Letter: Community care
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Your report "Tough new controls on violent and `untreatable' patients" (15 November) quoted SANE as being in favour of hospital rather than community treatment. This statement, without explanation, gives a misleading impression which could worry mentally ill people and their families by suggesting that hospital is the only alternative to treatment in the community and that people should be forced to stay there.
Our view is that for many people, community care has been a liberation which works well. But for those few who become so ill that compulsory treatment has to be used as a last resort, it should be provided with all the safeguards needed for what are still "heroic" drugs.
Our concern is that if emphasis is placed on compulsory medication in the community, we might see here - as has been claimed in Australia, where compulsory treatment orders have been introduced - that some authorities use it as an excuse to avoid improving the serious lack of properly funded, holistic care, whether in hospital or the community.
MARJORIE WALLACE
Chief Executive, SANE
London E1
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments