My brother has been sectioned

[89redballoons]

I'm editing my original post as it included a bunch of identifying information.

My question is - if my family member has been sectioned (Section 2), and ends up in an environment that's unsafe or detrimental to his health - how can I help or advocate for him? Will anything help?

He's having what seems to be a psychotic episode and is being moved to a hospital far away from where I live.

So sorry this is happening it is a horrible situation.
is the move away due to bed availability? If so then the ICB/Healthboard local to you should be trying to repatriate him back nearer home as soon as possible.
If you are his next of kin then you will be his nearest relative under the Mental Health Act and therefore can request he is discharged but writing to the hospital managers but also ensure he has the write support. This includes ensuring he has access to an Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA).
At any time you feel he is in an unsafe situation I would also recommend you contact the local authority safeguarding team as well as regulatory body (CQC for England or HIW for wales)
Mind website has really good advice for how you can advocate for a loved one who is detained under the MHA.

Thank you. (And for being online at this hour!)

I'm not his nearest relative, his wife is. They normally live in London and I live in another major city. He had a huge row with his wife (nothing violent) on new year's day and in the aftermath he came "home" to where I live but then started expericing symptoms of psychosis. The community team came out to see him a few times and then they said he should be in hospital - which he agreed with - and he was admitted and sectioned. So now being transferred to where he lives.

His wife is being very supportive and incredibly brave.

I've just read the reviews and chatter online about where he's being transferred to and it sounds awful, understaffed and dangerous with really limited visiting hours. I'm sure online reviews of MH units aren't very accurate but I'm just terrified for him. So far he's been able to have either me or his wife with him at all times and he's much calmer when we're there and has periods where he's pretty lucid, as well as periods where he's confused.

He has actually never said that he doesn't want to be in hospital - in fact he's always said that he wanted to be there, both when he was with me and after he went in. So I'm not really clear on why he's been sectioned as I think he would have gone to hospital voluntarily. The argument seemed to be that he didn't have capacity to agree to be in hospital as he was so ill, and that if he tried to walk out they wouldn't be able to stop him - even though he hasn't tried to walk out.

When he was with me, he did walk to the front door in the middle of the night but I just told him calmly to go back to bed dnd he did without a fuss.

Is it worth making someone aware of this - like his IMHA?

I'll have a look at Mind, thanks.

I would say take online reviews with a pinch of salt however also recognise at the moment things are pretty dire across the UK in terms of staffing for wards so there is probably unfortunately an element of truth to it sadly. That being said there are still a lot of good professionals around making it work despite the pressures that they are under.
If you have any concerns and don’t feel the clinical leads/ward managers are responding appropriately please escalate and again any risk to safety report to safeguarding and regulatory body! If your brother has a care coordinator it would also be useful to know what oversight and communication they are having with the ward also!

I can understand the use of Section 2 to provide assessment if your brother has fluctuating capacity which it sounds as though he does. It may well however be that following assessment (section 2 can only last up to 28 days) if he continues to need treatment it will be informally if he is in agreement with the care and treatment and remaining at the hospital. If not he will be transferred to a Section 3. Under both of those sections he is entitled to an IMHA so th having the information would certainly be useful. I would also recommend your sister in law speaking with his current RC (Responsible Clinician) to ensure the reasoning for the detention and the plan going forwards. Hope that helps.

Thanks, it helps a lot actually. I'm a solicitor (though not in anything as emotive or difficult as mental health law) so understanding the legal framework is useful for me.

Just sending a gentle handhold. I’ve been sectioned several times so know a fair bit of the process. Is the hospital he has been sent to nearer his wife? Or is it a long way from both of you? I was sent out of area a couple of times and they said they would try to find me a closer bed but that didn’t happen. You can ask for help with travel costs if you are the nearest relative but it sounds like he put his wife as the closest? Happy to answer any questions.

Oh, thank you @Scutterbug. I've literally just got back from seeing him off in the car from my city back to his. He didn't really resist going, but it was still extremely upsetting.

Yes it's to be closer to the house he lives in normally with his wife. When he started feeling ill he managed to get himself "home" (here) across the country, but he couldn't be admitted in the long term to a hospital here as his GP and his long term address are in London. The new hospital is 10 minutes from his house so he's lucky in that respect and his wife/PILs/my and his mum are planning to visit him as much as possible.

Despite him claiming to have left his wife this time last week, she is being very supporting and loving to him, and at the moment he responds very well to seeing her, so I think it's right that she is his nearest relative.

I managed to speak to the psychiatrist looking after him in the hospital here today who somewhat helped with some of my fears about sectioning in terms of who can be involved with his care, when we can visit and things we can bring him while he's in the hospital, and the potential likely trajectory of his illness (though very very early days).

However, the thought that someone neither he nor I have met before has the ultimate power to make decisions about his liberty and his medical treatment still really panics me. Also I just feel like the last week has completely knocked me for 6, obviously it's much much worse for him though.

It’s really hard on the family so I’m not surprised you have been knocked for six. Make sure you take time for yourself. It’s good he is in hospital close to family, having people visit makes a huge difference. I understand how hard it is knowing that he’s under somebody else’s care now. You can ask if somebody can attend his meetings with the psych, my husband did sometimes and it really helped him understand what their plans were. It helped me too as he was able to remind me of discussions when I came out of hospital. They will want to get him stable and home asap as the need for beds is high. You’re a great support to him x

It's really good to know that having family attending some meetings with the psych, and visiting, make a big difference. I'm sure my SIL would be happy to attend meetings where possible. Thanks again.

Hi, being repatriated to closer to his home address is normal
It sounds as though he has been admitted under a section 3, so up to 28 days inpatient treatment. Closer to the 28 day deadline an AMPH will visit him to asses whether he needs further inpatient treatment. If the asses says yes it will be a section 2 which is UP TO six months initially.
Your dbs wife will be his nearest relative and the amph will likely ring her and possibly yourself to ask how he normally is how he presented initially etc.

Make sure you look after yourself it is incredibly hard visiting a loved one and the emotional strain it places is huge.

You have this the wrong way round. Section 2 is up to 28 days and section 3 is longer.

Your edited post is still visible if you click on the edit.

Having a sibling sectioned is very upsetting. It can be a rough ride. Keep in touch with the hospital but there's not much you can do as a sibling.

Yeah, I think I'm clearer on the process now and how it often works in practice. I'm close to SIL and I don't mind that she's the nearest person rather than me.

It is a massive, massive shock and feels like grief more than anything. It's only been a week or so but I'm really done. On top of the actual care for DB this week I've been supporting SIL and my mum, also have attempted to do a couple of days' work and I also have two kids under 5 who I've been trying to shield from the whole thing.

Thank I'm going to try and access some therapy/counselling type support for myself.

Sorry for the rambling thread but it's been helpful to hear from everyone so thanks.

That’s a good idea OP, you need to take care of yourself as these things are very emotionally draining x

Yes your right, i was reying to post quickly as remember feeling lostwith it all myself