It is a fact that there is, within the National Health Service, a gradually increasing demand for psycho-analytical psychotherapy. This demand is reflected in the large number of patients referred and in many articles dealing with the treatment of psychiatric and physical illnesses. Such satisfaction gained by this recognition is offset by the knowledge that both inside and outside the medical profession there is an abysmal ignorance of what psycho-analytical psychotherapy is, what it can or cannot achieve and what it involves in that most precious commodity—doctor time.