Patients and the vote
Sir: Otir aention has een drawti, ot°f' Auberon Wattugh's article b 'Times oti` MIND' (23 October). PresuniablY Waugh believes this sort of writing to bra Waugh marvellous example of journalistic wic, However, it seems to us he has only 5110f, ceeded in expressing in print a serie, of thoroughly unpleasant sentiments, nc)"... al which, we suspect, are founded on P experience. This Project is the first Law Ceri,..1,0fErti! have been established in a psYe"."-ars hospital. It has been open since Febrlifel 1982 and as a result of working here quite strongly that residence in a psYe",re hospital could not possibly per se just::,),:p elusion from the right to vote. It migu'ithe I prise Mr Waugh to know that m05'13,1,11, patients we have seen have been Per'A as well informed about current affairs ante in, capable as anyone else of using the v°te
a responsible manner. tolls
Phrases like 'lunatics and situP'e- may no doubt serve to provide cheap acute for some but can only be a source of a`rnr. distress to those who have had the rrlismne ractic tune to suffer from mental illness at s'-'tbat time in their lives. The suggestion also people suffering from mental illness can or compared in some way to small childreni domestic pets is nothing short of offell,si‘eir Incidentally, Mr Waugh is comp lira. wrong in his understanding of the KO no tions of the new clause in the Act. Pattie IC liable to detention still will not be ab vote. `e Anne Stanesby sApdrvinicgefiaerildd Hospital, 61POject 61 Glenburnie Road,
Wandsworth, London SW17
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