ED doctors falling into 'legal gap' when it comes to keeping patients in crisis safe

9 April 2026

KatarzynaBialasiewicz/Getty Images

By Ella Pickover, PA Media, and Daniel Pye

Doctors working in emergency departments feel forced to choose the “least harmful way to break the law” when trying to keep safe patients in crisis, an investigation has warned.

The Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) said that when a vulnerable mental health patient is being cared for in an ED, there are no powers for staff to prevent them from leaving while they are waiting for assessment or admission.







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