The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...

s in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, and is responsible for representing psychiatrists, for psychiatric research and for providing public information about mental health problems. The college provides advice to those responsible for training and certifying psychiatrists in the UK. In addition to publishing many books and producing several journals, the college produces, for the public, information about mental health problems. Its offices are located at 21

Prescot Street Prescot Street is a street in Aldgate in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in Central London. It runs between Goodman's Yard and Mansell Street in the west and Leman Street in the east. The area, including Ayliff Street, Leman Street and Mansel ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, near

Aldgate Aldgate () was a gate in the former defensive wall around the City of London. The gate gave its name to ''Aldgate High Street'', the first stretch of the A11 road, that takes that name as it passes through the ancient, extramural Portsoken ...

. The college's previous address (until 2013) was

Belgrave Square Belgrave Square is a large 19th-century garden square in London. It is the centrepiece of Belgravia, and its architecture resembles the original scheme of property contractor Thomas Cubitt who engaged George Basevi for all of the terraces for ...

History

The college has existed in various forms since 1841, having started as the Association of Medical Officers of Asylums and Hospitals for the Insane. Bewley (2008), p. 10. In 1865 it became the Medico-Psychological Association. Bewley (2008), p. 2. In 1926, the association received its

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

, becoming the Royal Medico-Psychological Association. In 1971, a supplemental charter gave the association the name of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Eleanora Fleury, became the first female member of the Medico Psychological Association in 1894, when she was elected by 23 votes to 7. She remained a member until 1924. This made her the first woman psychiatrist in Ireland or Great Britain.

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

incorporates the traditional serpent-entwined

Rod of Asclepius In Greek mythology, the Rod of Asclepius (⚕; , , , sometimes also spelled Asklepios), also known as the Staff of Aesculapius and as the asklepian, is a serpent-entwined rod wielded by the Greek god Asclepius, a deity associated with healing ...

symbolic of medicine, and butterflies associated with

Psyche Psyche (''Psyché'' in French) is the Greek term for "soul" ( ψυχή). Psyche or La Psyché may also refer to: Psychology * Psyche (psychology), the totality of the human mind, conscious and unconscious * ''Psyche'', an 1846 book about the unc ...

. Previous to the grant of these arms, the Medico-Psychological Association had used a device showing the seated Psyche with butterfly's wings. The arms were originally granted to the Royal Medico-Psychological Association in 1926, and were confirmed to the college on its formation in 1971 by the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

. They were also registered in Scotland by the

Court of the Lord Lyon The Court of the Lord Lyon, or Lyon Court, is a standing court of law, based in New Register House in Edinburgh, which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All ...

Policy and campaigns

The college runs campaigns, including Choose Psychiatry, which has helped increase the fill rate of posts from 78% in 2018 to 100% in 2020, as well as calling for parity in the funding of mental health services.

List of presidents

The president is elected for a three-year term and serves as head of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. * Martin Roth (1971 to 1975) * Linford Rees (1975 to 1978) * Desmond Pond (1978 to 1981) * Kenneth Rawnsley (1981 to 1984) * Thomas Bewley (1984 to 1987) * James Leatham Tennant Birley (1987 to 1990) * Andrew Sims (1990 to 1993) *

Fiona Caldicott Dame Fiona Caldicott ( Soesan; 12 January 1941 – 15 February 2021) was a British psychiatrist and psychotherapist who also served as Principal of Somerville College, Oxford. She was the National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care in Eng ...

(1993 to 1996); first female president *

Robert Evan Kendell Robert Evan Kendell (28 March 1935 − 19 December 2002) was a British psychiatrist. He was Chief Medical Officer of Scotland from 1991 to 1996 and President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists from 1996 to 1999. Background He was born on 28 ...

(1996 to 1999) * John Cox (1999 to 2002) *

Mike Shooter Mike Shooter of Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny, was president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom, and is responsible for re ...

(2002 to 2005) * Sheila Hollins (2005 to 2008) *

Dinesh Bhugra Dinesh Bhugra is a professor of mental health and diversity at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London. He is an honorary consultant psychiatrist at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and is former president of the ...

(2008 to 2011) * Dame Susan Bailey (2011 to 2014) * Sir Simon Wessely (2014 to 2017) *

Wendy Burn Wendy Katherine Burn (born 1958) is a Consultant in Old Age Psychiatry. She was President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists from 2017 to 2020. Early life and education Burn was born in Oxford. She decided that she wanted to be a doctor ...

(2017 to 2020) * Adrian James (2020 to 2023) * Lade Smith (2023 to present)

References

;Bibliography *

External links

*
Information about mental health problems

Access the journals online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal College Of Psychiatrists Scientific organizations established in 1841 Medical associations based in the United Kingdom Mental health organisations in the United Kingdom History of mental health in the United Kingdom Psychiatric associations

Psychiatrists A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...