A safer place to be

Published: 22 October 2014 Page last updated: 3 November 2022
Categories
Public

Urgent action is needed to improve access to health-based places of safety for people experiencing a mental health crisis, a new report we've published shows.

Too many of these places of safety are turning people away because they are already full and some refuse to help those who are intoxicated or exhibiting disturbed behaviour, we found.

We've published the results of our survey of the NHS mental health trusts and social enterprises that provide these services alongside recommendations for how providers and commissioners should improve.

Dr Paul Lelliott, our Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals and mental health lead, said that while a great deal has been done to improve mental health crisis care, more work is needed.

"What our survey of health-based places of safety found is not good enough," Dr Lelliott said. "There would be a national outcry if people experiencing a physical health crisis were treated in the same way.

"Imagine if people who had had a heart attack or stroke, were regularly turned away from an A&E department due to a lack of staff or beds, or if people who had been seriously injured in an accident or attacked were told they couldn’t receive care because they had been drinking or were showing signs of being disturbed."

You can download the report or find out more about it below.

A safer place to be

What is a health-based place of safety?

When someone is experiencing a mental health crisis, they can be detained by the police under section 136 of the Mental Health Act. When this happens, they must be taken to a safe place for assessment.

This should be a place in a mental health hospital or an emergency department at a general hospital. Only in exceptional circumstances should someone be taken to a police station in these circumstances.