These desperate situations need common sense

THE situation Barbara Bauld found herself in is one no mother should have to endure.

She was forced to watch her son Douglas essentially self-destruct after a long battle with depression and the crippling side effects of drugs she had no idea about.

The drugs she describes as “heavy duty” led to him becoming incoherent and incomprehensible at times, coupled with his self-medication with illegal drugs and alcohol following a series of catastrophic life events.

It must have been heart-breaking for her to watch.

Even more so because his doctors stuck rigidly to patient confidentiality, and therefore her pleas to discuss his treatment fell on deaf ears.

While we appreciate GPs are bound by GMC rules, there has to be some leeway when it comes to dealing with patients with mental health difficulties who may not be best placed to make decisions about their care, nor who knows what about it.

As the chief executive of Mind Scotland, Frances Simpson, points out there is some scope for medical professionals to make decisions without the patient’s permission.

She stresses that family members could give “valuable insights” into the situation and should be listened to where possible.

She admits: “We still find that families are simply given a blanket ‘we can’t tell you anything’ when in fact there is information that might be given in ways that allow the person who is unwell to be protected.”

As Barbara herself points out, there surely has to be a degree of common sense when it comes to cases like this.