King’s College London Student Clinical Ethics Committee case discussion: Should a homeless, potentially suicidal man, be admitted to hospital overnight for the purpose of addressing a short-term shelter problem?

Members of the Student Clinical Ethics Committee discussed the ethical issues arising in a case referred for consideration – a homeless man presenting to the emergency department of a busy London hospital with recent self-reported suicide attempts. Should he be admitted overnight in order to address a short-term shelter problem? The case study summarises the reflections of the Committee and focusses on the doctor’s duty of care and patient responsibility, benefits of admission and resource considerations.