Still expecting to be fed

The registrar presentation over lunch today was on the Mental Health Act. Having been one of the College representatives involved in meetings during the writing of the 1992 Act, I am well aware of how long these things take. And how easily it can all go wrong.

I used the question/comment time to reinforce the need to change from the current risk based legislation (compulsorily treating autonomous and dangerous persons) to legislation based on protecting patients who look competence and autonomy to decide for themselves, unaided.

Unfortunately much of the subsequent discussion was focussed on how such a change might affect psychiatrists and other clinicians. While there may be grounds for such a focus, I would like to see a simple law appointing for each person who lacks competence/autonomy to decide for or against treatment, a pilot or advocate.

After work and on the way home, I stopped at Te Wai Orea