Deputy director of nursing becomes first nurse president of international forensic association

Michael Doyle, our deputy director of nursing, clinical governance and safety and the first nurse to be elected president of the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services (IAFMHS), will be presiding over the organisation’s annual conference in New York City in June.

Up to 600 leading international researchers, clinicians and leaders in the field of forensic mental health will be attending the event to share state of the art research findings and evidence-based practice.

Dr Doyle, who is also honorary senior lecturer in Health and Risk Sciences at the University of Manchester, has over 30 years’ experience as a nurse in the NHS and previously worked as a nurse consultant specialising in clinical risk in forensic services and as a cognitive behavioural therapist. He has conducted research and published widely on psychosocial risk assessment, formulation and interventions, forensic mental health nursing and related subjects.

He assumed the presidency in his home city of Manchester at the previous annual conference in June 2015. The IAFMHS encourages international dialogue and provides a forum for sharing information about research, leadership and best practices in forensic mental health across professional and national boundaries.

Dr Doyle said: “It’s great to have been elected president of such a prestigious national association which is recognised across the world as the foremost in forensic mental health. It’s even more of an honour to be the first president from a mental health nurse background.

“As part of the role, I’ll be networking with leading national and international authorities in the field of forensic and related mental health services, including commissioners, clinicians, managers, researchers and high ranking officials from the regulators and NHS.

“As a result of my role as president, the Trust and its forensic services will have widespread exposure to a national and international audience and will therefore be recognized nationally and internationally, which I’m very proud to be a part of.”

For more information on the association and the New York conference, visit www.iafmhs.org