Psychiatric Bulletin (2009) 33: 219-225. doi: 10.1192/pb.bp.108.023184
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow View responses
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Related articles in PB
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by St John-Smith, P.
Right arrow Articles by Rao, R.
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by St John-Smith, P.
Right arrow Articles by Rao, R.

The trouble with NHS psychiatry in England

Paul St John-Smith, Consultant in General Adult (Assertive Outreach) and Community Psychiatry

Cranbourne Centre, Potters Bar

Daniel McQueen, Specialist Registrar in Psychotherapy

Cassel Hospital, Richmond, and Psychotherapy Service, Lakeside Mental Health Unit, West Middlesex University Hospital, Isleworth

Albert Michael, Consultant in General Adult (In-Patient Care) and Community Psychiatry

Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 2QZ, email: albert.michael{at}smhp.nhs.uk

George Ikkos, Consultant Psychiatrist (Liaison Psychiatry)

Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore

Chess Denman, Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy

Complex Cases Service, Springbank Ward, Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge

Michael Maier, Consultant Psychiatrist (Rehabilitation Psychiatry)

West London Mental Health NHS Trust, Southall

Robert Tobiansky, Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist

Edgware Hospital

Hemachandran Pathmanandam, Consultant Psychiatrist (Community, General Adult)

Cygnet House, Ware

Teifion Davies, Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Community Psychiatry

Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London

V. Sunil Babu, Consultant in Psychiatry of Old Age

Director of Medical Education, Surrey and Borders Partnership Foundation NHS Trust, Oxted

Omana Thachil, Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Sandwell Mental Health and Social Care NHS Trust, West Bromwich

Furhan Iqbal, Consultant Psychiatrist (General Adult and Community) South Rural Cambridge

Ranga Rao, Consultant Psychiatrist

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Ladywell Unit, University Hospital Lewisham, London

Declaration of interest

None.

In ‘Wake-up call for British psychiatry’ Craddock et al explained how recent attempts to improve psychosocial care for people with mental illness focus on non-specific psychosocial support. This has been at the expense of proper diagnostic assessment and prescription of treatment by psychiatrists aimed at treatment of specific disorders and recovery. They describe a creeping devaluation of psychiatry which is caricatured as narrow, biological, reductionist, oppressive, discriminatory and stigmatising. Some trusts have implemented ‘New Ways of Working for Psychiatrists’ in a way that undermines the central importance of psychiatrists in mental healthcare. Consequently, patients may be treated in secondary care without ever being seen by a psychiatrist. We consider a number of different changes that have interacted in unforeseen ways, with unintended adverse consequences for psychiatric services in England. We aim to continue the debate here.


Related articles in PB:

NHS psychiatry: the need for constructive debate. Invited commentary on... The trouble with NHS psychiatry in England
Chris Hawley, Lynne Drummond, and Jackie Knight
PB 2009 33: 299-302. [Abstract] [Full Text]  



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Psychiatr. Bull.Home page
J. A. Harrison
The trouble with NHS psychiatrists
Psychiatr. Bull., October 1, 2009; 33(10): 397 - 397.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Psychiatr. Bull.Home page
M. Taylor and P. Shah
The trouble with...
Psychiatr. Bull., October 1, 2009; 33(10): 396 - 396.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Psychiatr. Bull.Home page
C. Hilton
New Ways not Working and the consultoid
Psychiatr. Bull., September 1, 2009; 33(9): 356 - 356.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Psychiatr. Bull.Home page
P. N. de Silva
We need to learn from other doctors
Psychiatr. Bull., September 1, 2009; 33(9): 356 - 357.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Psychiatr. Bull.Home page
V. B. Kolli, J. Lyons, and D. Ralevic
Problems in NHS psychiatry and recruitment chaos - are they related?
Psychiatr. Bull., September 1, 2009; 33(9): 357 - 357.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Psychiatr. Bull.Home page
C. Hawley, L. Drummond, and J. Knight
NHS psychiatry: the need for constructive debate. Invited commentary on... The trouble with NHS psychiatry in England
Psychiatr. Bull., August 1, 2009; 33(8): 299 - 302.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

eLetters:

Read all eLetters

We need to learn from other doctors
PRASANNA N. DE SILVA
PB Online, 18 Jun 2009 [Full text]
The Last of the Psychiatrists
Yasir Abbasi
PB Online, 18 Jun 2009 [Full text]
The trouble with NHS psychiatry- do patients expect more from psychiatrists?
Kamini Vasudev
PB Online, 18 Jun 2009 [Full text]
Problems in NHS psychiatry and recruitment chaos- Are they related?
Venkata B Kolli, et al.
PB Online, 24 Jun 2009 [Full text]
New ways of working: Are we prepared?
Sandeep Bansal
PB Online, 10 Jul 2009 [Full text]
The Trouble With...
Mark Taylor, et al.
PB Online, 10 Jul 2009 [Full text]
The trouble with NHS psychiatrists
Judy A Harrison
PB Online, 29 Jul 2009 [Full text]