This report is a revision of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’
document
Roles and Responsibilities of the Consultant in
General and Community Psychiatry (Council Report CR94 from
2001).
The consultant specialising in general adult
psychiatry works in a complex health and social care system, within
a society that accommodates and assimilates many cultural
influences and ethnic groups. Our society continues to undergo
rapid change and the phenomenon of globalisation impacts upon our
work in many ways; through its influence on economic growth,
immigration, workforce issues and the rapid spread of ideas and
cultural trends. Even in the short time since the last review of
this report, electronic communication and the internet have made
huge strides.
This review comes at an opportune time, to
take account of these changes and their impact upon our role
(Kennedy & Griffiths, 2001). In drawing up this guidance, a
number of key influences have been taken into account, these
include:
- That we live and practise in a multicultural
society.
- The importance of planning and providing
mental healthcare within the social context of the individual.
- The importance of addressing social exclusion
to ensure optimal outcomes in mental healthcare.
- The programme of service improvement and
modernisation in the NHS, as reflected in the National Service
Frameworks, policy implementation guides and a range of other
guidance.
- The rapidly developing evidence base in our
speciality.
- The legal context in which mental healthcare
is provided.
Our aim in producing this review is to provide
guidance on the consultant’s role to the membership of our faculty,
their employers, individuals and carers, and to colleagues in
healthcare, social care and non-statutory organisations, so as to
enable consultants to make the optimal contribution and impact. The
approach that we have taken is consistent with other recently
published documents on the new ways of working for psychiatrists
and their employment (Department of Health, 2005a,
b).