Dr Peter V. Hunt (Westminster Medical School 1958)

Provided by Mrs Susan Wetherell

Peter Victor Hunt, MA, MB, BChir, FRCP (Ed), FRCPsych, was born in Chingford, Essex on 14 February 1935.  He was educated at the Sir George Monoux Grammar School in Walthamstow and after winning a State Scholarship joined Sidney Sussex College in 1952 to study Medicine.  He graduated with a BA in 1955 and went on to Westminster Hospital Medical School in London. 

His first House jobs were at All Saints and Westminster Children's Hospital.  He moved on to Registrar posts at Charring Cross, St Benedicts and the South Western Hospital.  His first Psychiatric Registrar post came in 1964 at Springfield Hospital, followed by Registrar and Senior Registrar posts at St George's and again at Springfield. 

His career culminated in his appointment as Consultant Psychiatrist at Tone Vale Hospital in Somerset in September 1974 where he played a very active role in managing mental health in Somerset.  In 1976 he started Southwood House in Bridgwater which was developed as a strategic centre for the provision of community psychiatric services, plus a range of therapies on a day hospital or sessional basis.  He was involved in the Somerset Vocational Training Scheme for General Practice and had regular involvement in post-graduate training in psychiatry.  He also established a link between Tone Vale and University College Hospital which lead to the regular placement of medical students from London.  Throughout his time at Tone Vale he strived to improve liaison with Social Service Departments, the Probation Service, local Housing Associations, Primary Care Teams and Geriatricians in order to improve the care of the mentally ill in Somerset.  He was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 1985.  He retired in 1992 ahead of major changes in mental health provision and the closure of Tone Vale Hospital.

He loved walking, particularly in the New Forest, whilst still living in London and following the move to Somerset he took to village and country life with great enthusiasm.  He also enjoyed music and the theatre and was Musical Director and Pianist at several memorable Hospital Revues.  Although latterly he became less mobile he was still able to pursue his passions for stamp collecting, reading, mathematical problems and crosswords, completing the Times crossword, amongst others, every day.

He met his wife Nancy at Westminster Hospital and they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year.  She survives him, together with their daughter Susan, son-in-law Michael and granddaughter Daisy.

He died very suddenly and unexpectedly at home on 12 June 2008.