The Royal College of Psychiatrists Occasional Paper 55, published in October 2002, Model Consultant Job Description and Recommended Norms, is the most up-to-date current document available that sets the standards recommended for the mental health services consultant workforce in general psychiatry. One would have hoped that it would command some credence in planning the consultant workforce, yet to our dismay, recently at our local planning away day between consultants and senior managers questions were asked by the senior managers about its utility. A cloud of confusion and ignorance was created and basic questions were asked about what does a consultant psychiatrist do and what should or should not be his or her role.

An interim report in August 2004, produced by the National Steering Group formed under the auspices of NHS Modernisation Agency, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and National Institute for Mental Health in England, has issued some ‘Guidance on New Ways of Working for Psychiatrists in a Multi-disciplinary and Multi-agency context’. Appendix 3 of the document lists a summary of the hypothetical options discussed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and in option 2 and option 3 there is mention of delegation and distribution of responsibility among other professional disciplines. Unfortunately, the document, gives guidance and talks of general principles only.

The general psychiatrist had already begun to disappear in the mist of functionalisation of services. Now the future feels even more uncertain. The College needs to respond rapidly with an updated version of its recommended norms for the new forms of general and specialised psychiatrists.