Dr Chaudhray (Psychiatric Bulletin, February 2004, 28, ) is not alone in having a professional leave treated as study leave by his employer. However, the letter raises a far broader issue than membership examinations.

My employers treat all professional leave as study leave. Thus examining, sitting on appointment panels, attending College committees, giving time to advise the Scottish Executive Health Department and many other activities are considered study. Meanwhile, it is self-evident that such activities do little for my continuing professional development (CPD). As a consequence, neither time nor funding are available for genuine study leave (and my PDP does not include ‘a leisurely walk in Hyde Park’ among its peer group approved objectives!). This position sits paradoxically with NHS clinical governance, College, appraisal, revalidation and employment requirements to maintain good practice through CPD. In the families of schizophrenia sufferers, we try to address such double binds because of their negative prognostic implications.

As a College, can we intervene while the NHS prognosis might be amenable to improvement?