Mental Capacity Conference 2017

Welcome to The Edith Ellen Foundation Mental Capacity Conference 2017, a decade on.

Today is our conference and throughout the day I will be publishing through our Social Media pertinent points from The Mental Capacity Conference 2017.

A decade on from this important piece of legislation coming into force, this Conference aims to inform and discuss what is right and what is wrong.

Evidence suggests that tens of thousands of people are being deprived of their liberty without the protection of the law, and without the protection that Parliament intended.  Worse still, in some cases the safeguards are being wilfully used to oppress individuals and force decisions upon them.

On 13th March 2014, the House of Lords Select Committee on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 published the report of its ten‐month investigation. The Government responded: “We agree with the Committee’s overall finding: that while the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) was a “visionary piece of legislation” the Act has “suffered from a lack of awareness and a lack of understanding.”

This Conference will consider how the current Mental Capacity Act applies to day-to-day practice, with a focus on capacity and best interest assessments and how these can protect the healthcare practitioner and improve patient care.  The day will also explore the recommendations made by the House of Lords and the Government’s response, including the new Mental Capacity Advisory Board and potential new legislative framework.

Delegates will have the opportunity to raise issues and concerns specific to their own practice. 

Programme
08:30	Coffee & Networking
09:00	Welcome – Rev. Bishop David Bennett
09:10	Edith Ellen Foundation Opening of the MCA Conference
09:30	Leonard Lawrence Patient & Industry Experiences - ‘The Court of Protection Orders, Medical Certificates and Non-disclosures’
10:15	Dave Shepherd and Leigh Day Solicitors Overview of The Mental Capacity Act 2005
11:00	Coffee Break
11:15	District Judge Anselm Eldergill
12:00	Dr. Rainer Hermann Kurz ‘Critical reflections on the role of mental health professionals’
12:20	Lunch
13:30	Lynne Phair ‘How the Court of Protection supports the person, the family and the professional in complex decisions - the role of the independent consultant nurse’
13:50	Dr Mervyn Eastman ‘Evictions’
13:50	Workshops and Exhibitions See Topics Below
15:00	Coffee Break
16:20	Questions & Summary
17:00	Close