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Mental Health Bill [Lords]

Unlike the hon. Member for Stockport (Ann Coffey), I support new clause 12, which is well reasoned. In previous debates in Committee, I would have been minded to support the Minister’s arguments if mental health problems were indeed static for a period of time. I know that the Minister holds in great respect Patrick Geoghegan, the chief executive of my local mental health partnership. He told me about a schizophrenic patient who could hold a rational discussion at one meeting but at the next would be kicking and screaming and making a mess of the office. It was deemed that the patient could make decisions about her future treatment and she voluntarily accepted treatment. As it was recognised that she had capacity to make decisions because she allowed herself to be admitted to hospital for treatment, logically she should be allowed to decide which treatment she did not want. She might know her own needs and her own body—for example, that a drug did not work well—much better than the clinician.