Risk mitigation and the legal and ethical considerations for COVID-19 in a psychiatric inpatient setting

Abstract

This series of brief reports highlights the experience of a London psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) that cared for patients with COVID-19 relatively early in the pandemic. The objective is to contribute to learning and consider the challenges for psychiatric intensive care services. This article will discuss COVID-19-related risk prevention and mitigation strategies in a psychiatric inpatient setting, followed by an overview of the legal and ethical challenges, relating to risk prevention, mitigation and restrictive practice, in psychiatric inpatient care during the time of the pandemic.