HOSPITAL patients taking illegal drugs will not be reported to the police -- unless they complain about them being confiscated.
A new policy drafted by the Royal Bolton Hospital said doctors and nurses should take drugs from a patient and destroy them.
Staff are forbidden to hand the drugs back, however, since they would potentially be committing an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Chief Pharmacist Peter Gibson said: "In our duty of care, we will remove the drug and if the patient accepts that, that's as far as we will go. Only if they object will we call the police."
A spokesman for the police said it had no problems with the policy.
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