How to get admitted to a mental health hospital

How do you get admitted to mental health hospital?

There are two ways people can get admitted to a mental health hospital:

• As a voluntary patient
• Or be forced into hospital under the Mental Health Act.

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

Most people 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.

However 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.

What are the different wards in a mental health hospital?

Mental health hospitals have different wards. 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).

When you first arrive, you may go into the acute ward for assessment and treatment.

Acute ward

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.

Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit

People are admitted to the Psychiatric Intensive Care Units (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 ward

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 ward

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

How do I get admitted to a mental health hospital?

If you are admitted to a mental health hospital for your mental illness or disorder of your own free will, 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.

You can be referred by your GP

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

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

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.

What does it mean if you are sectioned?

Even if you do not want treatment in hospital or do not realise 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.

When can you be sectioned?

• 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

What is the process of being sectioned?

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).

How long can you be detained for?

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