9 June 2008
The duty of care we owe patients detained under the mental health act should, if anything, afford them more protection under the law than the rest of the population, not less (News, page 11, 5 June 2008). It is scandalous, therefore, that detained patients will have to wait until 2013 before the Corporate Manslaughter Act protects them in the same way it already does other citizens.
The discriminatory nature of the Act’s postponed introduction is particularly baffling given that those organisations that will most directly affected by the Act – mental health trusts - have expressed no desire for such a long delay.
One can only assume that government is nervous that the poor quality of some – not all - inpatient care could lead to successful claims. This is administrative cynicism at its worst.
Andrew McCulloch
Chief Executive
Mental Health Foundation
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