Raising standards in relation to Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983

Summary Despite the guidance published in revised Codes of Practice and by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, implementation of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 is still variable. Government funding in England to establish places of safety in psychiatric facilities has been effective but custody suites are still used excessively, especially for those who are brought in intoxicated. Patients feel criminalised by this use of custody suites and by the use of police vehicles rather than ambulance transport for conveyance to the place of safety. There is often a delay in commencing the assessment and the first doctor does not always have Section 12 approval as recommended in the Codes of Practice. The importance of the local Section 136 group tasked with developing and overseeing the implementation of local policy and monitoring is highlighted. There is a need for monitoring locally, but ideally in a form that can be used nationally for benchmarking and research.