The Darwinian model is employed to study the phylogeny and taxonomy of psychiatrists in the UK. External hazards which could threaten psychiatric practice are examined and the part that psychiatrists themselves play in bringing about-their difficulties are emphasised. Ways of ensuring a more satisfactory and secure future for psychiatrists are explored.

In his Annual Report on the Health Advisory Service, Dr Peter Horrocks makes a statement that should worry all psychiatrists. He writes, “Participation and leadership in the process of change needs to be re-gained by the respective professional bodies, not least by the Royal College of Psychiatrists”.

Where patients are suffering from mental disorder, one of the early questions asked is how best their financial affairs can be managed. Very often, in the case of elderly people, bills have been left unpaid, letters unopened and even court summonses unattended to. They may need to move to a nursing home or other residential care and their house or flat may need to be sold to pay fees. Until 1986, the only valid way of arranging for patients' financial affairs to be looked after (except in the simplest of cases) was by application to the Court of Protection, who could appoint a receiver to stand in the patient's shoes or make a ‘short procedure’ order to cater for patients whose assets were small and easily-managed.

On 21 September 1977, the first British ‘hostel ward’ was opened. In this paper we review the thinking behind such a concept and evaluate its successes and failures. This is not simply of value as an introspective exercise since it is also crucial that service planners and providers who are moving towards the closure of mental hospitals should consider the value for their district of such a service.

It might at first sight appear that old age psychiatrists and geriatricians are relatively well protected from having to deal with the problems of patients suffering from the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It is therefore perhaps surprising that the major article in the newsletter of the American Geriatric Society is devoted to AIDS and concludes that “there is no question that the AIDS epidemic is the most important world wide public health issue of this century”.

In December 1986 I was invited by Yorkshire Regional Health Authority to visit centres of excellence with regard to mental handicap community provision. I had just been appointed to a consultant psychiatrist post with a special interest in mental handicap. The Authority's suggestion was that I go to several centres around Britain and make one trip to Europe and one trip to North America. I was very favourably impressed by Yorkshire's imaginative style and set to work to plan my tour. I had until 1 April 1987 when my new job started. I learned very quickly that preparing a travel schedule is a frustrating and irritating task. It took more than four weeks of telephone calls, with the aid of detective work by Directory Enquiries, before I had even a rough plan of campaign. I discovered several truths at this time. These were.