The General Medical Council has joined the Mental Health Alliance, a coalition campaigning against government plans to extend compulsory treatment for people with mental health problems, writes Simeon Brody.
The GMC said proposals in the draft mental health bill had implications for doctors’ ability to meet expected standards of care for a particularly vulnerable group of patients.
It believes people with mental health problems should not be subject to compulsory assessment and treatment without appropriate safeguards of their rights and interests.
Meanwhile, people with a severe mental illness receive a sub-standard level of physical care compared to the general population, according to a report.
The study, by a group of mental health charities and experts calls on healthcare professionals to take a holistic approach to addressing the needs of people with serious mental illnesses, taking into account their entire well-being.
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