This very large training scheme was formed at the suggestion of the then newly appointed Professor of Psychiatry, Ian Brockington, who saw that in the existing rotations the balance between specialty and general posts was very uneven. He also argued convincingly that it would attract more trainees of high calibre and improve the morale and enthusiasm for training of the consultants, particularly in those rotations which had difficulty recruiting junior doctors or had failed to achieve more than provisional approval by the Royal College on repeated accreditation visits. The new scheme was launched in 1984 following the establishment of a Steering Committee including representatives of the psychiatric divisions of the five Birmingham Health Authorities and the adjacent Sandwell and Solihull Health Authorities, of the University Department and of the various specialties such as child psychiatry. All the Authorities agreed to pay jointly for a clerical officer to service the scheme and Solihull undertook to provide accommodation and a Medical Personnel Officer with specific responsibility for the scheme. A senior universally respected Clinical Tutor, Eddy Sethna, was elected Organising Tutor and given full authority to manage the rotation, reporting twice yearly to the Steering Committee which would advise on any difficulties which he could not resolve directly with trainees, trainers or divisions and would agree additions or modifications to the scheme.