Committal practices inadequate—report

Press, 5 March 1987, Page 13

Committal practices inadequate—report

. PA Wellington More information and better reasoning are ' needed when committing psychiatric patients, says the Mental Health Foundation.

Medical professionals were often poorly educated in committal procedures and made their decisions on limited information, said the foundation’s legal officer, Mr John Dawson. "The Process of Committal,” a report which followed the legal status of 212 committed patients, has been released by the foundation. The patients, all admitted to four North Island psychiatric hospitals during 12 weeks in 1984, were traced to determine their status six months after being committed.

The foundation says medical professionals make decisions about the future of patients on

limited information — because of reliance on inadequate medical certificates and lack of contact with those who have observed the patient during a period of time.

The foundation also says:

• There is no advocate with a sole function of representing the patient’s view.

• Hearing procedures ignore basic principles of natural justice — they are held in poor physical conditions, in private.

• Patients do not have access to evidence presented or to their medical records.

The findings indicated psychiatric patients do not enjoy'equality before New Zealand’s law, the foundation says. It recommends:

• A review of committal practices, with exposure of reasoning and information to greater scru-

tiny. • Increased family or whanau involvement in decision-making., • Increased patient involvement in decisionmaking. • Participation of Maori and other nonpakeha cultures in deci-sion-making. • A rigorous review of the status of all committed patients — the status of patients should be reviewed as frequently as possible. .• That the practice of arresting “mentally disordered” people without a warrant on private land should be abandoned.

• The practice of examining patients for certification purposes while they are still detained in cells should cease.

• Doctors having prior knowledge of the patient should continue to be involved whenever possible.