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Who can best protect patients' rights?

Woodroffe House, Tolworth Hospital, Red Lion Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 7QU

Sir: I would like to correct two inaccuracies in your editorial comment on my paper that was published in the October 2000 issue of the Bulletin (pp. 366-367).

First, you state that no central authority keeps statistics on managers' hearings and that discharges by managers "are now unheard of [at least until Gregory's report from Kingston]".

The Mental Health Act Commission (MHAC) keeps statistics on managers' hearings. The relevant information is contained in the commission's analysis of hospital profile sheets for 1998/99. I quote the following extract from their website (http//:www.mhac.trent.nhs.uk/hospreport2000.pdf ).

"In 1998/99 there were 4245 managers' reviews where detention was contested, resulting in 338 (8%) discharges. In 1997/98 there were 3598 contested reviews and 324 (8.2%) patients discharged following a managers' review."

Second, contrary to the impression created by your editorial, sadly, patients are not currently allowed to apply for legal aid to enable them to be represented at managers' hearings. This support is only provided for mental health review tribunal hearings.

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