A psychiatric ward, like any organization, must be capable of changing to meet new demands. Undue conservatism has repeatedly been blamed for serious short-comings. Yet change can be dangerous, especially if it is rapid. Such a hiatus of experience may occur that disorganization results, or so much energy is diverted to those parts of the system being changed that vital routine tasks are neglected. Laudable endeavours in community psychiatry have got into difficulties when wards have quickly been depleted of experienced staff who have moved into community care, for which they have much enthusiasm but little experience.

The title chosen by the Association of University Teachers of Psychiatry for their meeting was ‘Improving Higher Psychiatric Training—Roles and Responsibilities’. This title implies firstly that higher training needs to be improved and secondly that someone must take responsibility for doing so. The Joint Committee on Higher Psychiatric Training officially holds this responsibility, but the AUTP is obviously concerned to critically review the progress so far made.

The Nursing Sub-Committee of the Education Committee was asked by the General Nursing Council for information concerning the attitude of psychiatrists towards involvement in the training of nurse learners. In order to gather information a questionnaire was circulated to members of the College requesting information about their knowledge of visits by General Nursing Council Inspectors and their awareness of the implications of the report issued by the Inspector concerning nursing services.