Sheila Will

Dr Sheila Will, Consultant in Old Age and General Adult Psychiatry, died in her own home at the age of 46 on 13 September 2001; a great loss to family, friends, colleagues and indeed everyone who knew her.

Sheila attended Aberdeen University, graduating in 1978. On completing her pre-registration year, she immediately entered her chosen career of psychiatry and worked as a senior house officer and then a registrar on the Aberdeen training scheme until 1983. She passed her MRCPysch examination in 1980. During this period she rotated as a registrar to Craig Dunain Hospital in Inverness, where she would, eventually, take up a consultant appointment. She served as senior registrar in Edinburgh in 1983 and 1986, followed by 2 years part-time as senior registrar in Inverness. She was appointed full-time consultant psychiatrist in Inverness in 1988 and continued to work in the department until shortly before her death. She was involved in the provision of both general adult services and old age services for a wide area of the Highlands, including Inverness, Nairn, Grantown, Kingussie and the Isle of Skye. First and foremost she regarded herself as a clinician and her caring demeanour made her immensely popular with her patients. Her kind hearted, unassuming manner would readily put patients at ease and she kept in contact with a number of her patients long after her clinical commitment had ceased. Although primarily a clinician she took an active interest in the planning and development of mental health services, both Highland-wide and nationally. She was strongly supportive, and actively involved in the proceedings of the Scottish Division of the Royal College of Psychiatrists as well as keeping up to date with UK-wide College developments. She served as a member of the Scottish Old Age Psychiatry Division from 1995 until 1998. On a local level she was a member of, and then secretary to, the Highland Area Medical Committee. From 1997 until 2000 she was secretary, then chairman, of the Mental Health Advisory Group — up until she became too unwell to carry on her work.

As a consultant colleague her clinical skills were exemplary. She was renowned for her hard working enthusiastic nature and her cheerful, disarming demeanour. There was not a colleague who was not moved by the fortitude she displayed in the face of illness and the ability to normalise the enormous impact this had on her family, her colleagues and herself. She was totally unselfish. Despite her illness she continued to work, where she remained ever cheerful, ever positive and continued to have a major role in the shaping and development of mental health services in the Highlands. The influence of this role will continue for years to come. Sheila was a devoted wife and mother and is survived by her husband and two children. Throughout her working life she made certain that her commitments did not intrude on her main passion — her family.

She was caring, she was compassionate, she is sadly missed.