M ental I llness C oncerns A ll	The care situation is frequently changing - often because WM is charged with breaking and entering offences - usually accompanied - often because he is not settled to any particular life style, any settled abode, any particular life intention. The mother was often right. One of the Panel recommendations goes to an unanswered question that is nevertheless clearly raised in many Inquiries. How does a long experienced carer get their views recorded and responded to, when their view is rejected and the patient has not the recollection resource and drive to protest themselves? The Panel recommends an easier access to a second opinion, but the implications of this are not explored. What would the second opinion do? Change the direction of care, but expect the original consultant to accept, to submit, to being directed, to the new advice? At present that seems an unrealistic expectation. A solution may come from intervention at an earlier stage, a challenge much earlier, which allows the first consultant to take on board the challenge and see it go to a reaction which takes into consideration the expertise of the carer. If this is not acceptable directly from the carer, as is the present actuality, then it may be possible to achieve this by putting into review and assessment - before 'closure' of this - the views of the care/family, gathered in by a carer support worker, and put into the assessment melting pot by the social worker element in the community mental health team - as an important matter to be considerd, before a final decision on care is settled. Carer support worker	E-mail reaction is welcome mica@didgy.freeserve.co.uk