Tonight – Monday 12th August – BBC Panorama will be airing a special episode on the 2023 tragedies in Nottingham, involving Valdo Calocane who was sentenced earlier this year to a restricted hospital order, from which he may never be released. There are a number of ongoing inquiries and reviews subsequent to the disasters which […]

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I was asked a while ago about a situation where a psychiatric unit had reported a “voluntary” patient as “AWOL” – absent without leave. In case you’re unaware, the specific legal status of “AWOL” applies only to patients who have been legally detained under the Mental Health Act and admitted to hospital on a compulsory […]

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“Consideration should be given to authorising a section 140 bed as the 136 clock will expire in 2hrs’ time.” If you read section 140 of the Mental Health Act 1983, you will not see the word ‘bed’ within it.  Indeed, you will not find that word in the entirety of the Mental Health Act.  People […]

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