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Section 136 and the psychiatric intensive care unit: Setting up a health based place of safety in Gloucestershire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2009

Jim Laidlaw ,
David Pugh  and
Helen Maplestone
Jim Laidlaw
Affiliation:
Consultant Psychiatrist, 2gether NHS Trust, Montpellier Unit, Wotton Lawn, Gloucester
David Pugh
Affiliation:
Mental Health Act Implementation Manager, Strategic Planning & Policy Group, Gloucester
Helen Maplestone
Affiliation:
Community Matron, 2gether NHS Trust, Maxwell Centre, Wotton Lawn, Gloucester
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Abstract

In England and Wales, the law allows a mentally disordered person who is in a public place and requires care or control to be taken to a Place of Safety (POS) for assessment. Historically the POS has usually been the police cells but recent policy development has supported the provision of alternative POSs. In this article we describe how a new POS was set up on a hospital site in Gloucestershire.

Keywords

Section 136Mental Health Actpoliceplace of safetymental disorder
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , December 2009 , pp. 107 - 112
Copyright
Copyright © NAPICU 2009

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References

Department of Health (2008) Code of Practice. Mental Health Act 1983. London: The Stationary Office.Google Scholar
Docking, M., Grace, K. and Bucke, B. (2008) Police custody as a “Place of Safety”: Examining the use of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act. Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) Research and Statistics Series. Paper 11.Google Scholar
NACRO (2005) Findings of the 2004 Survey of Court Diversion/Criminal Justice Mental Health Liaison Schemes for Mentally Disordered Offenders in England and Wales. NACRO. www.nacro.org.uk/data/resources/nacro-2005042200.docGoogle Scholar
Royal College of Psychiatrists (2008) Standards on Use of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (2007) (version for England). Royal College of Psychiatrists Council Report 149.Google Scholar