Are people always offered an informal admission during mental health act assessment

[thedaywewillremeber]

I’ve read somewhere that they are supposed to but ds1 never has been.

Not in my personal experience no, though it’s been a while. They don’t want you inpatient unless absolutely necessary.

If you mean as opposed to section, then yes it’s good to give them the option and control over their next step. If they are deemed to lack capacity then no, they wouldn’t be given the option of an informal admission.

There is simply not enough beds. In my professional experience, anything and everything is done to keep people out of hospital. More and more MH services are moving to the community. There is other input, other than hospital admission that is available. Sometimes, a hospital stay can have the opposite affect of being therapeutic.

@needsahouseboy

If you mean as opposed to section, then yes it’s good to give them the option and control over their next step. If they are deemed to lack capacity then no, they wouldn’t be given the option of an informal admission.

Oh, I might have misinterpreted the question.

if someone has capacity to make decisions about their health care and treatment, insight into their mental health symptoms, and an understanding of why they are being admitted to a psychiatric hospital , an informal admission is always offered,

if these things are not present due to the nature and degree of the mental disorder, a formal admission (ie detention under a section of the mental health act) is necessary

two section 12 approved drs and an approved mental health professional -sometimes alongside a psychiatric nurse- assess these factors and make the decision on how the person would be admitted

Ah I may also have misinterpreted. Do you mean offered informal as opposed to section? In which case yes I have, a couple of times, been able to go in voluntarily rather than under section.