Health chief beats his demons

A former chief executive of a health trust told last night of his inspirational battle against booze and depression while holding down one of the top jobs in the North-East.

Lionel Joyce enjoyed a health service career spanning close to 30 years, running three of the country's mental health hospitals and culminating with his role at the helm of the then Newcastle Mental Health Services - now known as Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust.

It emerged last night thursday through his appointment to the board of new mental health scrutiny body the Public Guardian Board that during his time as one of the most influential people in mental health in the region he was battling alcoholism and depression.

The father-of-three, of Summerhill Square, off Westgate, Newcastle, hopes that by being open about his past demons he will inspire other people with mental health problems to see past them.


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"People who have mental illness must value ourselves. Our perception of life offers a huge picture of colour and wealth and should be heard.

"To the people who don't have mental illness the message is I hope they won't stigmatise. There is still a real judgment by people who see us as `loonies' or `nutters'. The language should be changed and treated just like racism."

Lionel drank heavily throughout his teens and suffered depression as a young man, which drove him to attempt suicide and resulted in a nine-month spell in a psychiatric hospital when he was 24.

In 1975, in a sobering moment, he recognised himself for the first time as an alcoholic after a particularly boozy and debauched Friday night.

He joined Alcoholics Anonymous and has not touched a drop since.

Although he still suffered bouts of depression when he would be up and down his life began to transform and he met his wife Hilary Turner. They were married within three months. He still attends AA meetings three times a week.

"Throughout my career I have had periods of depression, to the point when in 1998 I was off sick for six months. I had a situation at work which I coped with for quite a long time but it all go too much. I had a breakdown and was suicidal."

Lionel was treated by the very psychologists who worked for him. He was put on medication and psychological therapies and returned to work. He was finally diagnosed as bipolar in 2000, despite his protestations.

Now he goes through periods of acceptance and denial and uses a psychologist or counselling to get through his low periods.

View from both sides bridges the divide

Lionel Joyce began his career in the NHS as an admin assistant while he was still in the clutches of alcohol addiction.

"I had to lie as they wouldn't have given me a job if they knew I had been a patient. I misrepresented myself on my CV and got the job," he said.

He drank himself into a stupor every night and was unable to function properly until 3pm in the afternoon, when he crammed his day's workload into the two hours until 5pm. He was promoted twice in quick succession.

"I would drink the first two pints in 15 minutes to stop the shakes. I drank every night, seven nights a week. I felt continuous despair and had a recurring sense of hopelessness."

But Lionel joined Alcoholics Anonymous and, spurred on by his new-found sobriety, he took a gamble and came clean to his boss. The gamble paid off.

"I told him about my background and gave him the option to sack me but he decided not to. He offered me the job of running a learning disabilities hospital."

Lionel took over the job running Highbury Hospital in Nottingham in 1979 and went on to run psychiatric hospitals Mapperley Hospital and Saxondale Hospital in Nottingham.

In 1985 he was head-hunted to head up the Newcastle trust responsible for a £100m budget and 3,000 staff. He had done the job for 15 years when he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

He continues to be a prolific figure in mental health. His latest role is one of seven inaugural members of the Public Guardian Board in place to review the way the Public Guardian protects people with mental health problems.

He hopes his journey, and experience on both sides of mental health services, will help others.

"I think it is the most useful thing that has ever happened to me. I don't recommend it as a career development process. It has meant I look at services thinking `this is something I might need'. Seeing it through different eyes makes you motivated to get the best you can for the people you serve."


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source:icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk