Letter

Public policy and mental health legislation should be reconsidered

BMJ 1999; 318 doi: 10.1136/bmj.318.7194.1354a (Published 15 May 1999)
Cite this as: BMJ 1999;318:1354.2

This article has a correction

Please see: Opposition to the Icelandic database is based on false information

Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment. Please log in or subscribe below.

  1. Frank Holloway, Consultant psychiatrist (frank_holloway@emailmsn.com),
  2. George Szmukler, Medical director
  1. Bethlem and Maudsley NHS Trust, Maudsley Hospital, London SE5 8AZ

    EDITOR—Eastman's discussion of the Fallon inquiry into the personality disorder unit at Ashworth high security hospital identifies the dangers for psychiatric practice inherent in public policy in the United Kingdom.1 We have proposed that mental health legislation should be viewed in a radically new light, separating interventions aimed at treating people in their own best interests who (because of mental incapacity) are unable to take treatment decisions for themselves from interventions aimed at promoting the safety of the public. …

    Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment

    Subscribe

    Article access

    Article access for 1 day

    Purchase this article for £20 $30 €32*

    The PDF version can be downloaded as your personal record

    * Prices do not include VAT

    Rapid responses

    THIS WEEK'S POLL

    BMJ most popular