Compulsorily Detained Psychiatric Patients

(asked on 4th June 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of people detained under the Mental Health Act between 1983 and 2000 who were misdiagnosed with (a) schizophrenia and (b) any other psychiatric disorder.


Answered by
Nadine Dorries Portrait
Nadine Dorries
This question was answered on 9th June 2021

We have made no such estimate.

Patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 for three months, who have not consented to treatment or believe they have been wrongly diagnosed or medicated, have the right to a second opinion from the Second Opinion Appointed Doctor service provided by the Care Quality Commission. The Government’s White Paper, Reforming the Mental Health Act, published in January 2021, includes proposals to enhance patient rights to this service.

For certain patients detained under the Act for treatment, there is a right to aftercare services, funded jointly by the responsible clinical commissioning group and local authority. These serve to help support the person when they move back into the community on discharge from hospital and aim to reduce the risk of the person becoming unwell and needing to return. Financial support may be available through personal health budgets, which support a person’s identified health and wellbeing needs and are planned and agreed between them, their representative and the local National Health Service team. They provide individuals with greater choice, control and flexibility over their care. All these services can include medical and psychological support to meet the needs of people who may have been wrongly diagnosed or medicated.

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