Emergency admissions under Section 4 of the Mental Health Act 1983: reasons for a high rate.
One of the aims of the Mental Health Act 1983 was to discourage the use of emergency orders; the criteria for using the emergency provisions provided by Section 4 of the Act are stricter than those of the corresponding Section 29 of the previous Mental Health Act 1959. In 1986-87 the Mental Health Act Commissioners found a comparatively high level of admission under Section 4 in Cambridge. This study was undertaken to examine the hospital careers of all Section 4 admissions in Cambridge over a two-year period, and to compare these with admissions for assessment by two doctors under Section 2 of the 1983 Act and informal admissions. Almost 50% of all the Section 4 admissions were not continued on a compulsory admission by the end of the 72 hour duration of the Section. The findings suggest that these patients might have been more appropriately admitted informally or not at all.
Charing Cross Hospital, London.
B
B
Puri
G
G
Rose
D
D
Bermingham
D003134:Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014600:Utilization Review