Dr Allan Johnston
Consultant sports psychiatrist
MBBS MRCPsych Cert Med Ed (IU)
Specialises in
I am a consultant psychiatrist specialising in sports psychiatry.
I have recently been employed by the English Institute of Sport (EIS) as sports psychiatrist to the Mental Health Expert Panel (MHEP) supporting our Great Britain Olympic and Paralympic Athletes in preparation for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020.
The Bradford Bulls RLFC employed me as the world’s first Rugby League sports psychiatrist in 2012. I now work with athletes across a range of sports, dance and performance disciplines.
Since leaving the Bradford Bulls, as medical director and sports psychiatrist to Synergy Medicine Ltd I have developed an independent sports medicine service in Leeds that works with all levels of conditions and injuries in athletes. I work with athletes on all aspects of wellbeing and performance and how these interrelate. In addition I have been selected for a role with the UK Anti-Doping authority in the management of ADHD and Therapeutic Use Exemptions.
I am a co-founder of, and was recently elected to, the position of Deputy Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Sports and Exercise Psychiatry Special Interest Group - the Royal College’s fastest growing special interest group. I co-ordinate training for UK sports psychiatrists. With a strong passion for all sport, I work on a voluntary basis as sports psychiatrist and trustee to State of Mind Sport, a charity aiming to improve the mental health and wellbeing of athletes and their communities. In my NHS role I chaired the Derbyshire Suicide Prevention Strategy Group 2013-2018 and lead a range of innovations in the region including the development of our regional strategy, a greater involvement of service users in co-producing their own services, chairing Suicide Prevention conferences and World Suicide Prevention Day initiatives. Since 2015, over 3 successive years, suicide rates in Derbyshire have almost halved with reduced rates seen particularly in men. In 2018 our work with Public Health on training General Practitioners in Suicide Prevention strategies was nominated for a Health Service Journal (HSJ) award.
I am a qualified teacher-trainer and I am widely published in both Liaison & Sports Psychiatry.
Treatment information
Some of the principal treatments carried out by Dr Allan Johnston at Spire include:
Psychiatry
Other treatments
Sports, liaison and general adult psychiatry. Treatments include biological treatments (prescribing), psychological treatments and therapies, resilience and prehabilitation.
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Additional information
Clinical interests
Special Clinical Interests: Sports psychiatry; Mental health of athletes; Exercise psychiatry; Resilience and coping skills.
Qualification and professional memberships
MBBS / London / 2002
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
MRCPsych / Royal College of Psychiatrists / 2006
Membership, Royal College of Psychiatrists
Cert Med ED (IU) / University of Dundee / 2008
Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education
Professional memberships
Professional leadership
Medical director, Synergy Medicare Ltd
Current NHS posts
Consultant psychiatrist, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust