Professor Lene Lauge Berring
Professor Lauge Berring is a psychiatric nurse and researcher specialising in de-escalation and the prevention of violence and coercion in mental health care. Her work combines practice-based research with staff training to implement evidence-based de-escalation strategies and foster safe, respectful care environments. She has led national and international projects on coercion reduction, developed training programmes for mental health professionals, and founded Denmark’s national trauma-informed care centre.
Dr. Tony Bleetman
Dr Bleetman has over 28 years as a Consultant in Emergency Medicine. He has extensive experience in trauma care, as a Consultant Trauma Team Leader at St.Mary’s Hospital Major Trauma Centre for 3 years and 12 years of service with Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS), including a 3-year period as Clinical Director of Midlands Air Ambulance.
He was awarded The Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals for his work in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine. Dr Bleetman is Associate Clinical Professor at Warwick Medical School. He is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Neuroscience, Surgery and Trauma, Blizard Institute (Queen Mary University London).
He has published extensively and has an active research portfolio. He currently serves as a medical advisor to the Ministry of Defence and works both in NHS Emergency Departments and as an Attending Emergency Physician in the Middle East.
Dr. Marek Páv, MD, PhD, MBA
Dr Páv is a former Chief Physician at Bohnice Hospital and currently holds the position of Deputy for Science, Research, and Education at Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital in Prague. He is also affiliated with the First Faculty of Medicine at Charles University in Prague. Dr. Páv leads clinical operations, coordinates research, and oversees educational programs for staff and students in the fields of forensic psychiatry and intensive psychiatric care.
Dr. Páv has contributed to the adaptation and implementation of structured professional judgment tools, such as the HCR-20V3, SVR-20V2, SAPROF, SAVRY, and DASA, which are now standard for assessing short-term and long-term violence risk and planning interventions in Czech psychiatric practice. His responsibilities include integrating these evidence-based tools into clinical workflows within Department of Health projects, training multidisciplinary teams, and ensuring ongoing monitoring of patient risk and treatment outcomes at a whole-system level.
Dr. Páv’s work emphasizes systematic risk identification, analysis, and management to enhance patient and staff safety, support individualized care, and improve the overall quality of mental health services.
Palkesh Darbar Crawford
Palkesh D. Crawford has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare and has demonstrated internationally acknowledged entrepreneurial skills and passion. Palkesh has developed many innovative products and solutions to challenges with healthcare and other services and is the inventor of the Safety Pod launched more than ten years ago.
Palkesh continues to offer expert advice and support within the healthcare sector, and to other services and industries globally, and as CEO of Safety Pod International, continues to advance his commitment to advancing both healthcare solutions and cross sector knowledge.
Dr. Madeeeha Rahim-Rasool
Dr Madeeeha Rahim-Rasool has worked in the public and private sectors in the UK and UAE and is a highly accomplished professional with recognised expertise in autism and healthcare quality. Currently based in the UAE, her research is based on her passion to create services, settings, and communities that welcome, accept, and support people who are neurodiverse and ensure they receive person-centred supports. Combining evidence-based approaches with a deep appreciation of each individual's unique journey is at the core of her practice as a researcher and practitioner.
Dr. Brodie Paterson
Symposium Co-Chair
Dr Paterson is an internationally recognised expert on violence and restraint reduction in health, social care, and education who has advised governments in the UK, Ireland, Canada, and Australia. He has published more than 150 papers and research reports and is regularly instructed as an expert witness in civil cases, criminal prosecutions, and public inquiries. He conducted the first UK evaluation of training in the prevention and safer management of violence in the UK, developed the first standards for training, and undertook the first UK study into restraint-related deaths. He presently works in the UK and Australia.