What are the main sections used for?

Section 2 – Purpose: Admission for patient assessment.

Duration of section: 28 days

Section 3 – Purpose: Admission for treatment of a patient.

Duration of section: up to 6 months

Section 4 – Purpose: Urgent admission for patient assessment from the community, usually enforced when a section 2 would take to long to enact.

Duration of section: 72 hours (may be converted to section 2 to extend assessment period to 28 days)

Section 5(2) – Purpose: Urgent detention of inpatient

Duration of section: 72 hours

Section 5(4) – Purpose: Urgent detention of an inpatient by a nurse were a doctor is absent

Duration of section: 6 hours

Section 135 – Purpose: Removal of person from home to place of safety. This requires a court order to enact and remove someone from a private property.

Duration of section: 72 hours

Section 136 – Purpose: Removal of a person from a public place to a place of safety. This does not require a court order.

Duration of section: 72 hours

Community Treatment Order – Purpose: An order that a patient is placed upon after discharge from hospital for psychiatric treatment that allows continued treatment within the community setting.

Duration of section: up to 6 months.

References

• Crown Copyright (1983) Mental Health Act 1983 [online]. Available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1983/20/contents (Accessed 21/07/17) (amended by the Mental Health Act 2007)
• J. Collier, M. Longmore, T. Turmezel and A. R. Mafi. Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties, 8th edition, Oxford University press, 2008, pp: 398-401