Ochrona zdrowia psychicznego jako szczególne zadanie ustawodawcy – zastosowanie przymusu bezpośredniego

The paper investigates a new Polish regulation which requires doctors’ permission to use force during medical treatment. It begins with an overview of the former regulations and the dilemmas, especially those associated with patients with medical disorders treated in non-psychiatric hospitals. The second section focuses on the problems with a new procedure regarding the use of force against patients who are treated in psychiatric and non-psychiatric hospitals and are not able to produce legally binding consent. It also looks at the differences between the current and the former procedures. The article concludes that the new regulation has not improved patients’ safety and management of hospitals.