Abstract
Since taking the decision to pursue a career in mental handicap, I have been increasingly aware of the debate surrounding the role of the consultant psychiatrist in this field. Nowhere else in medicine does there seem to be such uncertainty about the continued need for an already established specialty. I believe that one of the major reasons for the continued difficulty in attracting trainees into mental handicap is precisely this uncertainty about its future, which is in no way ameliorated by the College's view that a full time specialist appointment in the psychiatry of mental handicap is not superior to a joint appointment either with adult or child psychiatry.1
Highlights
Since taking the decision to pursue a career in mental handi cap, 1 have been increasingly aware of the debate surround ing the role of the consultant psychiatrist in this field
I believe that one of the major reasons for the continued difficulty in attracting trainees into mental handi cap is precisely this uncertainty about its future, which is in no way ameliorated by the College's view that a full time specialist appointment in the psychiatry of mental handicap is not superior to a joint appointment either with adult or child psychiatry
It seems clear that the case for the core involvement of the specialist consultant psychiatrist in the planning and pro vision of services for the mentally handicapped has not been made
Summary
Since taking the decision to pursue a career in mental handi cap, 1 have been increasingly aware of the debate surround ing the role of the consultant psychiatrist in this field. It seems clear that the case for the core involvement of the specialist consultant psychiatrist in the planning and pro vision of services for the mentally handicapped (in addition to providing a psychiatric service for them) has not been made.
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