What is a section 2?
Admission for assessment for up to 28 days, not renewable
- Treatment can be given against a patient’s wishes
- An Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) or rarely the nearest relative (NR) makes the application on the recommendation of 2 doctors
- One of the doctors should be ‘approved’ under Section 12(2) of the Mental Health Act (usually a consultant psychiatrist)
What is a section 3?
Admission for treatment for up to 6 months, can be renewed
- AMHP along with 2 doctors, both of which must have seen the patient within the past 24 hours
- Patient normally has a diagnosis
Treatment can be given against a patient’s wishes
What is section 4?
Emergency admission for assessment
- 72 hour assessment order
- Used as an emergency, when a section 2 would involve an unacceptable delay
- A GP and an AMHP or NR
Often changed to a section 2 upon arrival at hospital
What is a section 5(2)?
A patient who is a voluntary patient who is admitted in hospital can be legally detained by a F2 doctor for 72 hours
What is a section 5(4)?
Similar to section 5(2), allows a nurse to detain a patient who is voluntarily in admitted into hospital for 6 hours
What is a section 17a?
Supervised Community Treatment (Community Treatment Order)
Can be used to recall a patient to hospital for treatment if they do not comply with conditions of the order in the community, such as complying with medication
What is a section 135?
A court order can be obtained to allow the police to break into a property to remove a person to a Place of Safety
What is a section 136?
Someone found in a public place who appears to have a mental disorder can be taken by the police to a Place of Safety
Can only be used for up to 24 hours, whilst a Mental Health Act assessment is arranged
When must an application for appeal of a section be made and how?
Within 14 days to the mental health tribunal
