Abstract
The pressure on mental health services has not gone unremarked and is of widespread concern in England and Wales. This can have implications when a bed is being sought for a patient who has undergone a Mental Health Act assessment and is deemed to meet the criteria for being formally admitted to hospital. Once the 24 h period for assessment under section 136 of the Act has lapsed, the ongoing detention of the patient can lead to a legal grey area. Through a fictional example this paper examines the relevant case law and statute that may be used to continue the detention and explores the ethical problems that this may cause.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 342-346 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | BJPsych Bulletin |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 7 Oct 2022 |
Access to Document
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This is the final published version of the article (version of record). It first appeared online via Cambridge University Press at https://doi.org/10.1192/bjb.2022.59 . Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.