Prof. Peter Tyrer is Professor of Community Psychiatry at Imperial College London and his contributions to the development and delivery of community services, initially in Nottingham and subsequently in London, have been truly exemplary as well as innovative. His research interests have included personality disorders and he has been leading a work group on personality disorder on behalf of the World Health Organization for the next edition of the ICD. He has also led on NICE recommendations. His contribution to British psychiatry has been truly exceptional, especially in his role as Editor of the British Journal of Psychiatry over the decade 2003–2013. Under his editorship he has increased the Journal's impact factor so that it now is the highest-ranked non-American journal in psychiatry. In addition, he has kept his research interest in social psychiatry and community psychiatry at the highest level and has contributed significantly to the development of evidence-based psychiatry in the UK. He has published extensively on evaluation of community services and on innovative services such as nidotherapy. His international contributions as adviser and as member of the international boards of several journals have added value to the image of British psychiatry. He has furthered the cause of patient-led services and has produced several seminal volumes on community psychiatry and therapeutic interventions. As Head of the Department of Psychiatry at Imperial College London he built up the department which now has an international reputation and appeal.