Research in psychiatry is in decline. Fifteen years ago it was the ambition of many registrars in training to do some investigation and publish a paper, and the favoured few at the Maudsley even got an extra degree (the M. Phil.) out of it. People thought it would help them to a consultant post. Now they know it is not necessary. Training has become more formalized, with day-release courses and rotation schemes; and research seems more difficult, often needing specialized service or complex instruments and thousands of pounds.

There has been increasing concern about Governmental collection of information for statistical analysis (World Medicine, 13 June 1973; British Medicine, 7 April 1978; the Sunday Times, 2 July 1978). Recently the Central Ethical Committee of the BMA refused to agree that General Practitioners should record information about pre-school children containing details about the mother's obstetric history. Again, the Regional Community Physicians refused to allow Police access to hospital diagnostic information about patients who had been involved in road traffic accidents. Yet, since 1964, psychiatrists have apparently been happy to send to the DHSS on HMR1(Psych) forms identifiable information containing such highly-sensitive details as whether an in-patient is manic-depressive, homosexual, epileptic, has used alcohol or other drugs, has venereal disease, is living with someone other than his wife, or has been in prison.

Towards the latter part of 1959 some thirty lawyers met at the Ministry of Health under the chairmanship of the late Sir Sidney Littlewood. We were the first members of the legal panels of the Mental Health Review Tribunals for the four London regions.

Most psychiatrists have been willing, for some 30 years, to supply information to a central register held in a Government department. This confidence has not been abused. It may not be generally known that even medical research workers do not have access to names or other identifying information. They must submit lists of names which they have already acquired, with appropriate permission, in some other way. If their bona fides, which is strictly examined, is considered by the medical officer responsible for confidentiality to be beyond reproach, they are issued with the name of the hospital where the patient was admitted. They must then apply to that hospital for any further information they require. The decision as to whether to release the information lies in the hands of the local medical committee or individual consultant, according to local practice. The DHSS has frequently reaffirmed that this procedure has always been followed and that it will always be adhered to.

Term I runs from 8 May-17 July 1979. Term fee £80; registration fee £15. Details from Secretary to Dr Weller, Department of Psychiatry, Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 8RF.