The 21st century has brought increasing wealth to the United Kingdom but with a maldistribution of that wealth.
Clinical forensic psychiatry has expanded, within a health service that is underfunded. Last century the NHS provided some funding for academic work, this been reduced substantially.
Universities are also facing financial difficulties and are expected to raise a lot of money from outside sources.
Further” security” has become a public preoccupation and competes with treatment for limited resources.
The number of beds available to psychiatry has fallen and even more mentally disordered people are remaining in an overcrowded and minimally funded criminal justice system.
In such a setting academic forensic psychiatry is in retreat whilst paradoxically the demand for its services is increasing. It will have to find new ways of funding its core research and its teaching.
