Clin Med
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Medicine bridges the gap between science and society. Indeed, the application of scientific knowledge to human health is a crucial aspect of clinical practice. Doctors are one important agent through which that scientific understanding is expressed. ⋯ Medical professionalism has roots in almost every aspect of modern healthcare. This Working Party could not hope to solve all the issues and conflicts surrounding professionalism in practice today. But our collective and abiding wish is to put medical professionalism back onto the political map of health in the UK.
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Mental capacity is required for an adult to make autonomous treatment choices. This review highlights recent legal and clinical developments in the field. The recent English Mental Capacity Act 2005 is described and compared with mental health legislation. ⋯ Such research indicates firstly that capacity can reliably be assessed; secondly, that among general hospital inpatients, approximately one-third may lack capacity; and thirdly, that mental incapacity in this setting is mainly driven by cognitive impairment caused by delirium or dementia. This is contrasted with psychiatric inpatients, where the problem is no more frequent, but mainly relates to psychotic illness. The article finishes with some general guidance as to how to assess mental capacity in the general hospital.
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Whilst patients and doctors each bring a collection of rights and responsibilities with them into the consulting room, these parties must not be seen in isolation. The government of the day and its representatives have an absolute right to influence the future direction of the health service but they also have very grave responsibilities.