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http://www.nhshealthquality.org/nhsqis/6710.140.1366.html.

For short term detention certificates (STDCs), statistics in relation to those who challenge their having been made subject to the certificate may be inferred by the numbers who appeal to the Mental Health Tribunal against the STDC. An individual can appeal to the Mental Health Tribunal for a revocation of a STDC, and Volume 2, Chapter 2 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 Code of Practice provides guidance on this. Approximately 100 applications for revocation of a STDC are made each quarter, of these around 50% are withdrawn before being heard and between 10 to 25% are revoked. Source Mental Health Tribunal quarterly statistics:

http://www.mhtscotland.gov.uk/mhts/files/Quarterly%20Report%20April%20to%20June%202009.pdf.

For Compulsory Treatment Orders (CTOs), these longer term orders may be made directly by the tribunal on the application of a mental health officer, and following a Tribunal hearing at which the patient will have been involved to give their view. Again, the most recent Mental Health Tribunal quarterly statistics (for April to June 2009) provide an indication of the percentages of CTOs made by the tribunal (around 77%) of those applied for. Thereafter, statistics in relation to those who continue to object to the CTO having been granted by the Tribunal might be inferred from the number of appeals made to the Sheriff Principal under the statutory mechanisms. In the period September 2008 to August 2009 inclusive the tribunal was served with 14 appeals to sheriff principals, not all of which went to full hearings having been dismissed as incompetent or because the appellant no longer wished to appeal; it should also be noted that not all of those appeals from the tribunal will have been made by patients, some may have been made by health boards.

Sometimes a diagnosis may change e.g. an individual may appear to have a psychotic condition such as schizophrenia, due to drug taking, which then disappears after treatment and drug withdrawal.

Also throughout a lifetime an individual''s diagnosis may change as different symptoms emerge.

If an individual has concerns that they have been misdiagnosed then there are a range of options open to them, including that: they may ask for a second opinion; they may apply to the tribunal for revocation of the order; or they may contact the Mental Welfare Commission to look into their complaint.

As with all medicines, the available data on efficacy and safety are carefully considered at the time of licensing to ensure the benefits outweigh any potential risks. Once marketed, the safety of all medicines, including antipsychotics, is monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the independent scientific expert advisory group the Commission on Human Medicines. Any new safety concerns that arise are thoroughly evaluated and the balance of risks and benefits is kept under continuous review.

All medicines have the potential to cause unwanted side-effects. The side-effects associated with antipsychotic medicines are well recognised and information and guidance on the use of these treatments is available from a number of sources such as the British National Formulary www.bnf.org and the Patient Information Leaflet, which should be supplied with the medicine.

In every case, the decision whether or not to prescribe any treatment for a patient depends on the clinical judgement of the doctor concerned wherever possible in consultation with the patient and also bearing in mind the risks and benefits of treatment.