My friend Peter Kennedy, who has died aged 71 from a malignant adrenal tumour that first occurred 13 years ago, was a psychiatrist and influential health service manager.
He was born in wartime Bradford and studied medicine in Leeds before beginning a psychiatric career in York. His talent took him to the Medical Research Council in Edinburgh, where he rubbed shoulders with the most significant names in British psychiatry, taught and developed his academic career.
He returned to mainstream psychiatric practice in York in 1980 because he wanted to get closer to his patients. He then moved on to manage mental health services in York, because he was determined to put patients' needs first rather than those of the care providers. He managed to bring about radical change by listening and recognising contrary views. This way of working saw him help senior doctors to adopt new practices when he was chief executive of York Hospitals Trust. The World Health Organisation asked him to advise on projects in Europe and Japan.
Peter co-chaired the London Mental Health Task Force, a Department of Health response to the strong criticisms in the Clunis report of 1994, following the death of Jonathan Zito, who was killed in a London tube station by Christopher Clunis while he was suffering from schizophrenia.
Peter and his wife, Sarrie, met during their school days in Bradford and were married for 46 years until his death. It was a relationship of shared interests, lively at times, but always loving. Good food, fine wine and a warm welcome characterised the generosity of their marriage.
Illness interrupted briefly, but there was more to do. In 1999, Peter helped to establish the Northern Centre for Mental Health, providing support to mental health trusts in introducing the government's 10-year strategy. Out of the research done there with psychiatrists came the New Ways of Working report, which helped to define how professionals share clinical responsibility.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists appointed Peter vice-president in 2005. He was chair of St Leonard's Hospice in York for seven years from 2001. Peter and Sarrie were to experience its valuable help at the end.
Peter was a modest man, with a great sense of right and wrong, expressed with warmth and humour. He was proud of the achievements of his children, all of whom work in health and social care. Sarrie, their children, John, Juliette and Andrew, and seven grandchildren survive him.