Shickle Darren
Institute of Health Sciences and Public Health Research, University of Leeds.
Clin Med (Lond). 2006 Mar-Apr;6(2):169-73. doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.6-2-169.
The Mental Capacity Act 2005 covers all decisions on personal welfare including financial matters, relating to people who temporarily or permanently lack mental capacity. This paper outlines the most important provisions of the Act and describes some of the implications for healthcare professionals. For example, the Act permits advance decisions to refuse healthcare; the appointment of a person to have a Lasting Power of Attorney to act on a person's behalf at some point in the future; the appointment of a court-appointed deputy to act on behalf of a person lacking mental capacity; and research involving people who lack mental capacity in specific circumstances. The Court of Protection will now have a role in resolving difficult ethical problems in clinical cases.
《2005年精神能力法案》涵盖了所有关于个人福利的决定，包括财务事项，适用于暂时或永久缺乏精神能力的人。本文概述了该法案的最重要条款，并描述了对医疗保健专业人员的一些影响。例如，该法案允许预先做出拒绝医疗保健的决定；指定一个人拥有持久授权书，以便在未来某个时候代表某人行事；指定一名由法院任命的代理人代表缺乏精神能力的人行事；以及在特定情况下涉及缺乏精神能力者的研究。保护法院现在将在解决临床案例中的棘手伦理问题方面发挥作用。
