Admission to mental health hospitals

Mental health hospitals, also known as psychiatric hospitals, specialise in the treatment and support of people with mental health problems.

People can be admitted as a voluntary patient or be forced into hospital under the Mental Health Act.

Most people will receive treatment outside of a mental health hospital if they need support with a mental illness, such as at home and with the help of their GP. But if you become unwell and require a higher level of care, admission to hospital may be the best option to treat your symptoms through specialist mental health care and treatment.

Mental health hospitals have different wards and admission to these depends on how unwell you are or what type of mental health condition you have, these include acute wards, rehabilitation wards, specialist wards and Psychiatric Intensive Care Units (PICU).

The wards you must go into

When you first arrive, you may go into the acute ward for assessment and treatment. The acute ward will have a mix of voluntary and detained patients with a variety of diagnoses who experience significant distress. When they are stable, they will either be moved to a more appropriate ward or discharged.

People are admitted to the PICU if there are concerns they may harm either themselves or others. Most people at PICU are admitted under the Mental Health Act 1983, which is likely to be locked.

Specialist wards have specially trained staff for the type of disorder cared for. This can include personality disorders, eating disorders, units for young people and forensic units for offenders with mental health problems.

Rehabilitation wards help you become more independent and prepare you to go back into the community, through treatment such as occupational therapy.

Voluntary and detained patients

As mentioned above, you can either go into a mental health hospital of your own free will or be detained and admitted under the Mental Health Act 1983. If you are forced into a hospital against your will, this is known as being sectioned.

For people who need treatment but are unable to give their consent due to their illness can be admitted to hospital through deprivation of liberty.

Voluntary admission to mental health hospitals

If you receive treatment for your mental illness or disorder of your own free will at a psychiatric hospital, you are a voluntary patient. To qualify as a voluntary patient, you must have the capacity to understand your decision to go into hospital and agree to the treatment of your problem.

For example, you might struggle with anorexia and feel that you are unable to cope on your own and in need of further mental health support. Admission into a secure hospital can then help you to combat the fear of eating through inpatient services.

If you are already receiving mental health care at home and become unwell, the community mental health team (CMHT) caring for you, including occupational therapists, psychiatrists and other professional may suggest that you go into hospital for treatment if they have concern about your welfare.

If you agree with their assessment, your GP or psychiatrist can then refer you to a hospital. However, whether you are admitted or not can depend on the number of beds available. When there is a shortage of beds, the hospital may only accept admissions of people who are sectioned.

If you feel that you are struggling with everyday life due to your illness or disorder and think it would be best for you to receive treatment in hospital, you can:

• Talk to a member of your community mental health team if you have one
• Contact Your GP or out-of-hours service
• Go to the A&E department of your local hospital
• Contact your local crisis team

If the hospital has enough beds and the doctor agrees that you should be there, you will be admitted. However, if there are no beds, you may be directed to a different hospital.

Being a voluntary patient means that you can leave whenever you want.

Admission under the Mental Health Act

Even if you do not want treatment in hospital or do not realise that you need it, you can be forced to go into hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983. This is known as being sectioned, and you will not be able to leave unless the hospital and doctor agrees.

You can be sectioned if:

• Your mental health condition is severe enough that doctors believe you must be urgently assessed and treated in hospital
• Your mental health condition is putting yourself or other people at risk

The sectioning process begins when somebody alerts social services that you are unwell, are putting yourself at risk or someone else in danger. This could be a family member, your GP, counsellor or police officer depending on the circumstances.

You will then be assessed by a team of three medical professionals, including two doctors and an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP). During the pandemic and under the Coronavirus Act 2020, only one doctor and an AMHP are needed for the assessment.

You cannot be detained for more than 28 days without an assessment, and 72 hours in an emergency (120 hours during the Covid 19 pandemic). If assessed as needing treatment, you can be detained for up to six months at a time, which can be renewed by your doctor.