Mental Health Act

Question 1

Section 2

Answer 1

admission for assessment for up to 28 days, not renewable
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)
treatment can be given against a patient’s wishes

Question 2

Section 3

Answer 2

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
treatment can be given against a patient’s wishes

Question 3

Section 4

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Section 5(2)

Answer 4

a patient who is a voluntary patient in hospital can be legally detained by a doctor for 72 hours

Question 5

Section 5(4)

Answer 5

similar to section 5(2), allows a nurse to detain a patient who is voluntarily in hospital for 6 hours

Question 6

Section 17a

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Section 135

Answer 7

a court order can be obtained to allow the police to break into a property to remove a person to a Place of Safety

Question 8

Section 136

Answer 8

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