Information for people detained in hospital
Medication
If you have been detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act, you may be required to take medication prescribed for you by your doctor. There are rules governing whether you must take it and safeguards to ensure you are treated properly.
These are sometimes referred to as consent to treatment rules and apply only to treatment for your mental, and not your physical, health. There are certain situations when these rules do not apply, for example:
- If your life is at risk
- If you are a danger to yourself or others.
When you are first given medication for your mental illness, your doctor should:
- Explain what the medication is for.
- Tell you about any side-effects.
- Ask for your consent.
What if I do not consent?
If you are a detained patient, you must take the medication for up to three months if your doctor decides you need it, even if you do not give your consent. This is also true if you are too ill or unable to give consent.
What happens next?
After three months, your doctor must ask you for your consent to continue prescribing your medication. If you refuse, the doctor must get in touch with us and we will arrange a second opinion from another doctor.
In these cases, an independent expert known as a Second Opinion Appointed Doctor (Soad) will visit you and decide whether you should continue taking the medication.
How can I find out more?
We have produced a leaflet explaining in greater detail your rights if you are detained in hospital.
Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT)
One of the treatments your doctor could recommend is ECT but this can only be given with your consent. We have produced another leaflet detailing your rights regarding consent to ECT. This leaflet is available in both standard and easy read formats at the link below.
