"Needless to say 'capacity' is impossible to demonstrate in a drunk with a head injury - how does anyone unpick the effects of the sauce vs the possible effects of raised intracraniel pressure (from a subdural, say). " Sorry but that isn't true, a patient in such a condition is very unlikely to have capacity, but the test is simple and just as pertinant to a drunk as a diabetic. The fact of the matter is that regardless of the cause of the incapacity (drink or head injury) the patient still does not have capacity. I feel for the crew, but I would point out that they have only been critisied by the patient's friends not the coroner. Odd thing is we all think nothing of wrestling with a diabetic who's gone hypo but do a runner at the first sign of verbals from a drunk, the real truth is that we all judge our patients on the cause of their incapacity not on their presenting medical condition. DSO