This Professional Practice Note sets out to provide an overview of the issues surrounding the phenomenon of hoarding. It provides detailed information for environmental health practitioners on clinical aspects of the condition and offers mental health workers an in-depth insight into the difficulties faced by local authority staff in addressing hoarding.
It notes the growing list of statutory powers available to address hoarding and by means of a case study and the results of a survey, reviews the incidence and diversity of cases coming to the attention of environmental health authorities in the hope that, eventually, that may lead to better ways to resolve them.