title: Changes between the 1959 and 1983 Mental Health Acts (England & Wales), with particular reference to consent to treatment for electroconvulsive therapy.
abstract: Consent to treatment was not mentioned in the Mental Health Act 1959, assuming that a detained patient could be treated against his/her will. However, consent was a crucial new feature in the 1983 Act. This paper traces and evaluates the issues, debates, people and organizations in England and Wales who advocated and enabled this important change to come about, using examples from the clinical practice of electroconvulsive therapy.
authors.affiliation: Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust. claire.hilton@nhs.net
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hilton
mesh_terms: D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy / Q000266:history* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004739:England; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007883:Legislation, Medical / Q000266:history; D008603:Mental Health; D014852:Wales