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Human rights abused on mental health wards
RUTH HUNT looks at how excessive medication and violence have, by stealth, become part and parcel of ‘treatment’

IN 2020 “I can’t breathe” was heard across the world in response to the racist murder of George Floyd and others by US police officers — but restraint isn’t usually caught on a smartphone.

In Britain, most of these violent and restrictive practices occur on mental health wards.

Those affected are hidden away, their families on a seemingly never-ending search for justice.

  • Showing respect for patients’ past and present wishes and feelings,
  • Avoiding unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation,
  • The use of techniques for avoiding or reducing the use of force,
  • The risks associated with the use of force,
  • The impact of trauma and force (whether historic or otherwise) on a patient's mental and physical health
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