The opening address at this forthcoming event is by the President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists:
This is a summary of what the event will cover:
This RCPsych Continuing Medical Education Event [CME] is sponsored by Lundbeck Ltd:
Personal thoughts:
I was an NHS psychiatrist for over 25 years. I am now retired. Throughout my career I advocated for the healthcare profession, including psychiatry, to remove all potential influences introduced by commercial interests such as the pharmaceutical industry. Even though I am now retired I have continued to hope for a ‘New Beginning’ for psychiatry where all commercial influences are excluded. In July of this year I wrote to Dr Lade Smith to wish her well as the incoming President. One of the issues that I raised with Dr Smith was the continued enmeshment of British psychiatry with the pharmaceutical industry. I have had no reply from Dr Smith. It is therefore reasonable, and disappointing, to conclude that British psychiatry has yet again missed an opportunity to address this issue. Are we going to have to wait for the next ‘New Beginning’?