Mental Health Act: detention in A & E.

Meeting the needs of clients with mental health problems in the accident and emergency (A&E) department requires all members of the multidisciplinary team to be familiar with the Mental Health Act (1, 2). In particular, nurses registered on parts 3, 5, 13 and 14 of the Professional Register (3) and working in A&E should be aware of section 5 (4), the nurse's six-hour holding power (1) and its equivalent, section 25 (2) of the 1984 Mental Health (Scotland) Act (2), and the possible implications of their use in practice.