Provides strategic mental health policy advice to the Home Office and expert evidence for major institutions, insurers, and occupational health departments.

Formal Instructions

Instruction Protocol & Availability

To facilitate a prompt conflict check, fee estimate, and timeline, instructing parties are asked to adhere to the following procedure:

01. Initial Enquiry

Provide a summary of the case facts, specific report requirements, and critical court deadlines. Formal instruction and medical records must be sent via secure transfer.

02. Clinical Availability

Clinics are available once a month in Huddersfield and on a weekly basis in London and Devon. Home visits are available throughout the United Kingdom.

Keats House
24-26 St Thomas Street, London SE1 9RS
Telephone: 02070 890610

Litfield House
Litfield Place, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3LS
Telephone: 01179 731323

Secretariat

Administration & Appointments
Davina Chappell & Michele de Barr
Kate Coley
01626 879510
07976 797017 / 07384 298193
Armorel
19 Lower Brook Street
Teignmouth
TQ14 8HR
Academic Contributions

Publications & Research

A selection of articles and clinical projects advancing the psychiatric field.

Phenomenology of Organic and Functional Psychoses and the Overlap Between Them

E C Johnstone, N J Cooling, C D Frith, T J Crow, D G Owens | British Journal of Psychiatry (1988). 153:770-776

This project was based on PSE assessment of 320 psychotic patients and involved a comparison between the phenomenology of psychotic illness and associated with known organic pathology and age-matched psychotic patients with functional psychoses. Dr Cooling presented this project to the Spring Quarterly Meeting in Aberdeen.

Gastro-Intestinal Permeability in Schizophrenia

Northwick Park Project | Spring Quarterly Meeting, Aberdeen

Dr Cooling worked on a project at Northwick Park concerning gastro-intestinal permeability in schizophrenia and the paper was presented at the Spring Quarterly Meeting in Aberdeen.

Assessment of Head-Size in Schizophrenia

Shenley Hospital Clinical Project

Dr Cooling was involved in assessing 1400 patients in Shenley Hospital in order to provide data on head-size in schizophrenia.