To wonder why my friend was allowed to leave this appointment

[busyweeks78]

My friend attend a psychiatrist appointment about a week ago. She admitted to overdosing the night before and they just let her leave the appointment. I know they can’t use certain sections if you aren’t an inpatient in either a general ward or a mental health unit but surely these something they could have done to get her to get medical help?

Her risk would have been assessed and could have changed.

She maybe having follow ups via therapy and/or CMHT.

She may have already been medically assessed

Not enough information to go on.

What did you expect to happen?

Also the psychiatrist may have suggested she go to A&E to be checked out and/or have have bloods done to check LFTs. Also what did she OD on? Taking 3 or 4 calpol tablets vs shit loads of morphine?

People are only sectioned if they are a danger to themselves or others.
It wasn’t a serious overdose otherwise she’d have been in hospital.
She was seen by a psychiatrist who di his assessment.
She wasn’t sectionable and she engaged with the service.
She may have another appointment for a follow up.
She would have been given crisis numbers.

They can’t hold her against her will, only if it’s deemed she’s at risk to herself of others, and even then there is a process and protocol to follow.

The threshold for detention against a patient’s will is very high, just having taken an overdose the night before might not be enough to trigger it. They have to be able to show she’s at immediate risk to herself or others. If she chose to leave they can try to persuade her to stay but if she has capacity in the end it’s her decision.

Hope you start seeing improvement in your own health soon OP.

This is the level of service that we as a society have voted for.

I don’t know the details of what she took. I know she hadn’t had medical attention and she told the psychiatrist that.

What did your friend want to happen, OP? What do you think should have happened?

Have you posted this before or something very similar? I recall reading it.

No I haven’t.