9 April 2026
KatarzynaBialasiewicz/Getty ImagesBy 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.