Sectioning under the Mental Health Act

This is used for someone over the age of 16 years who will not be admitted voluntarily. Patients who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs are specifically excluded

Section 2

• 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)

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

Section 4

• 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

Section 5(2)

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

Section 5(4)

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

Section 17a

• Supervised Community Treatment (Community Treatment Order)

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

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