title: A personal perspective from the UK: ageing and psychiatrists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Psychiatrists appointed to National Health Service (NHS) consultant posts in the United Kingdom before a specific date in 1995 qualified for early retirement and this has implications for workforce planning.
  
  
  METHODS
  The author reflects on the implications this has for ageing psychiatrists and for relationships between psychiatrists and patients and families using mental health services, from the perspective of a psychiatrist who took advantage of the opportunity to retire early from a consultant post in the NHS and to develop a new career.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Older psychiatrists continuing to practise after retirement from consultant roles may bring disadvantages and advantages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older psychiatrists may be a valuable resource for future mental health services, and they may be in a position to try out new ways of working which might be relevant to their younger colleagues in the uncertain future faced by mental health services at a time of austerity.
authors.affiliation: Visiting Professor of Mental Health and Ageing, University of Chester, Chester, UK, and; Systemic Therapist, Hampden House Psychotherapy Centre, Manchester, UK, and; Director of Older Mind Matters Ltd, Cheshire, UK drsmbenbow@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Susan Mary
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Benbow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011570:Psychiatry; D012179:Retirement / Q000523:psychology*; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: new ways of working; retirement; support networks