Psychiatrists appointed to National Health Service (NHS) consultant posts in the United Kingdom before a specific date in 1995 qualified for early retirement and this has implications for workforce planning.
Methods:
The author reflects on the implications this has for ageing psychiatrists and for relationships between psychiatrists and patients and families using mental health services, from the perspective of a psychiatrist who took advantage of the opportunity to retire early from a consultant post in the NHS and to develop a new career.
Results:
Older psychiatrists continuing to practise after retirement from consultant roles may bring disadvantages and advantages.
Conclusions:
Older psychiatrists may be a valuable resource for future mental health services, and they may be in a position to try out new ways of working which might be relevant to their younger colleagues in the uncertain future faced by mental health services at a time of austerity.
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