A Clinician's Brief Guide to the Mental Health Act Tony Zigmond RCPsych Publications, 2011, £18.00, pb, 126 pp. ISBN: 9781908020024

Book titles, even in the case of non-fiction, can sometimes be ambiguous, unintentionally misleading or even deliberately obscure. This is definitely not so with Dr Zigmond's new guide to the Mental Health Act. It is exactly as described. A short, as the preface puts it, ‘how to’ reference. Its strengths include a focus on practical aspects of the operation of the Act together with its clarity, brevity and common-sense approach. That is not to say it lacks detail or sophistication. It certainly does not. But it is easy to find one's way around and the book deals with the sort of issues that arise in day-to-day practice for all of us, whether involved in the care of detained patients or not. As well as providing guidance on the amended 1983 legislation, it describes common law principles, the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, human rights provision and the Mental Capacity Act. One of the attractions is that in many of the chapters the relevant law is explored and then questions that might, and in my experience do arise, are posed and answered. For instance, in the chapter on appeals against detention/compulsion: ‘What are the possibilities if you think the tribunal has been procedurally flawed or made an incorrect decision?’. And there are lists of which form is required for what purpose; invaluable to anyone fulfilling the role of responsible clinician. In places the author gives his own views, sometimes written in the first person, on matters that arise, which, given the breadth and depth of his experience in the field, only serve to make the book more interesting. Unfortunately, not even he is able to unravel entirely the complexities of consent to treatment. As he says at the outset, ‘This isn't an easy topic’, although his is as good an exposition as I know of.

I suspect that this book will become a favourite, not only with busy, experienced clinicians, but particularly trainees. And so it should. There is no substitute for reference to the Act itself but of course things are much more complicated than that. So here is a straightforward text written for doctors operating the law that can only serve to enhance their practice and in my view improve patient care.