March 29, 2013

strengthening academic psychiatry in the UK

Mental ill health accounts for some 15% of the disease burden in developed countries and patients with serious mental illness die 25 years earlier than the rest of the population. Spending on mental health research currently amounts to only one-twentieth of the total UK health research spend. Concerns have been raised about the recruitment and training of psychiatrists in the UK, and the Academy of Medical Sciences has identified psychiatry as a vulnerable academic discipline.

Leading UK psychiatrists came to the SMC to discuss the issues facing the professional psychiatric community, and give their views on the future path that psychiatry must take in order to continue to provide patients with the highest standard of care and support.

This briefing also marked the launch of the Academy of Medical Sciences report ‘Strengthening Academic Psychiatry’ and shared the recommendations made by an expert working group chaired by Sir David Carter.

Speakers:

Professor Sir Simon Wessely, Vice Dean, Academic Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London

Professor Nick Craddock, Professor of Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University and Honorary Treasurer of the Royal College of Psychiatrists

Sir David Carter, Emeritus Professor of Surgery, University of Edinburgh, formerly Chief Medical Officer of Scotland and Chair of the Academy of Medical Sciences working group on Strengthening Academic Psychiatry.