It sounds like a good idea for doctors to call the cops on mentally unstable patients who own firearms who appear to be a danger to society. But it isn’t. First, British docs already have the power to commit a patient against their will. If they think someone in their charge is going off the rails, they can intercede. Second, if you instruct docs to keep an eye on mentally ill patients who own firearms in particular, physicians will apply a different standard of care—especially when deciding whether or not to contact the Old Bill. Which means, third, patients who own guns will avoid medical care. So, on one hand, you have the possibility that British doctors will “miss” potential spree killers. On the other, you have gun owners who could become spree killers because they don’t seek medical attention. After the Lake District massacre, the British Medical Association [BMA] decided to add government informer to their remit. Not that that’s what they’re saying . . .
British Medical Association To Rat Out Gun Owners
