Section 2 Mental Health Act 1983

ADMISSION TO HOSPITAL FOR ASSESSMENTPatient’s name(Section 2 Mental Health Act 1983)Name of person in chargeof your treatmentName of hospital and wardWhy am I in hospital?You are being kept in hospital under section 2 of theMental Health Act 1983. You have been seen by twodoctors. They think you have a mental disorder andyou must stay in hospital.How long will I be here?28 daysYou can be kept here for up to 28 days.You must not leave during this time unless the person incharge of your care tells you may. If you try and leave,the staff can stop you. If you do leave, you can bebrought back.If you were already kept in hospital under section 4 ofthe mental health Act, then the time you are already inhospital counts as part of the 28 days.1

For you the 28 days end on:Date:What happens next?The person in charge of your care will tell you if theythink you are well enough to leave hospital. This couldbe any time during the 28 days.What treatment will I be given?The person responsible for your care and other staffwill talk to you about any treatment they think youneed. In most cases you have to accept their advice.Can I appeal?Yes. You can appeal against the decision to keep you inhospital. You can do this at any time by talking to theHospital Managers.You can write to the Hospital Managers at:Hospital ManagersMental Health Act OfficeGoodmayes HospitalBarley LaneIlfordEssexIG3 8XJ2

Or you can ask a member of staff to help you contact the HospitalManagers.Your nearest relative can also write to the Hospital Managers to saythat they want you to leave hospital.You can also ask a Tribunal to say you should no longer be kept inhospital.What is a Tribunal and what happens?The Tribunal is an independent group of people. Theydecide if you should be allowed to leave hospital. Theywill have a meeting with you and staff from thehospital who know you.If you want to apply to the Tribunal you can write to:The Tribunals ServicePO BOX 87935 th FloorLeicesterLE1 8BNTel: 0845 2232022You can ask a solicitor to write to the Tribunal for you and help you.3

Letting your nearest relative knowYour nearest relative will be informedFor you, we have been told your nearest relative is:If you do not want this person to receive a copy of this leaflet, pleasetell your nurse or another member of staff.Changing your nearest relativeYou may not think this person is suitable to be yournearest relative. If so, you can apply to the CountyCourt for someone else to act in this role.Your lettersYou will get all letters sent to you. You can send lettersto anyone, unless someone has said they do not want aletter from you. Hospital staff can stop these lettersbeing sent.4

How do I complain?If you want to complain about any thing to do withyour care you can speak to a member of staff. Theycan give you information about the complaintsprocedure.You can also complain to an independent Commission.They check how the Mental Health Act is used.Further help and informationIf there is anything you do not understand about your care ortreatment, a member of staff will try to help you.Please ask if you would like another copy of this leaflet for someoneelse.Adapted from Department of Health (2008) Mental Health Act 1983 information leafletOriginally developed by Derbyshire Mental Health Service NHS TrustSymbols Materials produced in “Writing with symbols 2000” and reproduced with permission from Widgit SoftwareLimited. Tel 01223 425558.5