Detaining patients: a study of nurses' holding powers | Nursing Times

Detaining patients: a study of nurses' holding powers | Nursing Times

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Olajide Ajetunmobi, MBBS, MRCPsych, is specialist registrar in psychiatry, Brandon Mental Health Unit, Leicestershire and Rutland Healthcare NHS TrustUnder section 5(4) of the 1983 Mental Health Act, psychiatric nurses have the power to detain psychiatric inpatients who are liable to harm themselves or others. Although nurses generally agree on the usefulness of this power, studies have found that they rarely use it.

Olajide Ajetunmobi, MBBS, MRCPsych, is specialist registrar in psychiatry, Brandon Mental Health Unit, Leicestershire and Rutland Healthcare NHS Trust


Under section 5(4) of the 1983 Mental Health Act, psychiatric nurses have the power to detain psychiatric inpatients who are liable to harm themselves or others. Although nurses generally


agree on the usefulness of this power, studies have found that they rarely use it.