Under the Mental Health Act 1993 s.12, a medical practitioner may make an order to compulsorily admit a person to an Approved Treatment Centre. The doctor must be satisfied that:
- the person has a mental illness which requires immediate treatment available in an Approved Treatment Centre
- the person should be admitted as a patient and detained in an Approved Treatment Centre in the interests of the person's health and safety or for the protection of other people.
The police and if necessary, with the assistance of the ambulance service, can take a person to a doctor for examination [s.23]. The police are required to have a reasonable belief that:
- the person has a mental illness
- that the conduct of the person is or has recently been such as to cause danger to him or herself or others.
Under the same provision, police and ambulance officers are required to provide any necessary assistance to enable a doctor to examine, treat or transport the person.
Orders for the compulsory detention, examination or transport of people with a mental illness must be in the form required by the Mental Health Act 1993 Regulations. If a person said to have a mental illness is in any doubt as to the authority of the doctor, police or ambulance, they have a right to see the relevant form in order to confirm the authority to detain.
The initial order for detention can only last a maximum of three days after the day on which it was made.
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Examination by a psychiatrist : Last Revised: Thu Nov 29th 2001 |
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