Dr Eilis Kennedy, a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at NLFT, has been appointed a Presidential Lead at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. In this role, she will provide leadership and insight to the RCPsych, influencing policy and practice in early life health, her area of specialism. Dr Kennedy has a background in research evaluating interventions for pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood.
As Presidential Lead, she will advise the President and College Officers on early life health matters and lead relevant projects. Her appointment highlights the expertise within NLFT and its contribution to advancing knowledge in the field.
Dr Panos Vythoulkas, a Perinatal Clinical Psychologist, recently spoke to The Guardian about domestic abuse in pregnancy. His comments followed new research estimating 20,000 cases of domestic abuse are disclosed to maternity services in England annually. Dr Vythoulkas works within NLFT's Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service.
He discussed how pregnancy can exacerbate abusive behaviour, with some partners exploiting increased pressures by restricting access to finances, support, or healthcare. The article highlighted the experiences of women whose pregnancies are affected by domestic violence.
“"Their contributions highlight the expertise that exists across NLFT and demonstrate the important role our colleagues play in advancing knowledge, setting the standard of best practice and improving outcomes for patients and communities."
The Trust expressed pride in seeing their colleagues' work recognised on national platforms, underscoring the high-quality care, research, and innovation delivered by NLFT.
