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Re the previous comment [11 April 2014; anonymised 17.1.16], presumably the Approved Mental Health Professional was not immediatly available. According to the article, the patient was referred to the mental health team but refused to wait, and discharged herself.
I find it hard to understand how the emergency specialist could have prevented the patient from leaving if she was not yet detained under the Mental Health Act, especially since the article states that "he had no power to do so".
This response was anonymised at the author's request on 17.1.16
Dear editor, the article reporting the case of a doctor struck off the medical register following a homicide carried out by his patient (BMJ 2014; 348: p2606) states that the medical practitioner in question "was cleared of culpability in failing to section (the patient) under the Mental Health Act, as he had no power to do so". Notwithstanding the possibility that the GMC may have said something else to qualify this position, the statement contains a very important factual inaccuracy.
The Act applicable in England and Wales provides power under Part 2, section 4, to "one registered medical practitioner" to make a recommendation for admission for assessment in cases of emergency, on grounds of urgent necessity, with the support of an Approved Mental Health Professional (usually a readily available mental health social worker) or the nearest relative. This applies to any registered medical practitioner. It is far from clear that doctors in the UK are aware of this important power and responsibility, or understand when and how they might use it. They should be.
Re: Doctor is struck off for failing to prevent hallucinating patient from discharging herself
Re the previous comment [11 April 2014; anonymised 17.1.16], presumably the Approved Mental Health Professional was not immediatly available. According to the article, the patient was referred to the mental health team but refused to wait, and discharged herself.
I find it hard to understand how the emergency specialist could have prevented the patient from leaving if she was not yet detained under the Mental Health Act, especially since the article states that "he had no power to do so".
Competing interests: No competing interests