A blog by Dr. Judy Laing to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week outlines the need for patients’ rights and voices to be put firmly at the centre of all decision-making about their care, treatment and admission to hospital.
Press release issued: 19 May 2016
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week (16-22 May). A blog from the Law School's Dr. Judy Laing indicates that uptake of the The Mental Health Act Code of Practice is patchy and inconsistent with a large percentage of patients living with severe mental health problems not feeling actively involved in their treatment plans. Dr. Laing outlines that this runs contrary to basic human rights principles and that it’s time that patients’ rights and voices are put firmly at the centre of all decision-making about their care, treatment and admission to hospital.
To coincide with Mental Health Awareness week from 16-22 May 2016, the mental health charity, Rethink has published the results of a recent survey into anti-psychotic medication.
The survey was carried out at the end of April 2016 and received over 200 responses. Anti-psychotic medication is commonly prescribed for conditions such as bipolar disorder (manic depression) and schizophrenia. It can also be used to help to treat severe anxiety and depression. Anti-psychotic medication can be effective and help to control psychotic symptoms, but there are serious risks and side-effects associated with the treatment.
The Rethink survey found that 81% of the patients who responded had experienced some of these adverse side effects, including weight gain, facial twitches, insomnia and sexual problems. The results of the survey are worrying as they reveal that nearly half of the respondents (46%) said that they did not understand the different medication options available to them, including the side effects and a similar percentage (47%) said that they did not feel part of the decision making process when their medication was prescribed. The survey suggests that seriously ill and vulnerable patients are not routinely involved in these important decisions about their treatment. This runs contrary to basic human rights principles and the recommendations of a recent independent Mental Health Taskforce report ‘The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health’.
Read the full blog here.
Further information
Dr Judy Laing is a member of the Care Quality Commission’s (CGC) Mental Health Act Advisory Group, and advises the CQC on its approach to Mental Health Act monitoring. Judy’s funded research into the CQC has also helped the organisation to review its monitoring methods and to promote a progressive focus on protecting patient rights. Judy’s research highlighted that whilst inspectors are aware of relevant human rights standards and frameworks in their work, knowledge is patchy and inconsistent. Further action is therefore necessary to ensure that patient rights and voices are at the centre of all decision-making about their care and treatment.
