Psychiatric Training in Britain

Abstract

In England and Wales there are about 50 million people and 3,000 (+) psychiatrists. Nearly half of these (1300) are in Senior Posts (Consultant). The other 1900 are in non-Consultant (Medical and Clinical Assistant) and training posts (Senior House Officer, Registrar and Senior Registrar). Manpower in in Northern Ireland and Scotland is available to meet their different standards though the career structure is similar. Some of the training posts throughout the United Kingdom are filled by graduates from overseas who do not remain permanently in the United Kingdom. There are an estimated 41 Consultant vacancies from retirements each year so it is necessary to consider a training system which will produce an appropriate number of trained psychiatrists. At present in England and Wales there is a Consultant Psychiatrist (for adults with mental illness) in the National Health Service for 40,000 population. It is College policy to raise this to one Consultant for 25,000 population. The majority of all psychiatrists in the U.K. work in the Health Service though one third of them do some private practice as well.