Your rights under the Mental Health Act: Section 35

The court has said you can be kept here under Section 35 of the Mental Health Act.

This is because a doctor thinks you need special care, in hospital to make you feel better.

This may be up to 28 days starting from the date on which your order was made.

You must not leave during this time unless your doctor says you can.

If you try to go you can be stopped.

If you leave you can be brought back. You might also be arrested by a police officer and taken back to court.

At the end of the time specified by the court your doctor will let the court know whether you need more treatment

The court can remand you for another 28 days but for no more than 12 weeks.

It can do this without you being in court, as long as you have a solicitor to speak on your behalf.

Your doctor and nurse will talk to you about any treatment they think you will need.

You can refuse any treatment you do not want. Only in special circumstances can you be given treatment you do not agree to.

You can ask the court to look at your case again.

You will need help from a solicitor.

Your nurse will help you do this.

You can ask an advocate for help. An advocate is a person not involved in your case who will help you:

• get information
• help you to understand your
treatment
• help you tell your doctor or nurse
how you are feeling
• talk to other people for you, on the
ward or in meetings.

You can get letters while you are in hospital.

You can send letters to anyone except someone who has said they do not want to get letters from you.

Speak to your nurse who will help you complain to the right person.

You can also write to the Care Quality Commission.

Your nurse will give you a leaflet explaining more.

Please tell a member of staff.

Freephone 0800 052 0219.

or email [email protected].

We’d like to know if this information was:

• Good or bad
• If anything was missing you wanted to know

If there was anything you didn’t understand let a member of your care team know.