Psychotherapy Specialist Section

Abstract

Consultant posts in psychotherapy appeared separately in DHSS statistics for 1975 for the first time, having previously been included within the figures for Adult Mental Illness. In 1975, ten Consultant Psychotherapist posts (six whole-time equivalents) were recorded, and this figure increased steadily as more post holders declared themselves as specialist psychotherapists, after initial reluctance on the part of many to relinquish the title of Consultant Physician in Psychological Medicine or Consultant Psychiatrist, since the title of Psychotherapist did not assert medical status. By 1984 there were 91 Consultant Psychotherapist posts (61.2 whole-time equivalents), but there was no record of the number of Consultant Psychiatrist post holders with specified contractual Special Responsibility or Special Interest in psychotherapy. Such details are held only by Regional Health Authorities, and are not available for manpower statistics.