<p>Shortly after I joined the UKCC (nursing’s regulatory body) last year, I took a call from a nurse who was enquiring about the covert use of medication. The nurse, who wanted to know the UKCC’s policy on this controversial issue, told me unequivocally: ‘You either assess someone for detention under the Mental Health Act and administer medication against his or her will but legally, or you just don’t administer. It’s as simple as that.’</p>