Medstars in their Eyes | Dr Alfred White
Medstars met with liasion psychiatrist, Dr Alfred White, at his home in Birmingham and it was a fantastic way to spend a sunny Tuesday morning.
Alf is a wise man with decades of experience in mental health. He qualified as a doctor in 1970, going on to set up the liaison psychiatric unit at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital in 1994. As an expert in disentangling complex psychiatric problems – particularly where physical and mental illness overlap – Alf comes highly recommended.
However, it was Alf’s garden that stole the show. Alf and his wife annually open their garden up to the public and having spent the morning at their home it’s easy to see why.
We find out more about Alf (and take pictures of the garden of course).
My friends and family describe me as…
“Cheerful and friendly with a good sense of humour.”
If I wasn’t a consultant psychiatrist, I would be a…
“Physician. I like medicine, but often you can do more in psychiatry than general medicine. I was working 120 hours a week in my house job as a physician and after 6 months I looked back and thought what have I achieved here? I did 10 weeks training in psychiatry and fell in love with it. Some people do psychiatry to escape medicine but that wasn’t the case with me.”
My favourite element of the job is…
“Seeing patients. Patients themselves are very interesting. I enjoy problem solving and it is very rare you can’t help anyone. It’s also a very rewarding job because you can do so much for people. Recently one of my older patients passed away and her husband said he couldn’t have managed without my help over the past 30 years. The job is to help people.”
My greatest professional accomplishment is…
“Setting up the liaison psychiatric service at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. There was a reconfiguration of hospitals in Birmingham in the mid 1990s and a dedicated service was needed to deal with the demand.”
My hero/heroine is…
“I don’t like to put people on a pedestal but I suppose one person I would choose is my first professor, Sir William Trethowan. He was a superb clinician and a first class administrator. He was the only person I went to for further advice and he was always straight talking. I also admire Andrew Sims for similar reasons. He was a consultant and I was his registrar. He eventually became president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.”
I believe one thing everyone should experience in their life is…
“A good marriage. My wife and I are budding entrepreneurs – we have an art gallery featuring designer jewellery and furniture situated in the Jewellery Quarter.”
If I was stranded on a desert island, my belonging of choice would be a…
“Sailing boat.”
The best advice I have been given is…
“To always follow your instinct.”
I would love to visit…
“India.”
The music that makes me happy is…
“The Three Tenors.”
I like Medstars because…
“I have a dedicated team networking and promoting for me, it’s very helpful.”
You can book a consultation with Dr Alfred White, who has specific expertise in liaison psychiatry, general psychiatry, neuropsychiatry, brain injury, occupational health and post traumatic stress disorder, here.
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