Why am I in hospital?

You are in hospital on the advice of your Doctor. You have the same rights as any patient in an ordinary hospital.

If you want to leave

You are an informal (voluntary) patient and you are not being held against your will. If the ward you are currently a resident on is locked, this is because a number of patients are subject to the Mental Health Act and are not free to leave. You are free to leave at any time. This right, without due process and good reason, is protected under the Human Rights Act (1998) and by what is known as common law.

Although you are here as an informal patient, it is important for you to spend time on the ward to enable our assessment and plan your care with you. Of course as an informal patient you are able to take breaks off the ward but if you want to leave the ward for longer periods we will need to discuss with you whether inpatient stay is the appropriate way to provide your care.

Confidentiality

All Trust staff adhere to the Department of Health’s guidance on confidentiality and information about you should not be disclosed without your consent. However, occasionally it may be necessary to discuss or pass on particular information to other professionals, this will be done on a ‘need to know’ basis. Any such disclosure will be in accordance with the principles set out in the guidance.

Your care and treatment

Your care team will talk to you about your care and treatment and this can be written into your care plan if you accept it.

This plan may involve:

  • taking medication

  • having some physical investigations/tests and talking to staff and answering questions

Please think about whether or not you are prepared to do all of these things.

Please ensure that you understand what is being offered before accepting any intervention or treatment. Please ask questions about anything that concerns you or if you need any further information.

As an informal patient, you can refuse any treatments or interventions that are being offered to you. If this is the case the care team will review this with you, in terms of the impact on your mental health and try to seek alternatives. It may, at this stage, have to be considered whether offering you inpatient care remains appropriate. You cannot be given any treatment or intervention against your will, except in an emergency.

If you do refuse treatment your care team will review the impact this has on your mental health. If the care team are concerned about your wellbeing in the absence of treatment they may ask for you to be assessed under the Mental Health Act 1983. This would involve an assessment by two Doctors and an Approved Mental Health Professional.

Contact with your friends and family

Your rights are protected by the Human Rights Act. The hospital cannot stop you sending or receiving letters.

You can also speak to your family on the telephone or have them visit. It would be helpful to staff if you would inform your family of visiting times and ask them to visit within these times. If these are inconvenient some alternative arrangements can be made.

It would also be helpful to know if children are going to visit you so that arrangements can be made for you to see them in an appropriate area. In exceptional circumstances it may be necessary to curtail or deny visits to a patient if it is proved to be detrimental to their care and welfare.

Other patients

The hospital cares for a range of mental health patients.

Some other patients are in hospital under a section of the Mental Health Act. This means they do not have the same rights as you and are unable to leave hospital when they wish and are unable to refuse treatment that the doctors think they should have. This may mean they are prevented from leaving by staff or made to take medication they do not want. If this bothers or upsets you, please discuss it with staff.

Your notes/records

Under the Health Records Act 1990 you have the right to ask to look at your medical notes. If you wish to do so please write to your consultant.

Consultant name:

A copy of this information can be sent to the carer(s) involved in your care. If you do not want this to happen please tell your named nurse or doctor. If you need help in writing a letter please ask a member of staff, or a relative or friend.

Useful Information

  • Your hospital doctor is:
  • Your named nurse is:
  • Your name:
  • Your date of admission:

Feeling low and need someone to talk to?

Call 0800 915 4640, Monday to Friday 7pm to 11pm Saturday to Sunday 12pm to midnight.

Need urgent help?

Call 0800 953 0110 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This leaflet is available in alternative languages and formats upon request. Please speak to a member of our staff to arrange this.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

If you have any concerns, questions or need advice on our services, you can contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).