Psychiatric Bulletin (2002) 26: 115. doi: 10.1192/pb.26.3.115
© 2002 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Psychiatric Bulletin (2002) 26: 115
© 2002 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Albert West
Former Consultant Psychiatrist St Crispin Hospital, Northampton
George Hay
Albert West died suddenly on 20 August 2001. After qualifying MBChB (1958)
in Birmingham he trained in psychiatry in Manchester under Professor E. W.
Anderson. In the early 1960s the Manchester School was noted for a
phenomenological approach that left Albert confident and well qualified to
practise as a consultant when he was eventually appointed to St Crispin in
1972. He was soon in charge of the centralised day centre and later directed
the intensive treatment unit and the forensic assessment unit. He obtained the
DPM in 1965, the MRCPsych in 1971 and was later elected to the Fellowship in
1985.
He was appreciated as a patient and thoughtful teacher and his calm and
courteous manner and his popularity with his colleagues soon resulted in many
administrative posts and the chairing of committees. A wicked sense of humour
(his humorous tales of everyday mishaps, mostly against himself, brightened
his colleagues' days) was underpinned by a firm religious conviction that
inevitably coloured his everyday work. Above all, Albert helped people, both
his patients and friends who had problems and needed advice.
He had a special interest in forensic psychiatry and following his
retirement from the NHS in 1994 he continued with medico-legal work and as an
adroit member of mental health review tribunals. In that work he relished
exercising his logical mind and he approached this task without fear or
favour.
His interests were photography and reading, but much of his free time was
spent on church work. His valued friendship will be missed by many. He is
survived by his wife, Margaret, and his son, Stephen.