Tony Zigmond, who died on 3 May 2026 aged 73, was one of the most distinguished psychiatrists of his era, best known for his extensive knowledge of mental health law.

Born 25 January 1953 in Manchester, his father Joseph was a barrister and county court judge, and his mother, Muriel, was known for her voluntary work. After attending Cheadle Hulme School, Tony trained at the University of Birmingham Medical School, graduating in 1975. Basic specialist training followed in Birmingham, after which he took a senior registrar post in Leeds in 1981, where he collaborated with Dr Philip Snaith on the development of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). This remains one of the most used and widely referenced instruments of its kind worldwide. At the time of writing this obituary, the 1983 article in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica describing the development of the HADS has been cited over 37 000 times.

In 1983 he took up his first consultant post, in general adult psychiatry, based at High Royds Hospital, Leeds. These were the days of traditional ‘sector’ psychiatry, and Tony had full responsibility for a geographical patch in the northwest of the city. He took great pride in the service he provided and was highly regarded by local general practitioners.

His interest in mental health legislation started with work as a Mental Health Act commissioner. His knowledge and expertise in the field grew rapidly, leading to him taking on a range of teaching responsibilities. He was instrumental in establishing highly regarded courses for those seeking or renewing Section 12 approval under the 1983 Mental Health Act, continuing to teach on these himself for nearly 20 years. A naturally gifted teacher, it was a true privilege to witness how Tony could bring clarity to complex issues and help colleagues to unravel convoluted challenges in clinical care scenarios. Importantly, this was achieved with wit and humour, and it was rare for anyone to fall asleep in his talks!

‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man.’ This was very much the case when, in the early 2000s, the government was looking to reform the 1983 Mental Health Act. This was largely on the back of several high-profile homicides involving mental health patients and the resulting clamour for some form of preventative detention to be included in legislation. There was a real risk that restrictive measures might be put in place that would have been both disproportionate and unworkable. The Royal College of Psychiatrists turned to Tony to lead the professional response to the proposals. He threw himself into this work with unstinting passion and rigour, and over the course of 5 or more years he liaised with parliamentarians (in both Houses), led the preparation of the College’s submissions to the joint select committee scrutinising the draft Mental Health Bill and worked tirelessly to keep colleagues informed of what was unfolding. Most remarkably, he was able to find common cause with groups representing patients, such as national Mind, who recognised his determination to keep patients’ rights in the debate. He was never afraid to ‘speak truth to power’, even when there was political pressure for results, and he was a major influence in shaping the best possible outcome for this work.

Tony continued to support the College for the rest of his life and appears five times on the roll of honour. In 2003 he was appointed vice president, and in 2004 senior vice president and then honorary vice president. In 2008, he was awarded an honorary fellowship, the highest accolade that the College can bestow, and in 2020, he received a president’s medal. He was always ready to give his wise advice to those involved in College work and was frequently consulted. Vanessa Cameron, CEO of the College for over 30 years, referred to him as ‘the conscience of the College’. He was a friend and a supporter to many of the presidents. He often talked about the time that Mike Shooter ironed his shirt for him in the president’s flat prior to a TV appearance! Dinesh Bhugra remembers him as a wonderful friend with a stunning sense of humour, and Tony was the person Wendy Burn turned to in times of difficulty. He was ever generous in his willingness to provide guidance.

His knowledge of mental health law led to an international reputation, and he advised on legislative developments in Egypt, Pakistan, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and latterly Scotland. In all of this, the clarity and conviction of his arguments were unfailing. Tony also wrote extensively, his most popular publication being A Clinician’s Brief Guide to the Mental Health Act (1st edition, 2011), which became the ‘go-to’ text for people working in the field. It is now in its 5th edition (2022, co-authored with Nick Brindle). With Nick Brindle, Tim Branton and Alison Stansfield, he co-authored a similar guide to the Mental Capacity Act (1st edition, 2013). Always an advocate of service development, in 1999 he led work to open the first psychiatric intensive care unit in Leeds, overseeing the design of a purpose-built unit when the service moved from the old mental hospital to a general hospital site. Outside of work he was a keen cyclist and often cycled long distances to work.

Following retirement, he developed a rather surprising passion for amateur theatre, serving the Adel Players as a set builder and lighting technician and taking great pleasure and pride in this work. His last years were marred by the development of motor neurone disease. For such an active and intelligent man this was challenging to experience, but his mind remained clear until the end and he took great comfort from friends and family.

He will be remembered for his ability to make complex questions seem simple, for his skill in seeing straight to the heart of a problem in a way which others had often missed and, above all, for his total commitment to improving the lives of people with mental illness.

Tony is survived by his wife, Rita, and his children, Stephen and Sarah, along with four grandchildren and one step-grandchild.