Sectioning under MHA

Question 1

Section 2

Answer 1

28 days for assessment and treatment

Question 2

Section 3

Answer 2

Up to 6 months and treatment

Question 3

Section 4

Answer 3

72 hours assessment – usually switched to section 2

Question 4

Section 5 (2)

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Section 5 (4)

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Section 17 (a)

Answer 6

Supervised community treatment order – can be used for recall if they don’t comply with conditions of order in the community e.g. 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

Police order for someone found in public – to take to place of safety for 24 hours whilst MHA assessment arranged