The 2024 Southport stabbings refers to a heinous attack carried out Axel Rudakubana. He committed three murders and ten attempted murders. This article is constructed largely from information in the …
The claim that psychiatric diagnosis is “an art, not a science” is a dangerous myth, often perpetuated to the detriment of those struggling with mental illness. This misconception implies a …
Throughout human history, the tendency to form groups and identify with a tribe has been essential for survival and social cohesion. Tribalism, in its traditional sense, fostered cooperation, facilitated collective …
Sleep stands as one of the most time-consuming biological imperatives in human existence, second only to breathing in its demand for dedicated hours. This article does not focus on tips …
Section 17 leave is a provision under the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) in England and Wales that permits patients detained in hospitals under certain sections of the Act to be granted leave of absence. Not all leave of absence is provided for by S17. Throughout this article S17 means S17(1) to S17(5) with particular emphasis …
fags, human rights, law, leave, MHA, MHACOP, rights, S17, Section 17, smoking, treatment
Negligence in UK Law – Part 1
TheEditor
Negligence, a cornerstone of tort law in civil law, holds significant implications for medical practitioners, and healthcare organisations, particularly in the UK’s complex healthcare landscape. The title of this article does not include the words “medical negligence” because in reality the foundation of negligence is not specific to ‘medical’, ‘dental’, ‘nursing’, ‘social work’, or other …
compensation, death, GMC, harm, law, lawsuit, medical, negligence, psychiatry, risk, standards, stress, sue, tort, treatment
Beyond Cheshire West: A Triangular Framework for Decision Making
TheEditor
The intersection of mental health law and clinical practice creates complex decision-making challenges for practitioners. A conceptual framework, which we call the Decision-making Triangle, offers clarity in navigating these challenges. This triangle comprises three interconnected elements: the acid test for deprivation of liberty, the definition of treatment under Section 145 of the Mental Health Act, …
assessment, freedoms, human rights, law, medication, psychiatry, respect, rights, risk, standards, treatment
Cheshire West: What’s to be learned?
TheEditor
The Cheshire West case serves as a seminal authority on the interpretation of deprivation of liberty within the framework of the Mental Capacity Act and the European Convention on Human Rights. It has established a robust legal precedent, emphasising the universality of the right to liberty and the necessity of rigorous procedural safeguards to protect …
assessment, care, DOLS, freedoms, human rights, law, liberties, liberty, MCA, MHA, psychiatry, rights, standards, treatment
Section 136: A Framework in Crisis
TheEditor
From 2017 changes to the MHA 1983 reduced the period of detention under 136 from 72 hours to 24 hours, with a provision to extend to 36 hours. Mental Health Services had struggled to deliver when the timeframe was 72 hours. Now they struggle even more, leading to unquantified instances nationally where Trusts have had …
assessment, breach, conundrum, law, legal, psychiatry, regulation, rights, standards, statute, statutory
Partnering with AI in Medicine: Innovations in Diagnostics, Education, and Patient Care
Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to revolutionise healthcare, offering exciting opportunities to enhance the way doctors work. Tools like DeepSeek, Claude.ai (Amazon), Gemini (Google), Copilot (Microsoft) and Tulu3 are not here to replace medical professionals but to support them. By automating repetitive tasks, simplifying complex information, and uncovering patterns in data, AI can free up valuable time for doctors to …
A Tale of Two Capacities or is it One?
The differences between the conceptualisation of capacity under the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) in the UK are significant, particularly in their approaches to determining capacity for consent to treatment. The Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) both address issues of capacity and consent, but they do …
Diagnostics and diagnosis
What is diagnostics? Diagnostics is about the methodology of coming to a diagnosis – the “how” of reaching a diagnosis. To arrive at a diagnosis it is essential to properly address the diagnostic process – which is what this article refers to as diagnostics. This article will focus on diagnosis in relation to diagnostics. Diagnostics is an inseparable part of …
Section 62(1): the hard boundary between law and ethics
In a previous post I unpacked some of the key issues in Section 62(1). Appropriate study of this article will necessitate digestion of Fathoming Section 62 of the MHA 1983 – Investigative Psychiatry (April 2024). Understanding of this article depends on having a foundational understanding of Statute Law, what it means and the power of it. For the avoidance of …
