Nicholas Dymond
21 Dec 2023 · Coroner Alison Longhorn · Exeter and Greater Devon
The coroner's concerns
1. independent doctors without access to patient records conducting Mental Health Act assessments
“independent doctors did not have access to the CareNotes and relied upon printed copies of extracts from the notes which the AMHP considered pertinent to the Mental Health Act Assessment”
2. misunderstanding of voluntary admission and least restrictive option concepts
“lack of understanding of the concept of both a voluntary admission where a patient has undergone a Mental Health Act Assessment and of the 'least restrictive option'”
3. lack of mandatory training for independent doctors accessing CareNotes
“Training is now available for independent s.12 doctors which, once completed, allows them access to CareNotes, but this training is not a mandated condition of their inclusion on the list of approved s.12 doctors”