The club of consultant psychiatrists

I started as a consultant psychiatrist 25 years ago today. This was in Sheffield. I had been told at my interview that it was like I was joining a club. I guess it has been a privileged position.

At that time, my contract was with Sheffield Health Authority, although I was working for the mental health service unit. This was before the days of NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts. Consultant contracts were subsequently transferred to these provider organisations, even if, as I mentioned in my previous post, mine has been suspended twice. Health Authorities were also replaced by purchaser GP organisations, now called Clinical Commissioning Groups.