Isolation can cause harm in everyday life, even in the most benign conditions. Taking on responsibility for a patient in the community who is isolated can entail a responsibility to steer them on a course, which they might otherwise not have taken and which might redound to their benefit. In this article, John Finch, a freelance journalist specialising in clinical law and ethics, examines some of the legal responsibilities which are added by the effects of isolation to the already heavy burden carried by community nurses. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.