Amendments to the mental health protection act of 3 December 2010 – socio-legal analysis
Błażej Kmieciak

The mental health protection act has been operating in the Polish legal system for less than seventeen years. This act has been revised three times so far. Subsequent changes to the law referred to: clarifying the rules of admission to hospital without patients’ consent, introduction of the institution of Ombudsman for the Psychiatric Patient Right Protection, assumptions of the National Mental Health Protection Program etc. This year’s fourth amendment to the act does not introduce changes that could be called revolutionary. However, this act adds significant issues which may be important for everyday functioning of patients and medical staff. These changes deal especially with such issues as: compulsory psychiatric hospitalisation in the petition mode, the use of the direct coercion, clarification of the competence of the above mentioned Ombudsman, and undertaking new measures to promote mental health. Especially with respect to the issues of direct coercion you can see significant changes, which include in particular authorization of medical emergency workers to use immobilization and hold. It is also important that at the moment only the courts decide on all forms of forced transportation to the hospital or nursing home. Taking up the analysis of the above act, it is worth to make a preliminary assessment of the proposed changes. It is worth to considering, whether the proposed changes will have a positive impact on the functioning of both patients and medical staff. Not less important is considering whether presently some major issues can be perceived that have not been covered by the amendment.