IN April 2005 Parliament passed The Mental Capacity Act, which comes into being in February 2007. I wonder how many know much about this law, and how, one day, it could affect us.

The Tony Bland judgement of 1993 opened the door for doctors to dehydrate and starve mentally incapacitated patients.

What this Act does is to extend the principles of the Bland decision, through things such as the redefinition of "best interests" and "medical treatment", to all mentally-incapacitated patients.

The choice for doctors could be between euthanasia by omission, and leaving the profession, and it will destroy what is left of medical ethics in this country.

In short, this new law will demand doctors and nurses withdraw all medical treatment under this Act, including drip fluids and tube-delivered feeding.

Many patients will die from thirst and starvation; it will be slow and very distressing for the patient.

The Society For The Protection Of The Unborn Child (SPUC) has set up a Patients First Network (PFN) to help protect vulnerable patients, families, carers and conscientious medical staff.

It helps to promote good medical practice, and is designed to safeguard patients from euthanasia by omission.

Food and fluid, even when given by artificial means, represents a natural means of preserving life, and not medical treatment. The PFN lets doctors and nurses know how you expect to be treated in hospital if you are mentally-incapacitated.

If you would like to know more about the Mental Capacity Act, and PFN, please phone SPUC on 020 7222 5845.

The PFN is backed by a telephone support service that is available all day every day, and joining is easy and inexpensive (free to some).

Carol Parker, Ashley Park Crescent, York.