MBChB MPhil MRCGP FRCPsych RAF (Retd)

Walter joined the RAF as a medical student cadet in 1981 graduating as a Medical Doctor at the University of Manchester in 1983. He served as a General Duties Medical Officer at various fast jet flying RAF stations in the UK, and abroad and on deployment completing his General Practice Training. Having re-trained in psychiatry in the RAF Training scheme which included some time at The Maudsley and in Oxford he was appointed Consultant Psychiatrist in 1994.

Walter was part of the team that repatriated and rehabilitated the Beirut Hostages in 1991 and which then set up PTSD rehabilitation services for personnel returning from Gulf War 1. He led RAF community services in East Anglia before retiring at the rank of Wing Commander in 1997.

He worked treating adult survivors of sexual abuse for 7 years at Ticehurst House Hospital setting up tertiary services for CPTSD sufferers and was appointed Medical Director of a Partnerships In Care all women’s forensic hospital for 3 years before being appointed Director of Medical Services at Combat Stress in June 2007.

He set up clinical governance, national community and residential programmes collaborating and liaising with the highest levels of the NHS, MoD and charities and national and international agencies.

He is past Chair of the UK Trauma Group (UKTG) and was a Founder Board Member of the UK Psychological Trauma Society (UKPTS) (2008-2013). He has lectured and published extensively on veterans’ mental health and trauma survivors. He set up the Combat Stress research department collaboration with KCMHR in 2014, leading to national and international collaborations and many publications on veterans’ and carers’ clinical needs and interventions.

He is a founder member of the Five Eyes Mental Health Research Collaborative which advises the Veterans’ ministers of the Five Eyes Countries on Military Mental Health (from 2018).

He sits on the Armed Forces Clinical Reference Group for NHS England (2021-current) and on the mental health subcommittee (2015-cutrrent).

Walter received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Soldiering on for services to the Military Family in 2016.

He was appointed Lifetime Member of the Association of Psychiatry Malta 2019.

Walter was an Hon Snr Lecturer in Psychiatry Kent Institute for Medical Studies 1999-2004. And an Hon Research Assistant in Psychology Royal Holloway and Bedford New College 1993-1995.

Research Interests

• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, CPTSD

• Translational research and treatment for PTSD including group programmes and medications and other interventions

• Military Psychiatry, Military Veterans

• Adult survivors of sexual abuse