Can an informal patient in a ward be restrained

[Tellmelies65]

Or does this only apply to detained patients?

What do you mean by informal? Any patient can be restrained if they were kicking off. At risk to others or themselves. The ward would put out an psychiatric emergency call likely and the psychiatric team would attend.

Nurses and doctors have emergency holding powers which effectively mean a patient is detained for a short period.

Yes, if their behaviour was deemed a danger to themselves or others.

The law allows for anyone to use reasonable force to protect themselves or someone else from being hurt, so staff can use restraint to protect themselves or another patient if necessary.

It is pretty rare to use restraint to administer treatment whether detained or not, but in the rare cases this is necessary this could only be done with a detained patient.

The only other situation I can imagine is using restraint is to prevent someone leaving a ward. In this case there would need to be a legal reason to prevent them leaving - for instance a nurses holding power which is a MHA section.

I had a hospital stay recently as an informal patient, and was restrained.

I'm in Scotland and the Mental Health Act is different here. Generally no, they can't. However if an informal patient was acting in a way that was potentially harmful to other patients/staff, then yes, they could be restrained ie if a patient was to go to attack another person, then yes, I would physically hold them back. Same for self defense. Also if the patient was self harming then I would hold them to stop them from harming themselves. Also, I'm assuming it was nurses/hca's who restrained? Then a nurse has the power to put a 'nurses holding power' on you, which is basically a nurses power of detention. You could then be restrained.

In any case, a restraint would only be carried out in the best interests of someone, whether that be patient or others.

Why do you ask?

Do you mean in a mhu? Someone who's agreed to go in rather than be sectioned?

If so, then yes. They can proceed to a section 4 (I think it's 4, might be wrong) for example. Emergency 72 hr hold

I was told they could do it because of duty of care.

Depends on the country as there are different MHA. You need to specify what country you are referring to.

Yes, anyone can be. Detained patients, informal patients, visitors... It should be last resort, and in the case of informal patients only to prevent immediate harm (it may be used to enforce treatment in detained patients)