Minister of State Kathleen Lynch says the review aims to give a stronger voice to the individual . Photograph: Alan Betson The controversial practice of administering electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to patients with mental health problems who refuse to consent to the treatment is to end. The move follows a major review of mental health legislation, due to be published today by Minister of State Kathleen Lynch. The expert group report contains 165 proposals which seek to strengthen patients rights, extend the remit of watchdog bodies and place a greater emphasis on childrens services. Current legislation is regarded by many campaigners as outdated given the growing emphasis on care in the community and demands for greater autonomy by patient groups. The proposals seek to move away from a paternalistic interpretation of patient rights to one where individuals have a much greater say in their own treatment. At present, the mental health Act states that ECT may be administered where a patient is unable or unwilling to give consent once it has been approved by two consultant psychiatrists. Under the proposals, it will no longer be possible to administer ECT to a person who has capacity and does not consent to the … Continue reading →

JACKSON, MS (PRWEB) March 05, 2015 At the 7th Annual Mississippi Addiction Conference The Basics and Beyond, leaders in addiction treatment met today in Jackson, Mississippi to listen to keynote speeches and updates in best clinical practices. Among the numerous respected speakers will be William S. Jacobs, Jr. M.D., who will address the role that pain medications have had in todays opiate overdose and addiction epidemic and new evidence-based treatment options. "It is hard to believe that much of the current opiate addiction epidemic has come about by overprescribing and by flooding our cities with narcotic medications, said Dr. Jacobs, Chief of Addiction Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University(GRU) and Medical Director at the Bluff Plantation in Augusta, Georgia. As a GRU Chief and triple board certified expert in addiction medicine, anesthesiology, and pain medicine, Dr. Jacobs shared best practices for evaluating and treating pain, detoxifying those addicted and monitoring patients to prevent abuse or addiction. "Once a person is abusing their medications, mixing them with other drugs or alcohol, not taking them as prescribed, a complete evaluation by an expert in addiction medicine is needed. Many times patients know that they have developed a … Continue reading →