Mental Health Bill [HL]

My Lords, in our debate on ECT in Committee, I raised the question of what, if we are to outlaw the giving of ECT to capably refusing patients, would happen to those patients who currently receive the treatment under such circumstances. This is not an insignificant number of people; it is some hundreds of patients each year. From the amendments before us, it seems that one way or another there are to be limitations on powers available to impose ECT in the face of a capable patient’s refusal. This does not, however, lead me to form a minority of one in this House and oppose both measures. My experience as chairman of the Mental Health Act Commission, the body which administers second opinions, tells me that clinicians, when considered as a body, do not measure capacity consistently or with anything approaching objectivity, even assuming that such measurement was possible. It is true that they can do quite well in agreeing in research situations, but I am not convinced that on the ground, for instance in assessing the capacity of those patients who have second opinions, they are all using the same yardstick. Having listened to the debates on these issues so far, I have no fears that patients will suffer through being denied ECT on the technical grounds of their capacity status. I accept that a proportion of those patients currently deemed capacitated are probably not so in reality. I am concerned about how many more incapacitated patients we will see than before, and how much the notion of capacity will be measured in terms of the clinician’s wish to treat, but I do not see that concern as one that would make me oppose this measure. In fact, having a practical capacity threshold for ECT treatment may actually improve clinicians’ understanding and application of capacity testing. Let us see how it works out. I am bound to say that, of the amendments before us, I prefer the construction of my noble friend Lady Murphy’s amendment for two reasons. First—and this touches on my concern over what will happen to those patients who are given ECT under the present law, despite having refused to give their consent—it is important to tighten the criteria for urgent treatment to stop such patients being suddenly reclassified as urgent cases and treated without the safeguard of a second opinion. Secondly, I am disappointed that the Government’s amendment leaves out the safeguard of taking second opinions before any person under the age of 18 is given ECT. I support the amendment tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Murphy, on these grounds. For this reason, I hope that Ministers will allow the noble Baroness, Lady Murphy, and her marshalled troops to push them that one or maybe even two steps further in providing safeguards for ECT.