16.04.14
Places of safety
It is clearly unacceptable that so many people suffering a mental health crisis, particularly children and teenagers, end up in police custody and not a healthcare setting.
The government has made moves to combat this, but strong words and a new map of appropriate ‘places of safety’ will not be enough when the underlying problem is about resources – staff and beds.
Section 136 of the Mental Health Act is a good example of the way that the original intention of a piece of legislation can be subtly twisted over the years. ‘Exceptional circumstances’ should mean just that.