John Wattis

Appointed visiting Professor of Psychiatry for Older Adults at Huddersfield University in 2000, John worked as an NHS consultant in the specialty until 2005. Before coming to Huddersfield he was responsible for pioneering old age services in Leeds where he worked as a Consultant and Senior Lecturer for nearly twenty years. He completed his psychiatric training in Birmingham and Nottingham where he was Lecturer in the Department of Health Care of the Elderly (which combined Psychiatric and Medical approaches). He has experience of management as Medical Director of a large Community and Mental Health Trust. He is a former Chairman of the Faculty for Psychiatry of Old Age at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He has published research on the development of old age psychiatry services, alcohol abuse in old age, the prevalence of mental illness in geriatric medical patients, educational issues in old age psychiatry and outcomes of psychiatric care for older people. He has written or edited a number of books one of which, Practical Psychiatry of Old Age, is now in its fifth edition. He has contributed numerous chapters in the area of old age psychiatry. His co-authored book on Practical Management and Leadership for Doctors is now in its second edition and he recently co-edited a book on Spiritually Competent Practice in Health Care. He has been Director of Research and Development for several NHS Trusts. After retiring from his NHS post he provided part-time support to medical management in several NHS organisation, and worked as a life and business coach, supporting people working in the NHS, Higher Education and Voluntary sectors. He had a particular interest in Medical Appraisal and Revalidation and worked for NHS England as an independent contractor for Regional Appraisals. His main research focus at the moment is with the Spirituality Special Interest Group in the School of Human and Health Sciences at the University of Huddersfield.