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Best interests, dementia and the Mental Capacity Act (2005)

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Hope, R. A., Slowther, Anne and Eccles, J.. (2009) Best interests, dementia and the Mental Capacity Act (2005). Journal of Medical Ethics, Vol.35 (No.12). pp. 733-738. ISSN 0306-6800

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jme.2009.030783

Abstract

The Mental Capacity Act (2005) is an impressive piece of legislation that deserves serious ethical attention, but much of the commentary on the Act has focussed on its legal and practical implications rather than the underlying ethical concepts. This paper examines the approach that the Act takes to best interests. The Act does not provide an account of the underlying concept of best interests. Instead it lists factors that must be considered in determining best interests, and the Code of Practice to the Act states that this list is incomplete. This paper argues that this general approach is correct, contrary to some accounts of best interests. The checklist includes items that are unhelpful. Furthermore, neither the Act nor its Code of Practice provides sufficient guidance to carers faced with difficult decisions concerning best interests. This paper suggests ways in which the checklist can be developed and discusses cases that could be used in an updated Code of Practice.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine
Divisions:	Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Psychiatric ethics, Dementia -- Moral and ethical aspects, Mental Capacity Act 2005
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Medical Ethics
Publisher:	BMJ Group
ISSN:	0306-6800
Date:	December 2009
Volume:	Vol.35
Number:	No.12
Number of Pages:	6
Page Range:	pp. 733-738
Identification Number:	10.1136/jme.2009.030783
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/3136