Mental Health Bill [HL]

My Lords, a little further clarification: symptoms and manifestations are intended to cover all the ways that the disorder affects the patient’s functioning, in terms of how the patient thinks, feels or believes. While there is almost certainly some overlap between the two, broadly speaking we think that ““symptoms”” covers the consequencesof which patients themselves complain while ““manifestations”” more obviously covers the evidence of the disorder as seen by other people. In the end, the important point is not the distinction between the two words but the certainty that between them they cover the whole gamut of what can be addressed by medical treatment. I acknowledge that the noble Earl and other noble Lords are concerned about the definition and I suggest that we should look at it in the code of practice, perhaps more clearly expressing the definition of those two words. If we were to do that and to consult noble Lords as we draw up the code of practice perhaps that would allay their fears.