Dr Alex ThomsonClinician

Chair, Faculty of Liaison Psychiatry, Royal College of Psychiatrists; Clinical Lead for Liaison Psychiatry and Urgent and Emergency Care, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Royal College of Psychiatrists / Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Royal College of Psychiatrists / Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is based in Bethnal Green and Stepney (London)

Cited in UK press coverage of health & social care

1 citation

Across 1 topic, first on 27 Aug 2026.

Biography

Dr Alex B. Thomson is a Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist working in the Department of Psychological Medicine at Northwick Park Hospital, part of Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL). He holds the qualifications BA, MBBS, MA and FRCPsych. He serves as Chair of the Faculty of Liaison Psychiatry at the Royal College of Psychiatrists and as CNWL's Clinical Lead for Liaison Psychiatry and Urgent and Emergency Care, a role focused on improving mental health care for patients in acute hospitals and supporting urgent and emergency mental health services. He was a member of the NHS England Mental Health Crisis Care Subgroup that developed London's Section 136 Pathway and Health Based Place of Safety Specification, and has led the introduction of the Framework for Routine Outcome Measurement in Liaison Psychiatry at CNWL. He was named RCPsych Psychiatric Educator of the Year in 2020, recognised for innovative approaches to postgraduate education and for encouraging trainees and trainers to take up leadership roles.

References

1.Alex Thomson – Chair of the Faculty of Liaison Psychiatry (LinkedIn) — Current role title as Chair of the Faculty of Liaison Psychiatry; base employer CNWL; clinical focus on the Department of Psychological Medicine, Northwick Park Hospital
2.Dr Alex B Thomson is the new Clinical Lead for Liaison Psychiatry and Urgent and Emergency Care – CNWL — Appointment as CNWL Clinical Lead for Liaison Psychiatry and Urgent and Emergency Care; scope of role including acute hospital and ambulance/emergency partnerships
3.RCPsych Awards 2020 – Psychiatric Educator of the Year — Won Psychiatric Educator of the Year 2020; details of citation including innovation in training and leadership development
4.NHS England blog – Improving outcome measurement in liaison mental health care (Alex Thomson) — Role as consultant liaison psychiatrist and clinical network lead at CNWL; membership of NHS England Mental Health Crisis Care Subgroup developing London's Section 136 Pathway

Expertise

Cited on

Hospital discharge / bed-blocking

Stated areas of expertise

Liaison psychiatry
Mental health in acute hospitals
Urgent and emergency mental health care
Self-harm policy
Psychiatric education and training
Outcome measurement in mental health

Notable achievements

Won the RCPsych Psychiatric Educator of the Year award in 2020, recognised for innovative approaches to postgraduate training and leadership development across liaison psychiatry. Source ↗
Member of the NHS England Mental Health Crisis Care Subgroup that developed London's Section 136 Pathway and Health Based Place of Safety Specification. Source ↗
Named CNWL Clinical Lead for Liaison Psychiatry and Urgent and Emergency Care, leading mental health care improvement across acute hospitals and emergency settings. Source ↗
Co-authored a national service evaluation on 'medical clearance' and referral to liaison psychiatry, published in BJPsych Bulletin (2023), while serving as Vice Chair of the RCPsych Liaison Psychiatry Faculty. Source ↗
Served on the 2022 NICE Guideline Committee on self-harm, co-authoring an editorial highlighting key recommendations for mental health professionals. Source ↗

What they’ve said

“There is a significant lack of mental health beds in many parts of the country which prevents patients from being admitted for specialist care in a timely manner. These unacceptable delays can put young people at significant risk of becoming more unwell.”
Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists' liaison psychiatry faculty · Hospital discharge / bed-blocking · 27 Aug 2026 · Children detained under Mental Health Act held for hours in A&E departments ↗

Source references

Children detained under Mental Health Act held for hours in A&E departmentstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Contact & links

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.

Doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and other registered clinicians quoted in a clinical capacity. Citations are counted by an automated scan of UK press coverage and may be incomplete. Roles, biographies and contact details are researched and human-reviewed before they appear here; anything not yet reviewed is simply absent rather than shown unverified. See the methodology for how this page is built, or email contact@bridgeheadcommunications.com to correct anything on it.