PFD report

Carole Mather · Prevention of Future Deaths report

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Issued 8 Apr 2024•Manchester North

Report record

Published report and response evidence

This page connects the concerns raised in this report with statements found in recipients’ published responses. A link shows a clear evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

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Concerns
1

Raised in this report

Recipients
1

Named on the report

Responses found
1

Of 1 recipient

Stated actions
0

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

Source document

Full report text

This is the full text from the original published report.

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Concerns and recipient responses

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Concerns raised1

  1. Lack of overarching guidance on applying legal frameworks to manage and protect people with chronic alcohol dependence
    Part of recurring concern: Unreliable care and protection arrangements for people with chronic alcohol dependence
Responses linked to these concerns

Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.

Respondent positions A position is what a recipient says about a concern when it does not describe a specific action.1

  1. Position

    Existing Mental Capacity Act safeguards, including DoLS and practitioners’ case-law duties, are relied on to protect patients lacking capacity.

    Stated by Department of Health and Social CareExisting arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Lack of overarching guidance on applying legal frameworks to manage and protect people with chronic alcohol dependence

Wider context from the report

“It was against this background that the Court heard of the lack of overarching guidance for health and social care practitioners which specifically addresses the application of legal frameworks available to manage and protect those with a chronic dependence on alcohol. Such guidance would be of benefit to health and social care practitioners and by extension to the individuals affected. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Unreliable care and protection arrangements for people with chronic alcohol dependence.

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Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Existing Mental Capacity Act safeguards, including DoLS and practitioners’ case-law duties, are relied on to protect patients lacking capacity.

Verbatim wording from the response

“If a patient was found to not have the mental capacity to discharge themselves, and they are or will be deprived of their liberty, then the hospital may need to consider whether to use the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The DoLS can authorise the deprivation of liberty of a person being accommodated in a hospital or care home for the purpose of providing care or treatment. Any such restrictions placed on a person in these circumstances must be in their best interests and necessary and proportionate. Decision makers should therefore make full consideration as to whether less restrictive options, such as appropriate support packages, can be implemented in place of DoLS authorisation.”

Source location

Response from Department of Health and Social Care
Page 1 · response
Published 29 April 2024

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Information checked against the published report and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026