Identifying and managing deprivation of liberty in adults in England and Wales.

the common law may still apply. The application of these laws is complex and we discuss these complexities for the benefit of healthcare professionals. All doctors—particularly those who treat patients in hospital with dementia, learning difficulties, and brain injury, as well as GPs, physicians, and psychiatrists who treat residents of care homes—need to be able to identify patients who are at risk of deprivation of liberty and ensure that the correct legal framework is applied. Most do not, however, need to have a detailed knowledge of procedures beyond that point. We therefore suggest a practical approach to the identification and initial manPRACTICE POINTER Identifying and managing deprivation of liberty in adults in England and Wales